Software-Defined Storage

SDS along with SDN and software-defined compute (SDC; where in computing is virtualized and software defined) creates software-defined infrastructure (SDI). SDI is the set of three components—SDN, SDS, and SDC—making a new kind of software-defined IT infrastructure where centralization and virtualization are the main focus. SDI is proposed to have infrastructure developed over commodity hardware and software stack defined over it. SDS is exploiting the same concept of decoupling and centralization in reference to storage solutions as in SDN. The SDN works on decoupling the control plane with the data plane from a layer, three switches, or router, and makes a centralized decision point called the controller. The SDS works in a similar way by moving the decision making from the storage hardware to a centralized server. It helps in developing new and existing storage solutions over the commodity storage devices. The centralization helps to create a better dynamic solution for satisfying the customized user need. The solutions are expected to be cheaper due to the use of commodity hardware.

Analysis of Issues in SDN Security and Solutions

The chapter surveys the analysis of all the security aspects of software-defined network and determines the areas that are prone to security attacks in the given software-defined network architecture. If the fundamental network topology information is poisoned, all the dependent network services will become immediately affected, causing catastrophic problems like host location hijacking attack, link fabrication attack, denial of service attack, man in the middle attack. These attacks affect the following features of SDN: availability, performance, integrity, and security. The flexibility in the programmability of control plane has both acted as a bane as well as a boon to SDN. Like the ARP poisoning in the legacy networks, there are several other vulnerabilities in the SDN architecture as well.

NFV Practical Implementation

This chapter is focused on the traditional network architecture limitations with NFV benefits. Discussion of NFV architecture and framework as well as management and orchestration has been discussed in this chapter. Cisco VNF portfolio and virtual network functions implementation is included with software implementation of the architecture of NFV (network function virtualization). Management and orchestration functional layers as per ETSI standard. The challenges in NFV implementation is also a concern today, which is a part of this chapter.

SDN Controller

Designing and organizing networks has become extra innovative over the past few years with the assistance of SDN (software-defined networking). The software implements network protocols that undergo years of equivalence and interoperability testing. Software-defined networking (SDN) is a move toward computer networking that allows network administrators to programmatically initialize, manage, alter, and direct network behavior dynamically through open interfaces and abstraction of lower-level functionality. SDN controller is an application in software-defined networking (SDN) that manages run control to permit clever networking. SDN controllers are based on protocols, such as OpenFlow, that permit servers to inform switches where to send packets. This chapter explores SDN controllers.

Learning With Software-Defined Area

The idea of software-defined networking (SDN) is a paradigm shift in computer networking. There are various advantages of SDN (e.g., network automation, fostering innovation in network using software, minimizing the CAPEX and OPEX cost with minimizing the power consumption in the network). SDN is one of the recently developed network-driven methodologies where the core of all lower-level services is operated by one centralized device. Developers tried to develop such approaches to make it easy for an administrator to control information flow from one node to another node. To obtain these services, lower-level static architecture is decoupled for the higher level. This chapter introduces a new approach that is based on complex network processing and forecasting for an event.

Introduction to OpenFlow

The SDN controller is interfaced with the hardware of the network (i.e., with switches and routers) using OpenFlow. Basically, OpenFlow is an open interface used for configuring the forwarding tables of network switch according to the desired path derived by the SDN controller. OpenFlow enables more innovation in controller platforms and applications, and describes a solution for each frame or packet flow. OpenFlow is based on an ethernet switch with an internal flow-table and a standardized interface to add and remove flow entries of forwarding table of the system. The control mechanism from each one of the switch and router up to SDN controller are encrypted with the transport layer security (TLS) and secure socket layer (SSL) OpenFlow protocols to provide the additional security inside the network.

SDN Practical Orientation

This chapter is focused on SDN practical approach with Cisco controllers APIC, APIC-EM, and the application programming interfaces with real-world benefits and challenges. The chapter uses Cisco SDN way of managing, administering, maintaining, and implementing platforms using an external tool. This chapter will also discuss the controller API structures, management model of the controller, and using POSTMAN tool to push API requests and talk to the APIC controller. The chapter also discusses some of the important APIC EM applications like PnP, Easy QoS, IWAN, etc.

Virtualizing Network Functions in Software-Defined Networks

Software-defined networking (SDN) is an emerging network architecture that facilitates the network administrator to control and manage network behavior dynamically. Different from traditional networks, software-defined networks support dynamic and scalable computing. The dynamic behavior is achieved by decoupling or disassociating the system. The swing of control from tightly bound individual networks to assessable computing devices enables infrastructure abstraction. Due to the abstraction, the network can be considered as a logical or virtual entity. In this chapter, relation between network function virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN) has been outlined. This chapter focuses on describing the pros and cons of NFV technologies. network functions virtualization (NFV) was founded under the work of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).

Introduction to SDN and NFV

Software defined network (SDN) and Network function virtualization (NFV) are the two new networking paradigms changing the way traditional networks work. SDN works on the concept of centralization so that all the decisions related to controlling the networks is done in a centralized place in a centralized manner. To provide a centralized control, SDN decouples the control plane and data from the traditional routing devices to take it in the centralized position. The data plane is still intact with the routing devices, but they now become mere forwarding devices and the decisions are made at the centralized place called the controller. The controller is basically the x86 server that is connected to the forwarding devices and communicates with them for all control decisions such as routing. NFV is based on virtualization of network functions in the form of software running over a high end server. This kind of virtualization helps in easy setup of networks as well as easy migration.

Quality of Service in SDN Technology

With the advancement in the requirement of data, the need for stringent quality of service guarantee is a demand of the current world, which brings the network programmers to design the network protocols that certify certain guaranteed performance in terms of service delivery. Here, focus is on the quality of service within the SDN network with its comparison and implementation using simulation. Types of quality of service are also discussed in this chapter with a focus on the ways of implementation of quality of service. The authors define a QoS management and orchestration architecture that allow them to manage the network in a modular manner. Performing the operation and results in such a network is shown as are the outputs for the same.