IxNetwork OpenFlow Solution Solution Highlights OpenFlow Controller Emulation OpenFlow Switch Emulation OpenFlow Benchmarking Test OpenFlow Switch Conformance Test Key Features Software Defined Networking (SDN) Software Define Networking (SDN) allows enterprises, service providers, and government agencies to offer services faster and with the promise of reduced CAPEX and OPEX. The most basic definition of SDN is the separation of the control plane and data plane, enabling centralized control of the network layer. This centralized control speeds application development and deployment into the network, and has created significant interest and demand for products that enable SDN. Several large equipment manufacturers have now released product and the market shows strong momentum. Emulate OpenFlow controllers and switches Test and verify the OF Channel including controllerto-switch messages, switchto-controller messages, and switch Feature-Reply Perform negative testing to interrupt the OF Channel or trigger error conditions Easily create large scale topologies using OpenFlow Controller and Switch wizards Figure 1 SDN architecture (source: ONF). 26601 Agoura Road Calabasas, CA 91302 USA Tel + 1-818-871-1800 www.ixiacom.com Document No.: 915-1885-01 Rev G September 2015 - Page 1
How OpenFlow Works OpenFlow is a protocol that enables SDN technology. It originated out of Stanford University and the intellectual property rights are now owned by the Open Networking Foundation (ONF). Ixia was the first test company to join the ONF and provide off-the-shelf test solutions. OpenFlow separates the control plane from the data plane and defines two device types, a controller and a switch. OpenFlow-enabled switches can be pure OpenFlow or hybrid, meaning they can support traditional routing/switching as well as OpenFlow. The controller talks to each switch over an IP connection and has the ability to populate the forwarding table with flow-table entries that define a match and an action. Applications then run on top of the controller using a well-defined API, known as the north-bound API. Applications range from layer 2 or layer 3 learning networks to static provisioned networks, and can be as simple or complicated as the requirements demand. New applications are being developed every day to address challenges in the data center, service provider WAN, enterprise, and other networks. IxNetwork OpenFlow Solution Ixia s IxNetwork provides a solution for both OpenFlow Controllers and Switches: OpenFlow Controller Emulation provides the ability to test OpenFlow switches by emulating OpenFlow controllers and integrated traffic OpenFlow Switch Emulation provides the ability to test OpenFlow Controllers by emulating OpenFlow switches OpenFlow QuickTest provides the ability to benchmark the performance of OpenFlow switch and network; includes tests like OpenFlow Switch Table Capacity, L2/L3 Address Learning Rate, Switch Flow Failover Performance OpenFlow Conformance Test Suite provides the ability to validate the conformity of an OpenFlow switch to the ONF OpenFlow switch test specification Figure 2a Ixia ports emulate OpenFlow controllers as well as traffic end points. Page 2
Figure 2b Ixia ports emulate OpenFlow switches. Figure 2c Ixia OpenFlow Switch Flow Table Capacity QuickTest. Page 3
OpenFlow Controller Emulation OpenFlow Channel support: Active/Passive TCP/TLS Topology discovery using LLDP Figure 3: TCP/TLS connection type Figure 4: Controller Learned Information shows discovered topology Comprehensively flow-match and action to test flow tables o Verify full match criteria for both OpenFlow 1.0 and 1.3.1 Figure 5: Increment any of the match fields per Flow Range to scale. Page 4
o Support various Instruction Types Apply Actions, Write Actions, Write Metadata, Clear Actions, Experimenter, Go To table, Meter Figure 6: Instruction Types o Perform and verify single and multiple actions Figure 7: Configure Action Types Page 5
Group Table and Action Bucket Group Types All, Select, Indirect, Fast Failover Figure 8: Group Types Meter and Band - Rate(kb/sec), Rate(packet/sec), Burst size, Collect Statistics Figure 9: Meter support Validate Switch Feature for reply and stat request/reply Figure10: Learned Information shows details learned from each switch, including port information and statistics. Page 6
