Hardware Abstraction Layer for non-OpenFlow capable devices

This paper describes a viable and experimentally-tested way forward for augmenting legacy network elements with software-defined networking control. Following and implementation-driven approach we have explored the possibilities for adding SDN-based interfaces to devices which are not compatible with OpenFlow. OpenFlow is arguably a leading control-place protocol for the upcoming generation of operator networks. Yet not all domains will be equipped from the very beginning with compatible supporting frameworks. To address this gap, we introduce the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) for non-OpenFlow capable devices which tackles this problem. We discuss the advantages of the proposed approach and explain how a HAL-based architecture can support different classes of network devices