API Management for Software Defined Network (SDN)

SDN and APIs

Networking Innovation Through Software

Sam Ramji @sramji

Brian Pagano @brianpagano

groups.google.com/group/api-craft

youtube.com/apigee

slideshare.net/apigee

SOFTWARE-DEFINED NETWORKING:Defined

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is a shift in network-based computing based on breaking existing physical boundaries on switches, routers, and controllers through well-defined APIs.

This makes it possible to dynamically define all aspects of a network through software.

A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SDN

Originally networking was a difficult manual process.

In a pre-OpenFlow network, all routing and control work was done by a single proprietary product.

All features were shipped by the vendor.

Packet Forwarding Hardware

Operating System

Feature FeatureFeature

packetsRouter/Switchpackets

JunOS, Cisco IOS

Policy-based routing

Broadcom, Marvell

Examples

In an OpenFlow network, routing and control work can be done by software running anywhere in the datacenter. SDN controllers drive these changes into the switching layers.

OpenFlow API

SDN Controller

OpenFlow Switch OpenFlow Switch OpenFlow Switch

It can be helpful to think of the SDN as being made up of elements, controllers, and apps.


App BApp A App DApp C

SDN Controller

SDN Controller


App BApp A App DApp Capps

controllers

elements

The element is where the packet processing happens and must run at line rate.

OpenFlow API

Flow Table Flow TableFlow Table

packetsOpenFlow Switchpackets

Controllers have built-in features and talk to switches via the OpenFlow API. They also have APIs to enable new features that run outside the controller.

Operating System


Northbound API

SDN Controller

These are called “Northbound APIs” and enable programmability.

OpenFlow API

Operating System


Northbound API

SDN Controller


Just like APIs in the programmable web, the more apps that depend on them, the stickier the SDN Controller is.

OpenFlow API

Flow Table Flow TableFlow Table

packetsOpenFlow Switchpackets

SDN Controller BSDN Controller A


OpenFlow API

Datacenter Operating System

Expanding new features running elsewhere in the datacenter increases the agility of the software-defined network.


OpenFlow API


Northbound API


packetsOpenFlow Switchespackets

End of QuarterSLARoute to Sandbox

Energy Management

Intrusion Detection

OpenFlow API


Northbound API


packetsOpenFlow Switchespackets

SDN controllers are made by multiple vendors, each with their own northbound APIs. New features have to work with every controller.


OpenFlow API


Northbound API A

OpenFlow Switch

Northbound API B

packetspackets


A few examples of northbound APIs

http://www.openflowhub.org/display/floodlightcontroller/Floodlight+Documentation

http://docs.openstack.org/api/openstack-network/2.0/content/

http://www.vyatta.com/downloads/documentation/VC6.3/Vyatta_RemoteAccessAPI2.0_R6.3_v01.pdf



http://docs.openstack.org/api/openstack-network/2.0/content/



APIs IN THE SDN REVOLUTION

The software that defines the network does so via APIs.

While virtualization is a systems model, APIs are an abstract model.

An API is a programming model.

One thing that is significantly different from APIs in the programmable web is that in SDN each API has multiple instances.

This is because each controller from a given vendor is implementing the same API but there are many copies of that controller running in the same environment.

One thing that could move SDN forward is to have a single API that interoperates with each of the various SDN controller APIs.


OpenFlow API


Northbound API A

OpenFlow Switch

Northbound API B

Common Northbound API

packetspackets


What if we had a single view of the software-defined network?


OpenFlow Switch OpenFlow Switch



Network Management System

Intrusion Detection

Policy-based RoutingApplication QoS

This is an enormous opportunity for the DevOps movement.

You get control over the network on top of your existing control over the servers.

And you will speed the disintegration of NMS.

How far could we take the system towards perfecting user experience of our services?


OpenFlow Switch OpenFlow Switch



Network Management System

Intrusion Detection

Policy-based RoutingApplication QoS

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API Management for Software Defined Network (SDN)

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