This document summarizes a presentation on networking technologies moving from closed to open systems. It discusses the transition from proprietary networking hardware and software to software-defined networks (SDNs) using open standards and protocols. SDNs allow for network virtualization through open interfaces, multiple network operating systems, and isolation of "slices" of the physical network. This enables more innovation, lower barriers to entry, and a healthier marketplace. Open network technologies discussed include OpenFlow, Open Compute Project, Open Network Install Environment, open hardware switches, Open Network Linux, and Google's use of SDNs in its large data centers.

1. Closed2Open
Networking
Linux Day 2015
Napoli, October 24 2015
Antonio Pescapè, pescape@unina.it

2. Who am I?
 Antonio Pescape'
 Dipartimento di Ingegneria
Elettrica e delle Tecnologie
dell'Informazione (DIETI)
 University of Napoli
''Federico II''
 Via Claudio, 21 - 80125,
Napoli (Italy) [Room n. 4.09]
 tel. +39 081 7683856 - fax
+39 081 7683816
 e-mail : pescape@unina.it
2

3. Agenda
 From “Closed Networking” to “Open Networking”
 Software Defined Networks
 Open Network Technologies
 A Real Example: Google Data Network
 References
3

4. From “Closed Networking”
to “Open Networking”
4

5. Million of lines
of source code
5400 RFCs Barrier to entry
500M gates
10Gbytes RAM
Bloated Power Hungry
Many complex functions baked into the infrastructure
OSPF, BGP, multicast, differentiated services,
Traffic Engineering, NAT, firewalls, MPLS, redundant layers, …
An industry with a “mainframe-mentality”
We have lost our way
Specialized Packet
Forwarding Hardware
Operating
System
App App App
Routing, management, mobility management,
access control, VPNs, …
slide by Nick McKeown, Stanford University

6. Operating System
Reality
App
App
App
Specialized Packet
Forwarding Hardware
Specialized Packet
Forwarding Hardware
Operating
System
App App App
• Lack of competition means glacial innovation
• Closed architecture means blurry, closed interfaces
slide by Nick McKeown, Stanford University

7. Glacial process of innovation made worse
by captive standards process
Deployment
Idea Standardize
Wait 10 years
• Driven by vendors
• Consumers largely locked out
• Lowest common denominator features
• Glacial innovation
slide by Nick McKeown, Stanford University

8. Total number of RFCs published
8
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

9. Example: IEEE 802.11Q
9
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

10. Example: specs of an Ethernet Switch
10
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

11. Computing
11
slide by Nick McKeown, Stanford University

12. Networking
12
slide by Nick McKeown, Stanford University

13. Software Defined Networks
14

14. Specialized Packet
Forwarding Hardware
Ap
p
Ap
p
Ap
p
Specialized Packet
Forwarding Hardware
Ap
p
Ap
p
Ap
p
Specialized Packet
Forwarding Hardware
Ap
p
Ap
p
Ap
p
Specialized Packet
Forwarding Hardware
Ap
p
Ap
p
Ap
p
Specialized Packet
Forwarding Hardware
Operating
System
Operating
System
Operating
System
Operating
System
Operating
System
Ap
p
Ap
p
Ap
p
Network Operating System
App App App
Change is happening in non-traditional markets
slide by Nick McKeown, Stanford University

15. App
Simple Packet
Forwarding
Hardware
Simple Packet
Forwarding
Hardware
Simple Packet
Forwarding
Hardware
App App
Simple Packet
Forwarding
Hardware Simple Packet
Forwarding
Hardware
Network Operating System
1. Open interface to hardware
3. Well-defined open API
2. At least one good operating system
Extensible, possibly open-source
The “Software-defined Network”
slide by Nick McKeown, Stanford University

16. Vision behind SDN
17

17. Slicing the physical network
18
slide by Nick McKeown, Stanford University

18. Simple Packet
Forwarding Hardware
Network
Operating
System 1
Open interface to hardware
Virtualization or “Slicing” Layer
Network
Operating
System 2
Network
Operating
System 3
Network
Operating
System 4
Ap
p
Ap
p
Ap
p
Ap
p
Ap
p
Ap
p
Ap
p
Ap
p
Many operating systems, or
Many versions
Open interface to hardware
Isolated “slices”
Simple Packet
Forwarding Hardware
Simple Packet
Forwarding Hardware
Simple Packet
Forwarding Hardware
Simple Packet
Forwarding Hardware
slide by Nick McKeown, Stanford University

