Chapter 5

Network Layer:
The Control Plane

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Down Approach
7th edition
Thanks and enjoy! JFK/KWR
Jim Kurose, Keith Ross
All material copyright 1996-2016 Pearson/Addison Wesley
J.F Kurose and K.W. Ross, All Rights Reserved April 2016
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-1
Chapter 5: network layer control plane
chapter goals: understand principles behind
network control plane
▪ traditional routing algorithms
▪ SDN controlllers
▪ Internet Control Message Protocol
▪ network management

and their instantiation, implementation in the Internet:

▪ OSPF, BGP, OpenFlow, ODL and ONOS controllers,
ICMP, SNMP

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-2

Chapter 5: outline
5.1 introduction 5.5 The SDN control plane
5.2 routing protocols 5.6 ICMP: The Internet
▪ link state Control Message
▪ distance vector Protocol
5.3 intra-AS routing in the 5.7 Network management
Internet: OSPF and SNMP
5.4 routing among the ISPs:
BGP

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-3

Network-layer functions
Recall: two network-layer functions:
▪ forwarding: move packets
from router’s input to data plane
appropriate router output
▪ routing: determine route
taken by packets from source control plane
to destination

Two approaches to structuring network control

plane:
▪ per-router control (traditional)
▪ logically centralized control (software defined networking)

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-4

Per-router control plane
Individual routing algorithm components in each and every
router interact with each other in control plane to compute
forwarding tables

Routing
Algorith control
m plane
data
plan
e

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-5

 Logically centralized control plane
A distinct (typically remote) controller interacts with local
control agents (CAs) in routers to compute forwarding tables

Remote Controller

control
plane

data
plan
e
C
A
CA CA CA CA

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-6

Chapter 5: outline
5.1 introduction 5.5 The SDN control plane
5.2 routing protocols 5.6 ICMP: The Internet
▪ link state Control Message
▪ distance vector Protocol
5.7 Network management
5.3 intra-AS routing in the
and SNMP
Internet: OSPF
5.4 routing among the ISPs:
BGP

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-7

Routing protocols
Routing protocol goal: determine “good”
paths (equivalently, routes), from sending hosts to
receiving host, through network of routers
▪ path: sequence of routers packets will traverse
in going from given initial source host to given
final destination host
▪ “good”: least “cost”, “fastest”, “least congested”
▪ routing: a “top-10” networking challenge!

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-8

Graph abstraction of the network
5

v 3 w
2 5
u 2 1 z
3
1 2
x 1
y
graph: G = (N,E)

N = set of routers = { u, v, w, x, y, z }

E = set of links ={ (u,v), (u,x), (v,x), (v,w), (x,w), (x,y), (w,y), (w,z), (y,z) }

aside: graph abstraction is useful in other network contexts, e.g.,

P2P, where N is set of peers and E is set of TCP connections

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-9

Graph abstraction: costs
5
c(x,x’) = cost of link (x,x’)
3 e.g., c(w,z) = 5
v w 5
2
u cost could always be 1, or
2
3
1 z inversely related to bandwidth,
1 2 or inversely related to
x 1
y
congestion

cost of path (x1, x2, x3,…, xp) = c(x1,x2) + c(x2,x3) + … + c(xp-1,xp)

key question: what is the least-cost path between u and z

?
routing algorithm: algorithm that finds that least cost
path Network Layer: Control Plane 5-10
Routing algorithm classification
Q: global or decentralized Q: static or dynamic?
information?
static:
global:
▪ routes change slowly over
▪ all routers have complete time
topology, link cost info
dynamic:
▪ “link state” algorithms
▪ routes change more
decentralized: quickly
▪ router knows • periodic update
physically-connected
neighbors, link costs to • in response to link cost
neighbors changes
▪ iterative process of
computation, exchange of
info with neighbors
▪ “distance vector” algorithms
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-11
Chapter 5: outline
5.1 introduction 5.5 The SDN control plane
5.2 routing protocols 5.6 ICMP: The Internet
▪ link state Control Message
▪ distance vector Protocol
5.7 Network management
5.3 intra-AS routing in the
and SNMP
Internet: OSPF
5.4 routing among the ISPs:
BGP

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-12

A link-state routing algorithm
Dijkstra’s algorithm notation:
▪ net topology, link costs ▪ c(x,y): link cost from
known to all nodes node x to y; = ∞ if not
• accomplished via “link state direct neighbors
broadcast” ▪ D(v): current value of
• all nodes have same info cost of path from source
▪ computes least cost paths to dest. v
from one node (‘source”) ▪ p(v): predecessor node
to all other nodes along path from source to
• gives forwarding table for v
that node ▪ N': set of nodes whose
▪ iterative: after k iterations, least cost path definitively
know least cost path to k known
dest.’s

