SDN for the Backbone Christos Kolias, Sr. Research Scientist Network Architecture, Ethernet Technology Summit 2013 April 2-4, 2013 Santa Clara, CA
2
Menu Software-Defined Networking Benefits of SDN SDN in the core Transport Network Virtualization Net Apps Store and Net Services Conclusion 3
Orange, a worldwide presence (OSV), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Orange-France Telecom Group, is the Silicon Valley presence of Orange Internet, Fixed, Mobile, TV provider Orange is one of the major telcos, in 5 continents, 32 countries, 226 million customers, 6 million business customers 180,000 employees and ~ $ 57 b revenues in 2012 Founding member of ETSI NFV. Member of Open Networking Foundation (ONF) 4
Software-Defined Networking (SDN) SDN supports the abstraction of the control plane from the data plane Supports programmability for hardware Users can define (their) traffic flows and decide how these are treated in the network People want to control their own network 5
Why SDN Today s boxes are closed & proprietary I want to add a new service/capability but my equipment (h/w & s/w) has to support it hard and risky to innovate No elasticity. Too much complexity. Challenges from mobile growth to big data and cloud computing Poor resource utilization Create an abstraction that yields a logical view of the network (topology & resources) Network programmability Open APIs source:onf 6
Benefits of SDN Programmable platform brings agility & elasticity into network Allows for optimization & customization: Build Your Own Router, Firewall, Load Balancer, DPI, WAN Accelerator Supports intelligent management of traffic flows Enabler for network virtualization. Great tool for cloud management. Deploy new, on-demand, tailored services & apps Resource discovery and monitoring Unified method for traffic engineering, network management It is all about empowering the administrator/operator, user More choices, more control Define your own rules/policies 7
SDN for the Core Trends driving the need for SDN in the core Large volumes of data that require to be moved around (often instantly) Virtualization (VM mobility) Cloud services, storage migration Lack of end-to-end capacity provisioning High maintenance costs for dedicated infrastructure facilities Ease of setting up long-haul paths (eg, OpenFlow can provide for the set-up of tunnels) Enhances fault tolerance ( easy to set/change back-up paths for disaster recovery Load balancing (across your backbone) Improves security (rules pushed down quickly) Traffic monitoring and analytics (network weather map, forecast?) Easier to manage capacity across your network (e.g., less underutilized paths, less over-provisioning) 8
SDN-enabled network processors and switch fabrics for the core routers Add more intelligence (L4-L7) to (some) core routers optional SDN as a management tool for multilayer switching Enables interoperability and internetworking Run new core routing protocols What would it entail for (G)MPLS? (SDN can be layer-agnostic) Impact of Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) Three major uses cases: Cloud bursting (elastic demand, workload migration) Network virtualization (collection/pool of hw/sw resources that appear as they belong to a single entity) Traffic Engineering (agility, speed, simplicity) 9
Traffic Engineering (TE) Policy-based flow path set up Event scheduling, e.g., use certain routes during peak/off-peak hours, weekends, etc Adjust traffic paths (on the fly) as to adapt to changing network conditions Centralized view & management Lower costs, flexibility, programmability Google s G-scale backbone network improved availability & fault tolerance >95% utilization hitless upgrades elastic/powerful compute Google s SDN WAN 10
Bandwidth on-demand (BoD) Dynamic Bandwidth allocation/scheduling who gets what, when & for how long choose level of granularity automation, calendaring Resource optimization pooled capacity bundling (aggregation)/unbundling as needed Active monitoring and real-time response set up thresholds programmable alerts Software-controlled Physical Layer: single radio channel, optical wavelength (or a band) 11
Software Defined Transport Networks SDN has found its place in data centers Easier to implement & manage Transport SDN could enable end-to-end service delivery Challenges for transport SDN Multi-layer, multi-domain, multi-vendor, multi-administrative Standardized northbound API Complex infrastructure (overlays), expensive equipment Migration path Carrier-grade solutions required for network operators/service provider Manage the network as a single (logical) fabric rather a collection of boxes 12
Software-Defined Optical Networking (SDON) Today, optical transport is quite static & rigid ( hardwired ) SDN in the optical domain can bring Speed, agility and granularity (in assigning optical wavelengths) Programmability (in optical switching) Intelligence (in managing, virtualizing) Elasticity (in capacity scaling) Automation (in provisioning, reconfigurability) λ s are application/service agnostic. SDN can bridge this gap Visibility into the optical network We can know how many (and what kind of) bits a wavelength carries Expose optical domain constrains to the application Software-defined optical transmission (modulation) and transceivers 13
Applications/Services API IP SDN Controller Transport Optical Source: Ian Ku 14
ESnet Tier 1 network (DoE), operating at 100Gbps Used SDN to traffic engineer paths at the optical level OSCARS: provisioning s/w (with a GUI) to set-up/manage connections (e.g., provide source & destination nodes) OSCARS: On-Demand Secure Circuits and Advance Reservation System 15
Transport Network Virtualization Create end-to-end virtual networks that run across the physical (optical/wireless) and transport/ip network What are we virtualizing Bandwidth: wavelength spectrum (λ-slicing), radio band Node: router, OXC/ROADMS Further convergence & integration of IP and DWDM Single control plane for both? Enhanced management & orchestration of optical and packet planes Benefits: Independent operation: eg, run different routing algorithms on different VNs Traffic isolation, QoS preservation (need guarantees) Dynamically reconfigurable (based on traffic/service demands) Better utilization of existing fiber capacity Centralized control 17
