The first OpenDaylight Forum is a two-day event focusing on the fast growing OpenDaylight SDN platform and is a great opportunity for both advanced veterans of the project and those new to OpenDaylight.

1. We're going to be able to ask our
computers to monitor things for us,
and when certain conditions happen,
the computers will take certain
actions and inform us after the fact.
~ Steve Jobs

2. Network Packet
Monitoring Optimizations
Powered By SDN
Dharmraj Jhatakia, GM & Head of Data Centre Technologies
Happiest Minds Technologies Private Ltd

3. Overview of Network Monitoring

4. Quick Recall on Techniques
of Network Monitoring
• Active Probing – Injecting special packets
• Device Probing – Querying for device properties e.g.
SNMP
• Log Analysis – Analysis of system generated data
• Flow Collection – Flow level data analysis - NetFlow.
• Packet Monitoring – Most advanced, packet level,
granular monitoring technique

5. Why Monitor ?
• Recording of conversations
• Next Generation Firewalls, IDS, IPS
• Lawful Interception by Telecom Service Providers
• Proactive Network Performance tuning

6. Typical Deployment
Monitoring
Function
Original
Data
Replicated
Data
Mgmnt
Connect
Inline
Monitroing

7. SDN Powered Packet Monitoring

8. Challenges of Today’s
Data Centre
• Virtualized Work Flow and challenges with VM movements
• Redundancy and Availability at Low Cost
• Optimal usage of capacity for production traffic
• Contention for limited SPAN ports

9. SDN enabled monitoring
deployment

10. VM Migration Use Case

11. VM is hosted on
Server Rack 1
VM Migration Use Case

12. VM is hosted on
Server Rack 1
MD3
SWB
SWE
SWF
SWA
Traffic Originating from
VM and destined to
Switch F is being monitored
on MD3.
VM Migration Use Case

13. VM Migrates to
Server Rack 2
SWE
SWF
MD3
SWB
SWA
SWD
VM Migration Use Case

14. New PktIn From
Switch D to SDN
Controller
MD2 Enabled
MD3
SWB
SWE
SWF
SWA
SWD
MD2

15. SWB
SWE
SWF
SWA
SWD
MD2
Mirroring on SWB
disabled
Monitoring on
MD3 Disabled

16. Optimizing Distributed
Monitoring - Fail Safe

17. Optimizing Distributed
Monitoring - Conservation

18. Efficient Capacity Usage
On Demand Mirroring
• Traditional monitoring system use primitive filters and
hence replicate lot of unnecessary traffic
• SDN & DPI can help us perform on demand monitoring
• For example: Enabling Monitoring only for VOIP traffic
from a particular source
• PktIN received at controller can be sent to DPI engine
which computes the resultant action
• The controller, based on the action, performs the
configuration and hence an optimal on demand
monitoring

19. Business Benefits of SDN
Powered Packet Monitoring

20. Why would they Care for
SDN enabled Monitoring?
• Enterprises and CIOs
• Capex savings – Monitoring solution deployed using WhiteBox
Switches, ODL controller, and a variety of free tools
• Opex savings distribution of monitoring functions without
replication
• For Existing Monitoring Solutions Vendors
• Offer scale as you go / pay as you go models
• Ability to break into price sensitive customers
• Allow to focus on feature rich solutions and
advanced applications

21. Who and Why Do they Care
for SDN enabled Monitoring?
• For Start Ups
• Focus on building innovative solutions and reducing
time to market
• For ISPs
• Agility and flexibility of offering monitoring services
• Newer business models

22. Case Study
Happiest Minds Co-Creation with a leader in Packet Monitoring

23. Our Visionary Customer’s
approach
• Customer, one of the top players in Packet Monitoring
solutions, wanted to offer a new monitoring solution
which is based on bare metal switches and SDN controller.[
• Customer evaluated multiple options, but nailed down on
OpenDayLight as the controller
• Wide range of platform features which can speed up
implementation
• Flexibility and Robustness
• Ability to leverage the contributions from a
very smart community of developers

24. Happiest Minds’ Contribution
to the Solution
• Customization and hardening of security
• Customization of the ODL modules
• Development of monitoring function SDN
applications
• Transformation of the Monitoring application,
which is the core IP of the customer, to an SDN
Application

25. THANK YOU