Hype or not SDN is the next logical step after virtualization, which has grown up enough for everyday use, especially by VMware end of the nineties. Hypervisors like Citrix Xen,
Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware vSphere (ESXi) or KVM are grown up and for some time powerful tools. What the SDN now adds is true flexibility.
SDN meets Cloud
Cloud Computing , probably one of the most discussed topics of the recent past is, depending on the approach and the application scenario either the technology of the future or a marketing hype with numerous uncertainties. Undeniably, the evolution leads to the Cloud Computing, The Cloud is the flexible infrastructure for all other technologies. No more, no less. So the data center is no longer numerous pizza boxes in the racks, but rather virtual pizza boxes on a host server.
On the host, the virtual machines (VMs) running practically an abstraction of the classic 19-inch rack environment. Although there are neither the equipment nor the hard drives and network cards physically, yet have data in and out. The task of the host is to manage and control the virtual connections and data flow. What in a normal Data Center provides a physical switch is entering into a software-defined network now a virtual switch. The virtual connections lead to the virtual switch, which in turn is connected to the virtual router.
SDN is an integration concept
So far, the IT administrator acquired a switch with a fixed number of ports. A virtual switch is - of course, with a restriction set out above - easily scalable. So the administrator can define his now required number of ports and this simply increases it if necessary. A tool for this is the OpenFlow controller (OFC), which comes in networks used, based on the OpenFlow protocol. The OFC is replaced by the administrator, the request for a new port and passes this information to the switch.
Software Defined Networks
The flow table controls the data flow. It is managed by a separate controller.
So the header of OpenFlow data packet looks.
The WhatsUpGold program provides numerous information about the network How can the Beispeil the cause of bandwidth bottlenecks very easily determined.
Even Cisco supports OpenFlow initiative.
Ipswitch has WhatUp already adapted to the monitoring of OpenFlow networks.
The structured networks are flattened. Each node is accessible via a single hop.
HP wants to do with FlexFabric networks of data centers for the cloud fit.
Riverbed's Virtual Appliance support managed service providers in the development of SaaS services.
The advantage of SDN and the corresponding management platform It can be defined both virtual switches and control and physical switches. The condition is that they work with the same protocol, so for example OpenFlow-enabled. This applies analogously to a for example with Cisco products patch environment All parts of the infrastructure must speak the language of Cisco.
What does this mean in practice When speaking of virtual infrastructures, such as in typical cloud scenarios, it does not mean one but ten or fifty hosts hundreds virtual machines and ports. The management of such environments is simplified and is much more flexible. Ports can be available more rapidly, physical locations are no longer relevant. There is no external technicians the switch manufacturer needed to perform a deployment. The administrator can, for example program in his office in Berlin with the OFC a virtual switch for its Xen host in Sao Paolo. Without further ado, then, this corresponds exactly to the installation about in Moscow.
The technology is mature. The market alsoSDN is an IT revolution. This may sound corny, but constantly encounter a new IT-hypes. But SDN closes open gaps, make the infrastructure at the same time more comprehensive and flexible. Existing hardware-based networks can be expanded by about cloud infrastructures. However, this requires a powerful management software that has both hardware and software components in view, speaks with different hypervisors and can map the functionality of the cloud. Here are asked gateway products that sit between the virtual machines and the connection to the outside world.
Chance rumored criticism; the various available SDN products were not yet ripe for reality. Reports of test installations that coped very little traffic, however, are out of date. The Cisco 1000v switch, to name just one example corresponds, in terms of power its hardware counterpart and is capable of a mission-critical workload to master.
Whether the market is ripe, is another question. Critical View has self-Cloud Computing not yet reached market maturity. Many cloud deployments running unstable, are inconsistently placed or insufficiently adapted to business needs. But that is not the technology, but the handling of it.
The next step
If one virtualization and SDN continues, could soon become a reality Virtualized Datacenter. An example A company has ever a Data Center in Munich and Frankfurt. By removing it may cause problems with the communication, as it passes over a public infrastructure. Running on the server VMs, it does not really matter where each server is. If thanks to SDN infrastructure is flexible and controllable abstractions between the virtualized host in Munich and its counterpart in Frankfurt are available, it is no longer interested in what VM where runs. The only requirement is that the same topology is used.
Virtual switches and their ports merge into administrative units multiple switches can be considered as one, regardless of the locations of the hosts. Whether the two newly required ports are then provided by a V-Switch is available or will be set up in Munich and Frankfurt, all depends on spare capacity. Virtualization takes on a new dimension.
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