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-13

Dijsktra’s algorithm
1 Initialization:
2 N' = {u}
3 for all nodes v
4 if v adjacent to u
5 then D(v) = c(u,v)
6 else D(v) = ∞
7
8 Loop
9 find w not in N' such that D(w) is a minimum
10 add w to N'
11 update D(v) for all v adjacent to w and not in N' :
12 D(v) = min( D(v), D(w) + c(w,v) )
13 /* new cost to v is either old cost to v or known
14 shortest path cost to w plus cost from w to v */
15 until all nodes in N'

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-14

Dijkstra’s algorithm: example
D(v) D(w) D(x) D(y) D(z)
Step N' p(v) p(w) p(x) p(y) p(z)
0 u 7,u 3,u 5,u ∞ ∞
1 uw 6,w 5,u 11,w ∞
2 uwx 6,w 11,w 14,x
3 uwxv 10,v 14,x
4 uwxvy 12,y
5 uwxvyz x
9

notes: 5
4
7
❖ construct shortest path tree by
tracing predecessor nodes 8
❖ ties can exist (can be broken 3 w z
u y
arbitrarily) 2
3
7 4
v
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-15
 5

3
v w
2 5

u 2 1 z
3
1
2
x y
1

4-16
 Dijkstra’s algorithm: another example
Step N' D(v),p(v) D(w),p(w) D(x),p(x) D(y),p(y) D(z),p(z)
0 u 2,u 5,u 1,u ∞ ∞
1 ux 2,u 4,x 2,x ∞
2 uxy 2,u 3,y 4,y
3 uxyv 3,y 4,y
4 uxyvw 4,y
5 uxyvwz

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-17

Dijkstra’s algorithm: example (2)
resulting shortest-path tree from u:

v w
u z
x y

resulting forwarding table in u:

destination link
v (u,v)
x (u,x)
y (u,x)
w (u,x)
z (u,x)
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-18
 Dijkstra’s algorithm, discussion
algorithm complexity: n nodes
▪ each iteration: need to check all nodes, w, not in N
▪ n(n+1)/2 comparisons: O(n2)
▪ more efficient implementations possible: O(nlogn)
oscillations possible:
▪ e.g., support link cost equals amount of carried traffic:

1
A 1+e A A A
2+e 0 0 2+e 2+e 0
D 0 0 B D 1+e 1 B D B D 1+e 1 B
0 0
0 e 0 0
C 0 1 0
1 C C 1+e C
1
e
given these costs, given these costs, given these costs,
initially find new routing…. find new routing…. find new routing….
resulting in new costs resulting in new costs resulting in new costs
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-19
Chapter 5: outline
5.1 introduction 5.5 The SDN control plane
5.2 routing protocols 5.6 ICMP: The Internet
▪ link state Control Message
▪ distance vector Protocol
5.7 Network management
5.3 intra-AS routing in the
and SNMP
Internet: OSPF
5.4 routing among the ISPs:
BGP

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-20

Distance vector algorithm
Bellman-Ford equation (dynamic programming)

let
dx(y) := cost of least-cost path from x to y
then
dx(y) = min {c(x,v) + dv(y) }
v

cost from neighbor v to destination y

cost to neighbor v

min taken over all neighbors v of

x
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-21
Bellman-Ford example
5
3
clearly, dv(z) = 5, dx(z) = 3, dw(z) = 3
v w 5
2
u 2 1 z B-F equation says:
3
1 2 du(z) = min { c(u,v) + dv(z),
x y
1 c(u,x) + dx(z),
c(u,w) + dw(z) }
= min {2 + 5,
1 + 3,
5 + 3} = 4
node achieving minimum is next
hop in shortest path, used in forwarding table

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-22

Distance vector algorithm
▪ Dx(y) = estimate of least cost from x to y
• x maintains distance vector Dx = [Dx(y): y є N ]
▪ node x:
• knows cost to each neighbor v: c(x,v)
• maintains its neighbors’ distance vectors. For
each neighbor v, x maintains
Dv = [Dv(y): y є N ]

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-23

 Distance vector algorithm
key idea:
▪ from time-to-time, each node sends its own
distance vector estimate to neighbors
▪ when x receives new DV estimate from neighbor,
it updates its own DV using B-F equation:
Dx(y) ← minv{c(x,v) + Dv(y)} for each node y ∊ N

