Fabric: a retrospective on evolving SDN

MPLS was an attempt to simplify network hardware while improving the flexibility of network control. Software-Defined Networking (SDN) was designed to make further progress along both of these dimensions. While a significant step forward in some respects, it was a step backwards in others. In this paper we discuss SDN's shortcomings and propose how they can be overcome by adopting the insight underlying MPLS. We believe this hybrid approach will enable an era of simple hardware and flexible control.

[1]  Eric C. Rosen,et al.  Multiprotocol Label Switching Architecture" RFC 3031 , 2001 .

[2]  Neda Beheshti,et al.  OpenFlow MPLS and the open source label switched router , 2011, 2011 23rd International Teletraffic Congress (ITC).

[3]  Eric C. Rosen,et al.  Multiprotocol Label Switching Architecture , 2001, RFC.

[4]  David Walker,et al.  Frenetic: a network programming language , 2011, ICFP.

[5]  Jia Wang,et al.  Scalable flow-based networking with DIFANE , 2010, SIGCOMM '10.

[6]  Martín Casado,et al.  NOX: towards an operating system for networks , 2008, CCRV.

[7]  Martín Casado,et al.  Ethane: taking control of the enterprise , 2007, SIGCOMM '07.

[8]  Martin de Prycker,et al.  Asynchronous Transfer Mode, Solution for Broadband Isdn , 1991 .

[9]  Amin Vahdat,et al.  PortLand: a scalable fault-tolerant layer 2 data center network fabric , 2009, SIGCOMM '09.

[10]  Martín Casado,et al.  Extending Networking into the Virtualization Layer , 2009, HotNets.

[11]  David Walker,et al.  Consistent updates for software-defined networks: change you can believe in! , 2011, HotNets-X.

[12]  Russell J. Clark,et al.  Resonance: dynamic access control for enterprise networks , 2009, WREN '09.

[13]  Nick McKeown,et al.  OpenFlow: enabling innovation in campus networks , 2008, CCRV.

[14]  Paul Hudak,et al.  Nettle: Taking the Sting Out of Programming Network Routers , 2011, PADL.

[15]  David Wetherall,et al.  Towards an active network architecture , 1996, CCRV.

[16]  Rob Sherwood,et al.  Can the Production Network Be the Testbed? , 2010, OSDI.

[17]  Marco Canini,et al.  A NICE Way to Test OpenFlow Applications , 2012, NSDI.

[18]  Tal Garfinkel,et al.  SANE: A Protection Architecture for Enterprise Networks , 2006, USENIX Security Symposium.

[19]  Nick Feamster,et al.  Design and implementation of a routing control platform , 2005, NSDI.

[20]  Martín Casado,et al.  Onix: A Distributed Control Platform for Large-scale Production Networks , 2010, OSDI.

[21]  Hong Yan,et al.  A clean slate 4D approach to network control and management , 2005, CCRV.