Measure Switch Flow Processing (flows/sec) performance, both TCP and Barrier Reply based calculation Auxiliary connection Figure 11: Flow rate Figure 12: Auxiliary connection Verify asynchronous messages received from the switch Industry-leading data-plane validation o Wire-rate packet forwarding and measurement per packet o Verify correct forwarding o Verify actions with egress tracking, including field modify and push/pop VLAN header o Measure convergence, failover, and service interruption Page 7
Switch Emulation Emulate the most realistic OpenFlow-enabled network topologies (mesh, ring, hub and spoke) with various port parameters to validate controller ability and scalability to discover various topologies and program switch flow table. Figure 13: Switch Topology configuration Figure 14: Switch configuration with various stat- and port-level parameters. Page 8
Configure various switch properties to emulate real-world switch behavior such as capabilities, port properties, and tables. Openflow Channel support for TCP/TLS Figure 15: Switch capabilities Figure 16: TCP TLS connection types Generate various Packet_Ins to verify controller functionality and ability to learn various host packets Figure 17: Packet_In editor dialog to generate various packet_in messages to controller Page 9
Auxiliary connection support Verify flows sent by controller via switch-learned Info Figure 18: Auxiliary connection Figure 19: Switch flow learned info shows flows sent by controller. Generate various Host traffic from emulated switch and verify its forwarding based on installed flows Figure 20: Switch flow learned info shows flows sent by controller. Page 10
Integrated protocol trace Full protocol decode via Wireshark (analyzer license is required) Figure 21: In-built Wireshark provides protocol dissector. Hybrid-mode testing support run other routing and switching protocols Automation support via Ixia s Test Composer and Macro Recorder products Industry s first OpenFlow benchmarking methodologies o Switch flow table capacity test o o L2/L3 address learning rate test Switch flow failover performance test Page 11
Figure 22: Switch Flow Table Capacity Benchmarking QT. Figure 23: OpenFlow L3 Address Learning Rate QT Page 12
Figure 24: Switch Flow Failover Performance QT Switch Conformance Openflow 1.0, Openflow 1.3 Features for OpenFlow v1.0 Complete coverage of ONF OpenFlow v1.0 Switch Test Specification, 194 test cases Aligned with OpenFlow Switch Specification Version 1.0.0 (Wire Protocol 0x01) and OpenFlow Switch Errata v1.0.1 Simulates Controller and Data plane interface OpenFlow v1.0 feature verification o Connection Setup o Connection Interruption o Messages - Controller to Switch, Asynchronous, Symmetric o Port Structures o Flow Table Modification o Matching o Counters o Actions o Error Messages o Barrier Messages Page 13
Features for OpenFlow v1.3 Alignment with ONF OpenFlow v1.3 Switch Test Specification, 528 test cases Aligned with OpenFlow Switch Specification Version 1.3.2 (Wire Protocol 0x04) Simulates Controller and Data Plane interface OpenFlow v1.3 feature verification o Connection Interruption o Multiple Controllers o Information gathering o Table miss o Matching o Matching Optional o Matching Multiple Header Fields o Actions o Actions Push/Pop Tag o Set-Field Action o Instructions o Flow Table Modification Messages o Counters o Messages o Async Messages o Error Messages o GROUP Messages o Protocol Messages o Meter Modification Messages Page 14
Specifications Standard Protocol Options OpenFlow Controller Emulation ONF OpenFlow v1.0/v1.3.1 Specifications TLS Encryption Timeout (Idle, Hard) Connection Mode (Active, Passive, Mixed) Delete All Flows on Start-Up Calculate Flow/Sec Rate (TCP ACK, Barrier Reply Based) Match Type (Strict, Loose) TCP Port Priority Send Flow Removed Check Overlap Emergency Flow Echo Timeout Auxiliary Connection Master/Slave (Role Request) connection Enable Hello Element Controller Table Table Flow Ranges Instructions Instruction Actions Group Meter OpenFlow Switch Emulation TCP Port Timeout (Idle, Hard) Echo Timeout Connection Mode (Active, Passive, Mixed) Datapath-ID Capabilities Supported Actions Calculate PacketIn Reply Delay Auxiliary Connection Master/Slave (Role Request) connection Group Meter Host Emulation Page 15