❖ under minor, natural conditions, the estimate

Dx(y) converge to the actual least cost dx(y)

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-24

Distance vector algorithm
iterative, asynchronous: each
each local iteration node:
caused by:
▪ local link cost change wait for (change in local link
cost or msg from neighbor)
▪ DV update message from
neighbor
distributed: recompute estimates
▪ each node notifies
neighbors only when its
DV changes if DV to any dest has
• neighbors then notify their changed, notify neighbors
neighbors if necessary

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-25

 Dx(z) = min{c(x,y) +
Dx(y) = min{c(x,y) + Dy(y), c(x,z) + Dz(y)}
= min{2+0 , 7+1} = 2 Dy(z), c(x,z) + Dz(z)}
= min{2+1 , 7+0} = 3
node x cost to cost to
table x y z x y z
x 0 2 7 x 0 2 3

from
from

y ∞∞ ∞ y 2 0 1
z ∞∞ ∞ z 7 1 0

node y cost to
table x y z y
2 1
x ∞ ∞ ∞
x z
from

y 2 0 1 7
z ∞∞ ∞

node z cost to
table x y z
x ∞∞ ∞
from

y ∞∞ ∞
z 7 1 0
time
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-26
 Dx(z) = min{c(x,y) +
Dx(y) = min{c(x,y) + Dy(y), c(x,z) + Dz(y)}
= min{2+0 , 7+1} = 2 Dy(z), c(x,z) + Dz(z)}
= min{2+1 , 7+0} = 3
node x cost to cost to cost to
table x y z x y z x y z
x 0 2 7 x 0 2 3 x 0 2 3

from
from

y ∞∞ ∞ y 2 0 1 y 2 0 1

from
z ∞∞ ∞ z 7 1 0 z 3 1 0

node y cost to cost to cost to

table x y z x y z x y z y
2 1
x ∞ ∞ ∞ x 0 2 7 x 0 2 3 x z
from

from

y 2 0 1 y 2 0 1 7

from
y 2 0 1
z ∞∞ ∞ z 7 1 0 z 3 1 0

node z cost to cost to cost to

table x y z x y z x y z
x ∞∞ ∞ x 0 2 7 x 0 2 3
from

from

y 2 0 1 y 2 0 1
from

y ∞∞ ∞
z 7 1 0 z 3 1 0 z 3 1 0
time
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-27
Comparison of LS and DV algorithms
message complexity robustness: what happens if
▪ LS: with n nodes, E links, O(nE) router malfunctions?
msgs sent LS:
▪ DV: exchange between neighbors • node can advertise incorrect
only link cost
• convergence time varies • each node computes only its
own table
speed of convergence
▪ LS: O(n2) algorithm requires
DV:
O(nE) msgs • DV node can advertise
• may have oscillations incorrect path cost
▪ DV: convergence time varies • each node’s table used by
others
• may be routing loops
• error propagate thru
• count-to-infinity problem network

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-28

Chapter 5: outline
5.1 introduction 5.5 The SDN control plane
5.2 routing protocols 5.6 ICMP: The Internet
▪ link state Control Message
▪ distance vector Protocol
5.3 intra-AS routing in the 5.7 Network management
Internet: OSPF and SNMP
5.4 routing among the ISPs:
BGP

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-29

Making routing scalable
our routing study thus far - idealized
▪ all routers identical
▪ network “flat”
… not true in practice

scale: with billions of administrative autonomy

destinations: ▪ internet = network of
▪ can’t store all destinations networks
in routing tables! ▪ each network admin may
▪ routing table exchange want to control routing in
would swamp links! its own network

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-30

Internet approach to scalable routing
aggregate routers into regions known as “autonomous
systems” (AS) (a.k.a. “domains”)

intra-AS routing inter-AS routing

▪ routing among hosts, routers ▪ routing among AS’es
in same AS (“network”) ▪ gateways perform
▪ all routers in AS must run inter-domain routing (as
same intra-domain protocol well as intra-domain
▪ routers in different AS can routing)
run different intra-domain
routing protocol
▪ gateway router: at “edge” of
its own AS, has link(s) to
router(s) in other AS’es
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-31
Interconnected ASes

3
c 3 2
3 2
AS3a c 2
b 1 a A
b
1 c 1 S
a 1
b
AS1
2 ▪ forwarding table
d configured by both intra-
and inter-AS routing
Intra-AS Inter-AS algorithm
Routing Routing
algorithm algorithm • intra-AS routing
determine entries for
Forwarding
table
destinations within AS
• inter-AS & intra-AS
determine entries for
external destinations
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-32
 Inter-AS tasks
▪ suppose router in AS1 AS1 must:
receives datagram 1. learn which dests are
destined outside of AS1: reachable through AS2,
• router should forward which through AS3
packet to gateway 2. propagate this
router, but which one? reachability info to all
routers in AS1
job of inter-AS routing!