19. Consequences
More innovation in network services
 Owners, operators, 3rd
party developers,
researchers can improve the network
 E.g. energy management, data center
management, policy routing, access control, denial
of service, mobility
Lower barrier to entry for competition
 Healthier market place, new players
slide by Nick McKeown, Stanford University

20. The change has already started
In a nutshell
 Driven by cost and control
 Started in data centers…. and has spread
 Transition is towards an open-source,
software-defined network
 Growing interest for cellular and telecom
networks (5G)
Modified slide by Nick McKeown, Stanford University

21. Windows
(OS)
Windows
(OS)
Linux
Mac
OS
x86
(Computer)
Windows
(OS)
AppApp
LinuxLinux
Mac
OS
Mac
OS
Virtualization layer
App
Controller
1
AppApp
Controller
2
Virtualization or “Slicing”
App
OpenFlow
Controller
1
NOX
(Network OS)
Controller
2Network OS
Transition
Computer Industry Network Industry
Modified slide by Nick McKeown, Stanford University

22. Open Network
Technologies
(not exhaustive)
23

23. Overview of Open Network Technologies
24
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

24.  Typical Network Operating System (switch and/or router)
• Structured as “black box”
 CLI != API
• Closed development model
 Diagnostics “under the hood” difficult to see
• Complicated management tool chains
 SNMP MIB’s… hell
 Screen scraping… regex’s change on OS version
 Arcane / low adoption scripting languages
• Not geared for rapid spin-up / spin-down of resources
Traditional networking
October 16, 201325
slide by Cumulus Networks

25. • IP-based networks
 Limited adoption - large scale L2, InfiniBand, ATM
• Configuration management / automation
 Monitoring
 Policy enforcement
 Rapid spin-up / spin-down
• New breed of applications
 East-West vs. North-South flows
October 16, 201326
Modern datacenter network roots
slide by Cumulus Networks

26. • Dominate server platform
 Well established ecosystem of distributions, best practices,
knowledge
 Open well documented API, large selection of language
interpreters
 Excellent networking support - IPv6, NAT’s, QoS, accounting
• Vibrant community which fuels rapid innovation
• Heavy automation frameworks
 Open nature has facilitated huge management tool-chain progress
October 16, 201327
Linux?
slide by Cumulus Networks

27. GNU/Linux is a great fit as the OS for
not just servers but also routers and
switches in the modern data center
In other words…
October 16, 2013
28
slide by Cumulus Networks

28. October 16, 201329
Linux as the
embedded OS:
process and
memory mgmt
Embedded OS with
process and
memory mgmt
No real OS,
while loop
Monolithic OS 3rd
Real-time OS Linux-based
OS
Eg: IOS, CatOS
Proprietary routing
and switching stack
Eg: ION Eg: NX-OS,
EOS
Eg: Cumulus
Linux
Linux OS
Linux as
Network OS:
Native routing
and switching
Proprietary routing
and switching stack
Proprietary routing
and switching stack
Network Device Operating System Evolution
Modified slide by Cumulus Networks

29. Open Hardware Switches
30
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

30. Open Compute Project
31
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

31. Open Network Install Environment
(1/2)
32
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

32. Open Network Install Environment
(2/2)
33
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

33. FaceBook Wedge 6-Pack
open hardware modular switch
34

34. Edge-Core White Label Switches
35
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

35. DELL ONIE Switches
36
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

36. Open Network Linux
39
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

37. Emerging Open Switch Ecosystems
40
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

38. Apple
41
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

39. Facebook and Mellanox
42
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

40. HP and Microsoft
43
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

41. A Real Example:
Google Data Network
44

42. Google Data Network
45
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

43. Google Data Network
46
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

44. Google Data Network: Google Open Flow Switch
47
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

45. Google Data Network
48
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

46. Google Data Network: almost 100% utilization
49
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

47. Google Data Network
50
slide by Ronald van der Pol, Surfnet

48. References/Credits
51
• This talk contains slides or ideas from the following sources:
• Ronal van der pol, Emerging Software Defined Networking & Open APIs Ecosystem, March 2015
• Ronal van der pol, Abstractions and Open APIs in Networking, April 2015
• Nick McKneown, Software-defined Networks, October 2009
• Over coming traditional network limitations with open source, Cumulus Networks
This talk and/or part of it can be used freely.

49. Thank you for your attention!
52
Any Questions?
?