774 research outputs found
Dataplane Specialization for High-performance OpenFlow Software Switching
OpenFlow is an amazingly expressive dataplane program-
ming language, but this expressiveness comes at a severe
performance price as switches must do excessive packet clas-
sification in the fast path. The prevalent OpenFlow software
switch architecture is therefore built on flow caching, but
this imposes intricate limitations on the workloads that can
be supported efficiently and may even open the door to mali-
cious cache overflow attacks. In this paper we argue that in-
stead of enforcing the same universal flow cache semantics
to all OpenFlow applications and optimize for the common
case, a switch should rather automatically specialize its dat-
aplane piecemeal with respect to the configured workload.
We introduce ES WITCH , a novel switch architecture that
uses on-the-fly template-based code generation to compile
any OpenFlow pipeline into efficient machine code, which
can then be readily used as fast path. We present a proof-
of-concept prototype and we demonstrate on illustrative use
cases that ES WITCH yields a simpler architecture, superior
packet processing speed, improved latency and CPU scala-
bility, and predictable performance. Our prototype can eas-
ily scale beyond 100 Gbps on a single Intel blade even with
complex OpenFlow pipelines
Programming Protocol-Independent Packet Processors
P4 is a high-level language for programming protocol-independent packet
processors. P4 works in conjunction with SDN control protocols like OpenFlow.
In its current form, OpenFlow explicitly specifies protocol headers on which it
operates. This set has grown from 12 to 41 fields in a few years, increasing
the complexity of the specification while still not providing the flexibility
to add new headers. In this paper we propose P4 as a strawman proposal for how
OpenFlow should evolve in the future. We have three goals: (1)
Reconfigurability in the field: Programmers should be able to change the way
switches process packets once they are deployed. (2) Protocol independence:
Switches should not be tied to any specific network protocols. (3) Target
independence: Programmers should be able to describe packet-processing
functionality independently of the specifics of the underlying hardware. As an
example, we describe how to use P4 to configure a switch to add a new
hierarchical label
Verifiably-safe software-defined networks for CPS
Next generation cyber-physical systems (CPS) are expected to be deployed in domains which require scalability as well as performance under dynamic conditions. This scale and dynamicity will require that CPS communication networks be programmatic (i.e., not requiring manual intervention at any stage), but still maintain iron-clad safety guarantees. Software-defined networking standards like OpenFlow provide a means for scalably building tailor-made network architectures, but there is no guarantee that these systems are safe, correct, or secure. In this work we propose a methodology and accompanying tools for specifying and modeling distributed systems such that existing formal verification techniques can be transparently used to analyze critical requirements and properties prior to system implementation. We demonstrate this methodology by iteratively modeling and verifying an OpenFlow learning switch network with respect to network correctness, network convergence, and mobility-related properties. We posit that a design strategy based on the complementary pairing of software-defined networking and formal verification would enable the CPS community to build next-generation systems without sacrificing the safety and reliability that these systems must deliver
Will SDN be part of 5G?
For many, this is no longer a valid question and the case is considered
settled with SDN/NFV (Software Defined Networking/Network Function
Virtualization) providing the inevitable innovation enablers solving many
outstanding management issues regarding 5G. However, given the monumental task
of softwarization of radio access network (RAN) while 5G is just around the
corner and some companies have started unveiling their 5G equipment already,
the concern is very realistic that we may only see some point solutions
involving SDN technology instead of a fully SDN-enabled RAN. This survey paper
identifies all important obstacles in the way and looks at the state of the art
of the relevant solutions. This survey is different from the previous surveys
on SDN-based RAN as it focuses on the salient problems and discusses solutions
proposed within and outside SDN literature. Our main focus is on fronthaul,
backward compatibility, supposedly disruptive nature of SDN deployment,
business cases and monetization of SDN related upgrades, latency of general
purpose processors (GPP), and additional security vulnerabilities,
softwarization brings along to the RAN. We have also provided a summary of the
architectural developments in SDN-based RAN landscape as not all work can be
covered under the focused issues. This paper provides a comprehensive survey on
the state of the art of SDN-based RAN and clearly points out the gaps in the
technology.Comment: 33 pages, 10 figure
Design of a Hybrid Modular Switch
Network Function Virtualization (NFV) shed new light for the design,
deployment, and management of cloud networks. Many network functions such as
firewalls, load balancers, and intrusion detection systems can be virtualized
by servers. However, network operators often have to sacrifice programmability
in order to achieve high throughput, especially at networks' edge where complex
network functions are required.
Here, we design, implement, and evaluate Hybrid Modular Switch (HyMoS). The
hybrid hardware/software switch is designed to meet requirements for modern-day
NFV applications in providing high-throughput, with a high degree of
programmability. HyMoS utilizes P4-compatible Network Interface Cards (NICs),
PCI Express interface and CPU to act as line cards, switch fabric, and fabric
controller respectively. In our implementation of HyMos, PCI Express interface
is turned into a non-blocking switch fabric with a throughput of hundreds of
Gigabits per second.
Compared to existing NFV infrastructure, HyMoS offers modularity in hardware
and software as well as a higher degree of programmability by supporting a
superset of P4 language
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