3c
3a
3b
AS3 2c other
1c 2a networks
other 1a 2b
networks 1b AS2
AS1 1d

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-33

Intra-AS Routing
▪ also known as interior gateway protocols (IGP)
▪ most common intra-AS routing protocols:
• RIP: Routing Information Protocol
• OSPF: Open Shortest Path First (IS-IS protocol
essentially same as OSPF)
• IGRP: Interior Gateway Routing Protocol
(Cisco proprietary for decades, until 2016)

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-34

OSPF (Open Shortest Path First)
▪ “open”: publicly available
▪ uses link-state algorithm
• link state packet dissemination
• topology map at each node
• route computation using Dijkstra’s algorithm
▪ router floods OSPF link-state advertisements to all
other routers in entire AS
• carried in OSPF messages directly over IP (rather than
TCP or UDP
• link state: for each attached link
▪ IS-IS routing protocol: nearly identical to OSPF

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-35

OSPF “advanced” features
▪ security: all OSPF messages authenticated (to
prevent malicious intrusion)
▪ multiple same-cost paths allowed (only one path in
RIP)
▪ for each link, multiple cost metrics for different TOS
(e.g., satellite link cost set low for best effort ToS;
high for real-time ToS)
▪ integrated uni- and multi-cast support:
• Multicast OSPF (MOSPF) uses same topology data
base as OSPF
▪ hierarchical OSPF in large domains.

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-36

Hierarchical OSPF
boundary router
backbone router

backbone
area
border
routers

area 3

internal
area 1 routers

area 2

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-37

Hierarchical OSPF
▪ two-level hierarchy: local area, backbone.
• link-state advertisements only in area
• each nodes has detailed area topology; only know
direction (shortest path) to nets in other areas.
▪ area border routers: “summarize” distances to nets
in own area, advertise to other Area Border routers.
▪ backbone routers: run OSPF routing limited to
backbone.
▪ boundary routers: connect to other AS’es.

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-38

Chapter 5: outline
5.1 introduction 5.5 The SDN control plane
5.2 routing protocols 5.6 ICMP: The Internet
▪ link state Control Message
▪ distance vector Protocol
5.3 intra-AS routing in the 5.7 Network management
Internet: OSPF and SNMP
5.4 routing among the ISPs:
BGP

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-39

Internet inter-AS routing: BGP
▪ BGP (Border Gateway Protocol): the de facto
inter-domain routing protocol
• “glue that holds the Internet together”
▪ BGP provides each AS a means to:
• eBGP: obtain subnet reachability information from
neighboring ASes
• iBGP: propagate reachability information to all
AS-internal routers.
• determine “good” routes to other networks based on
reachability information and policy
▪ allows subnet to advertise its existence to rest of
Internet: “I am here”

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-40

eBGP, iBGP connections

2b

2a 2c
∂
1b 3b
2d
1a 1c 3a
∂ 3c
AS 2
1d 3d

AS 1 eBGP connectivity AS 3
iBGP connectivity

1c gateway routers run both eBGP and iBGP protools

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-41

BGP basics
▪ BGP session: two BGP routers (“peers”) exchange BGP
messages over semi-permanent TCP connection:
• advertising paths to different destination network prefixes
(BGP is a “path vector” protocol)
▪ when AS3 gateway router 3a advertises path AS3,X to AS2
gateway router 2c:
• AS3 promises to AS2 it will forward datagrams towards X

AS 3 3
AS 1 1
b
b
3 3
1 1 a c
a c AS 2 2 X
3
1 b d
d BGP advertisement:
2 2 AS3, X
a c
2
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-42
d
Path attributes and BGP routes
▪ advertised prefix includes BGP attributes
• prefix + attributes = “route”
▪ two important attributes:
• AS-PATH: list of ASes through which prefix advertisement
has passed
• NEXT-HOP: indicates specific internal-AS router to
next-hop AS
▪ Policy-based routing:
• gateway receiving route advertisement uses import policy
to accept/decline path (e.g., never route through AS Y).
• AS policy also determines whether to advertise path to
other other neighboring ASes

