Software-Defined-Networking-The-New-Norm-for-Netwo

Software-DefinedNetworking:TheNewNormforNetworksONFWhitePaperApril13,2012ONFWHITEPAPERSoftware-DefinedNetworking:TheNewNormforNetworks2of12©OpenNetworkingFoundation.Allrightsreserved.ExecutiveSummaryTraditionalnetworkarchitecturesareill-suitedtomeettherequirementsoftoday’senterprises,carriers,andendusers.ThankstoabroadindustryeffortspearheadedbytheOpenNetworkingFoundation(ONF),Software-DefinedNetworking(SDN)istransformingnetworkingarchitecture.IntheSDNarchitecture,thecontrolanddataplanesaredecoupled,networkintelligenceandstatearelogicallycentralized,andtheunderlyingnetworkinfrastructureisabstractedfromtheapplications.Asaresult,enterprisesandcarriersgainunprecedentedprogrammability,automation,andnetworkcontrol,enablingthemtobuildhighlyscalable,flexiblenetworksthatreadilyadapttochangingbusinessneeds.TheONFisanon-profitindustryconsortiumthatisleadingtheadvancementofSDNandstandardizingcriticalelementsoftheSDNarchitecturesuchastheOpenFlowprotocol,whichstructurescommunicationbetweenthecontrolanddataplanesofsupportednetworkdevices.OpenFlowisthefirststandardinterfacedesignedspecificallyforSDN,providinghigh-performance,granulartrafficcontrolacrossmultiplevendors’networkdevices.OpenFlow-basedSDNiscurrentlybeingrolledoutinavarietyofnetworkingdevicesandsoftware,deliveringsubstantialbenefitstobothenterprisesandcarriers,including:• Centralizedmanagementandcontrolofnetworkingdevicesfrommultiplevendors;• ImprovedautomationandmanagementbyusingcommonAPIstoabstracttheunderlyingnetworkingdetailsfromtheorchestrationandprovisioningsystemsandapplications;• Rapidinnovationthroughtheabilitytodelivernewnetworkcapabilitiesandserviceswithouttheneedtoconfigureindividualdevicesorwaitforvendorreleases;TableofContents2ExecutiveSummary3TheNeedforaNewNetworkArchitecture4LimitationsofCurrentNetworkingTechnologies7IntroducingSoftware-DefinedNetworking8InsideOpenFlow10BenefitsofOpenFlow-BasedSoftware-DefinedNetworks12ConclusionONFWHITEPAPERSoftware-DefinedNetworking:TheNewNormforNetworks3of12©OpenNetworkingFoundation.Allrightsreserved.• Programmabilitybyoperators,enterprises,independentsoftwarevendors,andusers(notjustequipmentmanufacturers)usingcommonprogrammingenvironments,whichgivesallpartiesnewopportunitiestodriverevenueanddifferentiation;• Increasednetworkreliabilityandsecurityasaresultofcentralizedandautomatedmanagementofnetworkdevices,uniformpolicyenforcement,andfewerconfigurationerrors;• Moregranularnetworkcontrolwiththeabilitytoapplycomprehensiveandwide-rangingpoliciesatthesession,user,device,andapplicationlevels;and• Betterend-userexperienceasapplicationsexploitcentralizednetworkstateinformationtoseamlesslyadaptnetworkbehaviortouserneeds.SDNisadynamicandflexiblenetworkarchitecturethatprotectsexistinginvestmentswhilefuture-proofingthenetwork.WithSDN,today’sstaticnetworkcanevolveintoanextensibleservicedeliveryplatformcapableofrespondingrapidlytochangingbusiness,end-user,andmarketneeds.TheNeedforaNewNetworkArchitectureTheexplosionofmobiledevicesandcontent,servervirtualization,andadventofcloudservicesareamongthetrendsdrivingthenetworkingindustrytoreexaminetraditionalnetworkarchitectures.Manyconventionalnetworksarehierarchical,builtwithtiersofEthernetswitchesarrangedinatreestructure.Thisdesignmadesensewhenclient-servercomputingwasdominant,butsuchastaticarchitectureisill-suitedtothedynamiccomputingandstorageneedsoftoday’senterprisedatacenters,campuses,andcarrierenvironments.Someofthekeycomputingtrendsdrivingtheneedforanewnetworkparadigminclude:• Changingtrafficpatterns:Withintheenterprisedatacenter,trafficpatternshavechangedsignificantly.Incontrasttoclient-serverapplicationswherethebulkofthecommunicationoccursbetweenoneclientandoneserver,today’sapplicationsaccessdifferentdatabasesandservers,creatingaflurryof“east-west”machine-to-machinetrafficbeforereturningdatatotheenduserdeviceintheclassic“north-south”trafficpattern.Atthesametime,usersarechangingnetworktrafficpatternsastheypushforaccesstocorporatecontentandapplicationsfromanytypeofdevice(includingtheirown),connectingfromanywhere,atanytime.Finally,manyenterprisedatacentersmanagersarecontemplatingautilitycomputingmodel,whichmightincludeaprivatecloud,publiccloud,orsomemixofboth,resultinginadditionaltrafficacrossthewideareanetwork.ONFWHITEPAPERSoftware-DefinedNetworking:TheNewNormforNetworks4of12©OpenNetworkingFoundation.Allrightsreserved.• The“consumerizationofIT”:Usersareincreasinglyemployingmobilepersonaldevicessuchassmartphones,tablets,andnotebookstoaccessthecorporatenetwork.ITisunderpressuretoaccommodatethesepersonaldevicesinafine-grainedmannerwhileprotectingcorporatedataandintellectualpropertyandmeetingcompliancemandates.• Theriseofcloudservices:Enterpriseshaveenthusiasticallyembracedbothpublicandprivatecloudservices,resultinginunprecedentedgrowthoftheseservices.Enterprisebusinessunitsnowwanttheagilitytoaccessapplications,infrastructure,andotherITresourcesondemandandàlacarte.Toaddtothecomplexity,IT’splanningforcloudservicesmustbedoneinanenvironmentofincreasedsecurity,compliance,andaudit