Controlling a heterogeneous data plane with the ONOS SDN controller

The challenge

The intra-DC network combined existing leaf-spine fabric devices with new hardware and software components, each supporting its own set of protocols. Traffic across all of them had to be controlled from one place, and the ONOS adapters available out of the box left gaps that had to be filled before one control plane could reach every device.

What was at risk:

• Replacing working legacy infrastructure, and traffic forwarding split across devices with different protocols

What we did

• Provided a team of network, QA and software engineers with expertise in SDN, testing and software development.
• Analyzed the client's requirements and the traffic patterns in its intra-DC network.
• Designed the solution's architecture: how the entire data plane is set up and how to control it effectively.
• Implemented the solution, filling the gaps in ONOS adapters.
• Enhanced ONOS with custom traffic forwarding apps and custom web UI components.
• Defined the test suite and actively supported the client during the test campaign.
• Deployed the solution in the client's production environment.

How it works

A single SDN control plane, a custom ONOS implementation, controls traffic forwarding across the whole heterogeneous data plane. It was built in four steps.

1. Protocols The northbound interface protocols supported by the existing leaf-spine fabric devices and by the new hardware and software components were identified.
2. Adapters The protocols and adapters available in ONOS out of the box were verified, the gaps identified, and the missing adapters implemented.
3. Forwarding logic The traffic patterns in the intra-DC network were analyzed, and all traffic-related forwarding schemes and the relevant SDN control logic designed from them.
4. ONOS extensions Custom traffic forwarding apps and custom web UI components extend ONOS, and a defined test suite verified the solution before production.