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-43

BGP path advertisement
AS3 3
AS1 1
b
b
3 3
1 1 a c
a c AS2 2 X
3
1 b AS3,X d
d AS2,AS3,X 2 2
a c
2
d
▪ AS2 router 2c receives path advertisement AS3,X (via eBGP) from AS3
router 3a
▪ Based on AS2 policy, AS2 router 2c accepts path AS3,X, propagates (via
iBGP) to all AS2 routers
▪ Based on AS2 policy, AS2 router 2a advertises (via eBGP) path AS2,
AS3, X to AS1 router 1c
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-44
BGP path advertisement
AS3 3
AS1 1 AS3,X
b
b
3 3
1 1 a c
a c AS2 2 X
3
1 b AS3,X d
d AS2,AS3,X 2 2
a c
2
d
gateway router may learn about multiple paths to destination:
▪ AS1 gateway router 1c learns path AS2,AS3,X from 2a
▪ AS1 gateway router 1c learns path AS3,X from 3a
▪ Based on policy, AS1 gateway router 1c chooses path AS3,X, and
advertises path within AS1 via iBGP
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-45
BGP messages
▪ BGP messages exchanged between peers over TCP
connection
▪ BGP messages:
• OPEN: opens TCP connection to remote BGP peer and
authenticates sending BGP peer
• UPDATE: advertises new path (or withdraws old)
• KEEPALIVE: keeps connection alive in absence of
UPDATES; also ACKs OPEN request
• NOTIFICATION: reports errors in previous msg; also used
to close connection

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-46

 BGP, OSPF, forwarding table entries
Q: how does router set forwarding table entry to distant prefix?

AS3 3
AS1 1 AS3,X
AS3,X b
1 b
3 3
1 2 1 a c
a
local link c AS2 2 X
2 1 3
interfaces 1 AS3,X d
at 1a, 1d b
d AS2,AS3,X 2 2
a c physical link
2
d
dest interface ▪ recall: 1a, 1b, 1c learn about dest X via iBGP
… … from 1c: “path to X goes through 1c”
X 1 ▪ 1d: OSPF intra-domain routing: to get to 1c,
… … forward over outgoing local interface 1

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-47

BGP, OSPF, forwarding table entries
Q: how does router set forwarding table entry to distant prefix?

AS3 3
AS1 1
b
1 b
3 3
1 2 1 a c
a c AS2 2 X
3
1 b d
d 2 2
a c
2
d
dest interface ▪ recall: 1a, 1b, 1c learn about dest X via iBGP
… … from 1c: “path to X goes through 1c”
X 2 ▪ 1d: OSPF intra-domain routing: to get to 1c,
… … forward over outgoing local interface 1
▪ 1a: OSPF intra-domain routing: to get to 1c,
forward over outgoing local interface 2
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-48
BGP route selection
▪ router may learn about more than one route to
destination AS, selects route based on:
1. local preference value attribute: policy decision
2. shortest AS-PATH
3. closest NEXT-HOP router: hot potato routing
4. additional criteria

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-49

Hot Potato Routing
AS3 3
AS1 1
b
b
3 3
1 1 a c
a c AS2 2 X
3
1 b 152 112
AS3,X d
d AS1,AS3,X 2 2
201 263
a c OSPF link weights
2
d

▪ 2d learns (via iBGP) it can route to X via 2a or 2c

▪ hot potato routing: choose local gateway that has least
intra-domain cost (e.g., 2d chooses 2a, even though more AS
hops to X): don’t worry about inter-domain cost!

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-50

BGP: achieving policy via advertisements
legend: provider
B network
X
W A
customer
C network
:
Y

Suppose an ISP only wants to route traffic to/from its customer

networks (does not want to carry transit traffic between other ISPs)
▪ A advertises path Aw to B and to C
▪ B chooses not to advertise BAw to C:
▪ B gets no “revenue” for routing CBAw, since none of C, A, w are B’s
customers
▪ C does not learn about CBAw path
▪ C will route CAw (not using B) to get to w
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-51
BGP: achieving policy via advertisements
legend: provider
B network
X
W A
customer
C network
:
Y

Suppose an ISP only wants to route traffic to/from its customer

networks (does not want to carry transit traffic between other ISPs)