SDN controller configures end-to-end paths based on Available capacity (bps, λs) QoS parameters (eg., delay, jitter, burstiness) Fault tolerance needs/ SLA requirements Elasticity demands (eg., ± 10% capacity) Duration (mins, hours, days,weeks) Application characteristics, etc controllers VN1 VN2 VN2 Net A Net B Net C 19
End-to-End SDN? SDN Management & Orchestration IP Controller E/net Controller OTN Controller λ- Controller ENET ENET Ethernet ENET OTN OTN Optical ENET OTN Ethernet DWDM DWDM OTN ENET DWDM DWDM ENET ENET ENET FTTx Wireless Source: Ian Ku 20
VDC: the new norm for the Cloud Virtual Data Center (VDC): using virtualization technologies and cloud solutions to emulate your racks in a highly efficient, optimized environment Make physically dispersed hw/sw operate logically as one DC Virtual servers, virtual storage, virtual networking Multi-tenancy DR/BC: ability to redeploy fast (e.g., Japan earthquake) Cloud-wide management system: allocation, management & Software-Defined Virtual Data Centers will be the basis orchestration of resources. Virtual Data Centers (VDC) will be the basis of the new cloud. of the New Cloud SDN can fundamentally change the way we design and build data centers Deeply programmable and virtualized Applications/services awareness Resource optimization (compute, storage, compute). Enhanced policy (routing, TE, security) management 21
The Future Cloud Architecture I want a cloud Cloud App Cloud App Cloud App SDN API SDN Controller Cloud API Cloud API Cloud API Cloud Maestro Cloud Broker Cloud Management Plane Network Virtualization Plane Smart Cloud Cloud Network Server Virtualization Virtualization Storage Virtualization Ideally, the user should be able to specify his application demands (broadcast election video coverage for 12 hours and 50m subscribers) and the cloud should broker the specific resource needs (capacity, storage, bandwidth, etc) 22
Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Recently launched joint-operator initiative (under ETSI) to push for virtualizing (specialized) network functions leveraging software CDN, home gateways, Firewalls, DPI, application accelerators, load balancers, mobile packet core, etc. Gives rise to the virtual network appliance Flexibility to easily, dynamically, rapidly launch new services Reduced CapEx/OpEx; consolidation of devices (ease of management); breeds innovation in deploying new services Virtualization of transport network functions: open issue SDN can be enabler for NFV More information: portal.etsi.org/portal/server.pt/community/nfv. Next meeting April 22-23, Santa Clara 23
Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) Virtualization ( slicing ) of the core could create PVNs (Private Virtual Networks), desirably on-demand NFV and Virtual Appliances could enable this Rapid & dynamic instantiation and provisioning of services Easily scale up/down and out Play-and-pay as you go and as you grow New peering models Additional revenue proposition for network providers/carriers (telco 3.0) CapEx/OpEx savings, flexibility for VNOs (Virtual Network Operators) Network providers monetize on excess capacity/resources 3 rd party app developers and content/service providers 24
Virtual Networks (slicing) isolated slices Mobile Mobile IPTV Voice IPTV Network Operating System 1 Network Operating System 2 Network Operating System 3 SDN Controller Virtualization or Slicing Layer Voice Feature Feature Network Operating System 4 Controller 1 Controller 2 Controller 3 Controller 4 Open interface to hardware Open interface to hardware SDN Simple Forwarding Element Simple Forwarding Element Simple Forwarding Element Simple Forwarding Element Simple Forwarding Element -slicing based on any criteria, e.g., type of net, service, app, content, class-of-service, customer 25
provider s network as a sliceable/virtualizeable substrate 4G/LTE Backhaul WiFi offload WiMax IMS Set-Top Box SIP Mobile Controller Home Gateway IPTV Controller VoIP Controller DSL Controller Network Administrator Controller 26
SDN in the backbone: Migration SDN-enabled backbone: phased adoption DWDM could be the first step. SDN-enabled OTN as step two Hybrid hardware/networks Infrastructure collapse, i.e., network elements with multiple functionalities Challenge: management of virtual networks than span across multiple and different service provider networks Do we need a inter-controller communication protocol? Core/transport devices will take longer to be virtualized Build out parallel infrastructure and transition slowly/smoothly as rolling out new boxes Great for greenfield deployment, less hassle, fresh architecture Could impact the way to design, build & manage our networks 27
Network Management Full integration/sync of NM with control plane? administration security provisioning monitoring Out-of-band or in-band? Run across full stack? Support for network virtualization Net Apps/Services/Functions Control Plane Network Virtualization Plane Data Plane (core routers, switches) Physical Plane (optical, wireless, ethernet) Management & Orchestration Plane 28
Net Apps Store & Net Services Market Create a market for network applications & services an app for bandwidth control an app for TE an app for policy control an app for video/content distribution an app for Operations/Business Support Systems (OSS/BSS) Net Apps Revenue sharing model (provider-3 rd parties) LOAD BALANCING BW CONTROL SECURITY CDN How can I get CONTROL a slice PLANE (that meets my needs/requirements e.g., NETWORK OPERATING SYSTEM performance/security- SLAs, capacity) for broadcasting the Oscars/SuperBowl on a Sunday evening? DATA PLANE Deliver a virtual/cloud network-as-a-service A market (actually, bazaar) for cloud networks Customizeable, ephemeral slices (including bandwidth) New players in the market leveraging SDN? software-defined network 29
Key Takeaways SDN brings automation, orchestration, optimization, scale, programmability and customization to the network (IP+Optical) SDN virtualizes control plane. Application-aware networks Great, dynamic tool for managing bandwidth & traffic It can propel the integration of the IP and optical control planes Virtualization of the photonic layer can lead to the virtualization of the core. Software-Defined Network Virtualization Migration path will have to be thought out It is the power of software (but be aware of bugs and hackers!) Make your network more intelligent. Smart devices & apps* need smart networks! *app= application or appliance 30
SDN is like a buffet! NFV is like You need soda to digest afterall 31
thank you! christos.kolias@orange.com 32