Network Control Program competition: OpenFlow vs programmable ASIC

A network is generally composed of multiple manufacturers' switches and routers. These devices run different operating systems, have different command line interfaces and configuration programs. Can we program the network, what makes it as harmonious as playing music when managing workflows?

OpenFlowTell you, you can!

OpenFlow is an open-source project born after a collaboration between Stanford and Berkeley six years ago. It is based on a software-defined network. That is to say, with programmable interfaces and various protocols, users can use software to define workflows and determine the path through which a workflow passes in the network, you don't have to worry about the underlying hardware.

In this case, OpenFlow collects the control of network traffic from the infrastructure, such as switches and routers, to the network owner, individual users, or individual applications. With this power, you can develop policies to find available bandwidth, low latency, low blocking, and low hop numbers for workflows.

Numerous fans: many large companies have jointly established an Open Network Foundation to Promote the Software Defined Network implemented by OpenFlow. These large companies agree with other supporters that OpenFlow is particularly useful for load balancing, traffic control, and virtual networks in data centers, Private clouds, and campus networks, because in these scenarios, network devices and virtual opportunities multiply, so that the network topology is overwhelmed. Some people think that OpenFlow is a bit like VMware in virtualization. It can control the network composed of incompatible routers and switches in a unified manner.

Of course, the industry has many doubts about the prospect of OpenFlow. Some people think that OpenFlow still needs to prove itself in many aspects. It still lacks ultra-large-scale network deployment and support for fault tolerance and standard routing protocols. It is also said that the self-proclaimed programmability and traffic control abstraction of OpenFlow are actually available in some operating systems of scalable switches and routers with APIs.

Some people think that, in fact, the market has used programmable ASIC and network processor for many years to do the same thing as OpenFlow. In addition, opening the forwarding plane of different vswitches from multiple vendors also causes thorny security problems.

However,ASIC vendors seem not worried about OpenFlow.In fact, they welcomed this.

Broadcom CTO Nick Ilyadis said, "Broadcom is part of the work involved in defining OpenFlow. Both OpenFlow 1.0 and 1.2 are being tested on a vswitch Based on Broadcom ASIC. Today, ASIC devices are the leading platform for running OpenFlow. OpenFlow does not disrupt the ASCI mode for forwarding and filtering purposes ."

Ilyadis said that OpenFlow currently runs on Broadcom's programmable ASIC. Although OpenFlow has changed the programming paradigm, it has not actually changed the underlying functions of the switch. The switch is still forwarding, detecting, and filtering packet packets, and uses the access control list. OpenFlow actually provides an open mechanism, which allows the Controller to configure in a pre-determined manner. OpenFlow is a simple way to program these functions.

Ilyadis believes that "in ASIC, there is a lot of space for OpenFlow to reach its potential. However, OpenFlow has not yet developed to this point, and it cannot say with confidence: 'I can do these things but ASIC can't do them. '"

OpenFlow cannot define the size of the traffic classification table, while the switch ASIC can, Ilyadis said. ASIC APIs can also provide a certain degree of abstraction of hardware, then place it on the vendor's driver, or accept OpenFlow instructions, and then map it to the API calls inside the switch.

"OpenFlow is one of the software-defined network instances, but other APIs can do this," Ilyadis said. OpenFlow is only an instance that attracts media attention, while other software-defined network instances only attract a small amount of attention, or are only used by a few companies ."