▪ A,B,C are provider networks

▪ X,W,Y are customer (of provider networks)
▪ X is dual-homed: attached to two networks
▪ policy to enforce: X does not want to route from B to C via X
▪ .. so X will not advertise to B a route to C
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-52
Why different Intra-, Inter-AS routing ?
policy:
▪ inter-AS: admin wants control over how its traffic
routed, who routes through its net.
▪ intra-AS: single admin, so no policy decisions needed
scale:
▪ hierarchical routing saves table size, reduced update
traffic
performance:
▪ intra-AS: can focus on performance
▪ inter-AS: policy may dominate over performance

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-53

Chapter 5: outline
5.1 introduction 5.5 The SDN control plane
5.2 routing protocols 5.6 ICMP: The Internet
▪ link state Control Message
▪ distance vector Protocol
5.3 intra-AS routing in the 5.7 Network management
Internet: OSPF and SNMP
5.4 routing among the ISPs:
BGP

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-54

Software defined networking (SDN)

▪ Internet network layer: historically has been

implemented via distributed, per-router approach
• monolithic router contains switching hardware, runs
proprietary implementation of Internet standard
protocols (IP, RIP, IS-IS, OSPF, BGP) in proprietary
router OS (e.g., Cisco IOS)
• different “middleboxes” for different network layer
functions: firewalls, load balancers, NAT boxes, ..

▪ ~2005: renewed interest in rethinking network

control plane

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-55

Recall: per-router control plane
Individual routing algorithm components in each and every
router interact with each other in control plane to compute
forwarding tables

Routing
Algorith control
m plane
data
plan
e

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-56

 Recall: logically centralized control plane
A distinct (typically remote) controller interacts with local
control agents (CAs) in routers to compute forwarding tables

Remote Controller

control
plane

data
plan
e
C
A
CA CA CA CA

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-57

Software defined networking (SDN)

Why a logically centralized control plane?

▪ easier network management: avoid router
misconfigurations, greater flexibility of traffic flows
▪ table-based forwarding (recall OpenFlow API)
allows “programming” routers
• centralized “programming” easier: compute tables
centrally and distribute
• distributed “programming: more difficult: compute tables
as result of distributed algorithm (protocol)
implemented in each and every router
▪ open (non-proprietary) implementation of control
plane

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-58

 Analogy: mainframe to PC evolution*
Ap Ap Ap Ap Ap Ap Ap Ap Ap Ap
App
Specialized p p p p p p p p p p
Applications Open Interface

Specialized Windows Mac

Operating o Linux o OS
(OS)
System r r
Open Interface
Specialized
Hardware
Microprocessor

Vertically integrated Horizontal

Closed, proprietary Open interfaces
Slow innovation Rapid innovation
Small industry Huge industry
* Slide courtesy: N. McKeown Network Layer: Control Plane 5-59
Traffic engineering: difficult traditional routing

5
3
2 v w 5

u 2 1
3 z
1
2
x 1 y

Q: what if network operator wants u-to-z traffic to flow along

uvwz, x-to-z traffic to flow xwyz?
A: need to define link weights so traffic routing algorithm
computes routes accordingly (or need a new routing algorithm)!

Link weights are only control “knobs”: wrong!

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-60
Traffic engineering: difficult
5
3
2 v w 5

u 2 1
3 z
1
2
x 1 y

Q: what if network operator wants to split u-to-z

traffic along uvwz and uxyz (load balancing)?
A: can’t do it (or need a new routing algorithm)

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-61

 Networking 401
Traffic engineering: difficult
5
3
v w
w
2 v 5

zz
u 2 1
3
1
2
xx yy
1

Q: what if w wants to route blue and red traffic differently?

A: can’t do it (with destination based forwarding, and LS,

DV routing)

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-62

 Software defined networking (SDN)
4. programmable 3. control plane
control routing access
control
… load
balance functions
applications external to
data-plane
Remote Controller switches

control
plane

data
plan
e
C 2. control,
A data plane
CA CA CA CA separation

1: generalized“
flow-based”
forwarding (e.g.,
OpenFlow) Network Layer: Control Plane 5-63
 SDN perspective: data plane switches
Data plane switches network-control applications
▪ fast, simple, commodity switches …
routing
implementing generalized
data-plane forwarding (Section access load
control balance
4.4) in hardware
▪ switch flow table computed, o
c
northbound API
installed by controller nt
▪ API for table-based switch SDN Controller
ro
l
control (e.g., OpenFlow) (network operating system) pl
• defines what is controllable and a
n
what is not southbound API e
▪ protocol for communicating
with controller (e.g., OpenFlow) d
a
t
a
SDN-controlled switches p
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-64
l
 SDN perspective: SDN controller
SDN controller (network network-control applications
OS): …
routing
▪ maintain network state
access load
information control balance
▪ interacts with network
c
control applications “above” northbound API o
via northbound API nt

