isn't networking already open?

27 Pages·2015·2 MB·English

Open Network
Linux
A Path to an Open Source Network OS
Rob Sherwood
Big Switch Networks
CTO
Outline: Open Network Linux (ONL)
•  Context: What is ONL?
•  Network OS Architecture View
•  What does ONL provide?
–  ONIE Compatible NOS Installer
–  Supported Hardware
–  Basic L3 Routing with Open Route Cache
–  Platform Abstraction Layer – ONLP
–  “Server-like” Management
–  Second stage more feature-full boot loader
•  Plans for the Future
•  How to Get Involved
ISN’T
 NETWORKING
 ALREADY
 OPEN?

Faster
 Throughput
 =
 More
 commercial
 value
 =
 More
 Proprietary

All
 Hardware

X86
 Servers

Specs
 Public

Binary
 SDK

ß for
 Packet
  NPU,
 FPGA

 O
Forwarding

p
e
n

Closed
 OS,

DDCC

 ––

 11UU

Open
 Control

TTooRRss,,

 SSppiinneess

Plane
 APIs

Closed
 OS,

MulT-­‐chassis

Open
 APIs
 for

Routers

Policy,
 Stats

10
 Gb/s
  100
 Gb/s
  1
 Tb/s
  10
 Tb/s

Aggregate
 Throughput
 à

©2014
 BIG
 SWITCH
 NETWORKS,
 INC.

 WWW.BIGSWITCH.COM
  3
ISN’T
 NETWORKING
 ALREADY
 OPEN?

Faster
 Throughput
 =
 More
 commercial
 value
 =
 More
 Proprietary

All
 Hardware

X86
 Servers

Specs
 Public

Binary
 SDK
  This
 talk

DC
 –
 1U

ß for
 Packet
  NPU,
 FPGA

 O ToRs,
 Spines

Forwarding

p
e
n

Closed
 OS,

DC
 –
 1U

Open
 Control

ToRs,
 Spines

Plane
 APIs

Closed
 OS,

MulT-­‐chassis

Open
 APIs
 for

Routers

Policy,
 Stats

10
 Gb/s
  100
 Gb/s
  1
 Tb/s
  10
 Tb/s

Aggregate
 Throughput
 à

©2014
 BIG
 SWITCH
 NETWORKS,
 INC.

 WWW.BIGSWITCH.COM
  4
LOTS
 OF
 OPEN
 SOURCE
 CONTROLLERS

But
 what
 are
 they
 controlling?

Open
Source
SDN
Controllers
???
This
 talk

SDN OSS Software Switches
SDN OSS Hardware Switches
©2014
 BIG
 SWITCH
 NETWORKS,
 INC.

 WWW.BIGSWITCH.COM
  5
ONL is a Linux Distribution for Bare Metal Switches
•  A collection of software packages, utilities, drivers, and abstractions
to run on OCP, bare metal, “brite box” hardware
i.e., a “NOS” that ONIE would install
• 
•  Why not use an existing Linux distribution?
Does build on existing distribution – Debian Wheezy
• 
Need to create ONIE installers for many platforms
• 
Need to manage switch-specific hardware (e.g.,SFPs)
• 
Switches are very similar to servers, but not quite
•
ONL Example Use-Cases
1.  DIY packet forwarding platform, e.g., for students
•  Platform driver code too complicated for most hobbyists
2.  Reference hardware testing platform, e.g., OCP Certification
•  Common core in open source for verification, reference
3.  Building Block for Commercial Software
•  Pull ONL in to a larger, commercially supported solution
Not a Big Switch talk, but we use ONL in our products
•
Why Use ONL?
•  Help ecosystem focus on innovation
•  Many annoying software details to run an OCP switch
•  Building platform drivers not high value asset; should be common
•  Enables a reference NOS implementation
•  Hardware without software is not useful
•  Package up details and best practices into one place
•  Help bootstrap the Open ecosystem and OCP adoption
•  Allows commercial companies and DYI-folks to build OCP-based
products faster
Outline: Open Network Linux (ONL)
•  Context: What is ONL?
•  Network OS Architecture View
•  What does ONL provide?
–  ONIE Compatible NOS Installer
–  Supported Hardware
–  Basic L3 Routing with Open Route Cache
–  Platform Abstraction Layer – ONLP
–  “Server-like” Management
–  Second stage more feature-full boot loader
•  Plans for the Future
•  How to Get Involved
Background: Generic NOS Architecture
Applications Environment Forwarding
Agent(s) Agent
Platform Abstraction Layer
ASIC
Platform
SDK
OS Distribution (Linux kernel, etc.)
Misc Hardware
Hardware CPU ASIC
(fans, LEDs, SFP, sensors)
Per Switch Stack