Standard ONF OpenFlow v1.0/v1.3.1 Specifications Message Type TCP/TLS (OF-Channel) Hello Feature Request/Reply Echo Request/Reply/Pause/Resume Vendor/Experimenter Message Barrier Flow Modification (Add, Delete, Modify) Switch Config Flow Switch Configuration OpenFlow 1.0 Controller Emulation Full 12 tuple Match Support All Actions Including Output (Port, All, Controller, In_Port, Local, Normal, Flood) and Vendor (0xfff) OpenFlow 1.3.1 Controller Emulation (Specific) Flow Table with Full OXM Extensible Match Support, Including IPv4/v6 Support, IPv6 Extension Header, Multiple Levels of VLAN Tagging, MPLS Support, Tunnel ID Metadata, PBB Tagging Instructions OXM Extensible Set-Field Actions Experimenter Ports Number of Ports Port Name Ethernet Address Config State Current Features Advertised Features Supported Features Peer Advertised Features Number of Queues Tables Number of Tables Table Id Table Name Max Supported Entries Wildcards Supported PortQueues Number of Queues Queue Id Queue Property Page 16
Standard Stats Request/Reply Learned Info OpenFlow Controller Emulation ONF OpenFlow v1.0/v1.3.1 Specifications Flow Stats (Individual/Aggregated) Port Stats Vendor/Experimenter Stat Description Stat Table Stat Queue Config/Stat Vendor Stats Port Features Group Stat Meter Stat OpenFlow Controller Emulation Feature Reply Port Status Error Message Switch Capabilities Action Supported Flow Stat Port Stat Vendor Stat Description Stat Table Stat Queue Stat Queue Config Stat Topology Learned Info (via LLDP) OpenFlow Switch Emulation OF-Channel Learned Info Flow Learned Info Host Topology Information Page 17
Standard Test Composer OpenFlow Events OpenFlow 1.0 Controller Emulation Pause/Resume Request/Reply Send Request Stat Request Barrier Flow Config Description Feature Queue Table Vendor, Vendor Message LLDP Packet out Flow Add, Delete, Modify ONF OpenFlow v1.0/v1.3.1 Specifications OpenFlow 1.3.1 Controller Emulation Description stat Port stat Table stat Experimenter message Queue config Queue Stat Page 18
Standard ONF OpenFlow v1.0/v1.3.1 Specifications Statistics OF Channel Configured Configure Up Learned Up Flap Count Feature Requests Tx Feature Replies Rx Hello/Echo Hello Tx/Rx Echo Request Tx/Rx Echo Reply Tx/Rx Flow Flow Adds/Mods/Dels Tx Flow Rate (Packets/Sec) Stats Request/Reply Stats Tx/Rx Table Stat Tx/Rx Description Stats Tx/Rx Flow Stat Tx/Rx Flow Aggregated Stat Tx/Rx Port Stat Tx/Rx Queue Stat Tx/Rx Get Config Tx/Rx Get Queue Config Tx/Rx Barrier Tx/RX Set Config Tx Vendor Vendor Message Tx/Rx Vendor Stat Tx/Rx Packet Ins Reason No Match Reason Action Error Error Rx Action Error Rx Port Mod Error Rx Hello Error Rx Flow Mod Error Rx Queue Op Errors Rx Page 19
Standard ONF OpenFlow v1.0/v1.3.1 Specifications Benchmarking QT (Optional) OpenFlow Benchmarking QuickTest o OpenFlow Switch Flow Table Capacity Test o L2/L3 Address Learning Rate of OpenFlow Network o OpenFlow Switch Flow Failover Performance RFC2544 Benchmarking Methodology for Network Interconnect Devices RFC2889 Benchmarking Methodology for LAN Switching Devices RFC3918 Methodology for IP Multicast Benchmarking Supported Load Modules: XMS, XMV, XMVDC, Xcellon-Ultra Series, NGY Series, Xcellon-Flex AP (10GE), Xdensity (10GE), Xcellon (40GE), Xcellon Combo (10GE/40GE), K2 (40GE/100GE) Series, Xcellon-Lava (40GE/100GE) Series, Xcellon-Multis, IxVM (Virtual) Platform Product Ordering Information IxNetwork OpenFlow Solution 930-2104 IxNetwork, Optional Software, OpenFlow Controller Emulation REQUIRES: 930-2056 IxNetwork Base PLUS OR 930-2076 IxNetwork Base PREMIUM 930-2105 IxNetwork, Optional Software, OpenFlow Switch Emulation REQUIRES: 930-2056 IxNetwork Base PLUS OR 930-2076 IxNetwork Base PREMIUM 930-2107 IxNetwork, Optional Software Bundle, OpenFlow Protocol Bundle ; INCLUDES; 930-2104 OpenFlow Controller Emulation; 930-2105 OpenFlow Switch Emulation; REQUIRES: 930-2056 IxNetwork Base PLUS OR 930-2076 IxNetwork Base PREMIUM 930-2412 IxNetwork, Optional Software, OpenFlow QuickTest; OpenFlow Benchmarking test; Flow Table Capacity, Flow Learning Rate, Flow Failover Test; REQUIRES IxNetwork OpenFlow Emulation License (930-2077 ) IxANVL OpenFlow Conformance Test Solution 924-411-10BF IxANVL, Conformance Test Suite, OpenFlow, Floating Binary License 924-411-10F IxANVL, Conformance Test Suite, OpenFlow, Floating Source License 924-413-10BF IxANVL, Conformance Test Suite, OPENFLOW1.3, Floating Binary License 924-413-10F IxANVL, Conformance Test Suite, OPENFLOW1.3, Floating Source License Page 20