▪ interacts with network SDN Controller

ro
l
switches “below” via (network operating system) pl
a
southbound API n
▪ implemented as distributed southbound API e
system for performance,
scalability, fault-tolerance, d
robustness a
t
a
SDN-controlled switches p
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-65
l
 SDN perspective: control applications
network-control apps: network-control applications
▪ “brains” of control: …
routing
implement control functions
using lower-level services, API access load
control balance
provided by SND controller
▪ unbundled: can be provided by o
c
northbound API
3rd party: distinct from routing nt
vendor, or SDN controller SDN Controller
ro
l
(network operating system) pl
a
n
southbound API e

d
a
t
a
SDN-controlled switches p
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-66
l
 Components of SDN controller

routing access load

control balance
Interface layer to
network control Interface, abstractions for network control apps
apps: abstractions
API
network
graph
RESTful
API
… intent

Network-wide state
management layer: statistic … flow tables
state of networks s SDN
links, switches, Network-wide distributed, robust state management
controller
services: a
distributed database
Link-state host info … switch info
info

communication OpenFlow … SNMP

layer: communicate
Communication to/from controlled devices
between SDN
controller and
controlled switches

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-67

OpenFlow protocol
▪ operates between
OpenFlow controller, switch
Controller ▪ TCP used to exchange
messages
• optional encryption
▪ three classes of
OpenFlow messages:
• controller-to-switch
• asynchronous (switch
to controller)
• symmetric (misc)

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-68

OpenFlow: controller-to-switch messages

Key controller-to-switch messages

▪ features: controller queries OpenFlow
Controller
switch features, switch replies
▪ configure: controller
queries/sets switch
configuration parameters
▪ modify-state: add, delete, modify
flow entries in the OpenFlow
tables
▪ packet-out: controller can send
this packet out of specific
switch port
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-69
OpenFlow: switch-to-controller messages
Key switch-to-controller messages
▪ packet-in: transfer packet (and its OpenFlow
Controller
control) to controller. See
packet-out message from controller
▪ flow-removed: flow table entry
deleted at switch
▪ port status: inform controller of a
change on a port.

Fortunately, network operators don’t “program” switches by

creating/sending OpenFlow messages directly. Instead use
higher-level abstraction at controller
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-70
SDN: control/data plane interaction example

Dijkstra’s link-state 1 S1, experiencing link failure

Routing using OpenFlow port status
message to notify controller
4 5
network
graph
RESTful
API
… intent 2 SDN controller receives
3 OpenFlow message, updates
statistic
… link status info
flow tables
s 3 Dijkstra’s routing algorithm
Link-state host info
… switch info application has previously
info 2 registered to be called when
OpenFlow
… SNMP
ever link status changes. It is
called.
4 Dijkstra’s routing algorithm
6 access network graph info, link
1
state info in controller,
s2 computes new routes
s1
s4
s3
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-71
SDN: control/data plane interaction example

Dijkstra’s link-state
Routing
4 5
network
graph
RESTful
API
… intent 5 link state routing app interacts
3 with flow-table-computation
statistic
… component in SDN controller,
flow tables
which computes new flow
s
Link-state host info
… switch info
tables needed
info 2 6 Controller uses OpenFlow to
OpenFlow
… SNMP
install new tables in switches
that need updating
6
1

s2
s1
s4
s3
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-72
OpenDaylight (ODL) controller
Traffic …
Engineering ▪ ODL Lithium
controller
REST
API
▪ network apps may
Network be contained within,
Basic Network Service Functions
service apps or be external to
topology switch stats
Acces SDN controller
manager
▪ Service Abstraction
s manager manager
Contro
forwarding host
l
manager manager
Layer: interconnects
internal, external
Service Abstraction Layer (SAL) applications and
services
OpenFlow
… SNM OVSD
1.0 P B

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-73

ONOS controller
Network …
▪ control apps
control apps

northbound separate from

abstractions,
REST API Intent
protocols
controller
▪ intent framework:
hosts paths flow rules topology high-level
specification of
ONOS
devices links statistics distributed service: what rather
core than how
▪ considerable
devi lin ho fl packe southbound emphasis on
t abstractions,
ce
OpenFlow
k st o
Netconf w OVSD protocols
distributed core:
B service reliability,
replication
performance scaling
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-74
SDN: selected challenges
▪ hardening the control plane: dependable, reliable,
performance-scalable, secure distributed system
• robustness to failures: leverage strong theory of
reliable distributed system for control plane
• dependability, security: “baked in” from day one?
▪ networks, protocols meeting mission-specific
requirements
• e.g., real-time, ultra-reliable, ultra-secure
▪ Internet-scaling

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-75

Chapter 5: outline
5.1 introduction 5.5 The SDN control plane
5.2 routing protocols 5.6 ICMP: The Internet
▪ link state Control Message
▪ distance vector Protocol
5.3 intra-AS routing in the 5.7 Network management
Internet: OSPF and SNMP
5.4 routing among the ISPs:
BGP

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-76

ICMP: internet control message protocol

▪ used by hosts & routers

Type Code description
to communicate 0 0 echo reply (ping)
network-level information 3 0 dest. network unreachable
• error reporting: 3 1 dest host unreachable
unreachable host, network, 3 2 dest protocol unreachable
port, protocol 3 3 dest port unreachable
• echo request/reply (used by 3 6 dest network unknown
ping) 3 7 dest host unknown
▪ network-layer “above” IP: 4 0 source quench (congestion
• ICMP msgs carried in IP control - not used)
datagrams 8 0 echo request (ping)
▪ ICMP message: type, code 9
10
0
0
route advertisement
router discovery
plus first 8 bytes of IP 11 0 TTL expired
datagram causing error 12 0 bad IP header

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-77

Traceroute and ICMP
▪ source sends series of UDP ▪ when ICMP message
segments to destination arrives, source records
• first set has TTL =1 RTTs
• second set has TTL=2, etc.
• unlikely port number stopping criteria:
▪ when datagram in nth set ▪ UDP segment eventually
arrives to nth router: arrives at destination host
• router discards datagram and ▪ destination returns ICMP
sends source ICMP message “port unreachable”
(type 11, code 0)
• ICMP message include name of
message (type 3, code 3)
router & IP address ▪ source stops

3 probes 3 probes

3 probes
Network Layer: Control Plane 5-78
Chapter 5: outline
5.1 introduction 5.5 The SDN control plane
5.2 routing protocols 5.6 ICMP: The Internet
▪ link state Control Message
▪ distance vector Protocol
5.3 intra-AS routing in the 5.7 Network management
Internet: OSPF and SNMP
5.4 routing among the ISPs:
BGP

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-79

What is network management?
▪ autonomous systems (aka “network”): 1000s of interacting
hardware/software components
▪ other complex systems requiring monitoring, control:
• jet airplane
• nuclear power plant
• others?

"Network management includes the deployment, integration

and coordination of the hardware, software, and human
elements to monitor, test, poll, configure, analyze, evaluate,
and control the network and element resources to meet the
real-time, operational performance, and Quality of Service
requirements at a reasonable cost."

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-80

Infrastructure for network management
definitions:
managing entity
agent data
managing
data managed device
managed devices
entity
contain managed
agent data
objects whose data is
network gathered into a
management
managed device Management
protocol agent data

managed device
Information Base
(MIB)
agent data
agent data
managed device
managed device

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-81

 SNMP protocol
Two ways to convey MIB info, commands:

managing managing
entity entity

request
trap msg
response

agent data agent data

managed device managed device

request/response mode trap mode

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-82
SNMP protocol: message types
Message type Function
GetRequest
GetNextRequest manager-to-agent: “get me data”
GetBulkRequest (data instance, next data in list, block of data)

InformRequest manager-to-manager: here’s MIB value

SetRequest manager-to-agent: set MIB value

Response Agent-to-manager: value, response to

Request

Trap Agent-to-manager: inform manager

of exceptional event

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-83

SNMP protocol: message formats
Get/set header Variables to get/set
PDU Error
Request Error
type Status Name Value Name Value ….
ID Index
(0-3) (0-5)

PDU Trap
type Enterprise Agent Type
Specific Time
Name Value ….
Addr code stamp
4 (0-7)
Trap header Trap info

SNMP PDU

More on network management: see earlier editions of text!

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-84

Chapter 5: summary
we’ve learned a lot!
▪ approaches to network control plane
• per-router control (traditional)
• logically centralized control (software defined networking)
▪ traditional routing algorithms
• implementation in Internet: OSPF, BGP
▪ SDN controllers
• implementation in practice: ODL, ONOS
▪ Internet Control Message Protocol
▪ network management

next stop: link layer!

Network Layer: Control Plane 5-85