Virtual Routers As A Service: The Routeflow Approach Leveraging Software-defined Networks

The networking equipment market is being transformed by the need for greater openness and flexibility, not only for research purposes but also for in-house innovation by the equipment owners. In contrast to networking gear following the model of computer mainframes, where closed software runs on proprietary hardware, the software-defined networking approach effectively decouples the data from the control plane via an open API (i.e., OpenFlow protocol) that allows the (remote) control of packet forwarding engines. Motivated by this scenario, we propose RouteFlow, a commodity routing architecture that combines the line-rate performance of commercial hardware with the flexibility of open-source routing stacks (remotely) running on general purpose computers. The outcome is a novel point in the design space of commodity routing solutions with far-reaching implications towards virtual routers and IP networks as a service. This paper documents the progress achieved in the design and prototype implementation of our work and outlines our research agenda that calls for a community-driven approach. © 2011 ACM.3437Future Internet Forum (FIF),Asia Future Internet (AsiaFI),Korea Internet and Security Agency (KISA),Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI),Korea Institute of Information Science and Engineering (KIISE)Azodolmolky, S., Integrated OpenFlow - GMPLS Control Plane: An Overlay Model for Software Defined Packet over Optical Networks (2011) ECOC'11, , SepBolte, M., Sievers, M., Birkenheuer, G., Niehörster, O., Brinkmann, A., Non-intrusive virtualization management using libvirt (2010) DATE '10Bozakov, Z., Architecture and Algorithms for Virtual Routers as a Service (2011) IWQoS, , JuneCaesar, M., Casado, M., Koponen, T., Rexford, J., Shenker, S., Dynamic route recomputation considered harmful (2010) SIGCOMM CCR, 40, pp. 66-71. , AprilCasado, M., Koponen, T., Ramanathan, R., Shenker, S., Virtualizing the network forwarding plane (2010) PRESTO '10Grasa, E., MANTICORE II: IP Network as a Service pilots at HEAnet, NORDUnet and RedIRIS (2010) TERENA Networking Conference 2010Feamster, N., Balakrishnan, H., Rexford, J., Shaikh, A., Van Der Merwe, J., The case for separating routing from routers (2004) FDNA '04Greenberg, A., Hjalmtysson, G., Maltz, D.A., Myers, A., Rexford, J., Xie, G., Yan, H., Zhang, H., A clean slate 4D approach to network control and management (2005) Computer Communication Review, 35 (5), pp. 41-54. , DOI 10.1145/1096536.1096541Greene, K., TR10: Software-Defined Networking (2009) MIT Technology ReviewGude, N., NOX: Towards an operating system for networks (2008) SIGCOMM CCR, 38. , JulyHamilton, J., Networking: The Last Bastion of Mainframe Computing, , http://perspectives.mvdirona.com/2009/12/19/ NetworkingTheLastBastionOfMainframeComputing.aspxKeller, E., Rexford, J., The 'Platform as a Service' model for networking (2010) INM/WREN 10, , AprKhosravi, H., Anderson, T., Requirements for separation of ip control and forwarding (2003) RFC, 3654. , NovLakshman, T.V., The SoftRouter architecture (2004) HotNets-IIIMcKeown, N., Anderson, T., Balakrishnan, H., Parulkar, G., Peterson, L., Rexford, J., Shenker, S., Turner, J., Openflow: Enabling innovation in campus networks (2008) SIGCOMM CCR, 38, pp. 69-74. , MarchNascimento, M.R., Rothenberg, C.E., Salvador, M.R., Magalhães, M.F., QuagFlow: Partnering Quagga with OpenFlow (2010) SIGCOMM CCR, 40, pp. 441-442. , AugustRamjee, R., Separating control software from routers (2006) COMSWARE'06Sarrar, N., Feldmann, A., Uhlig, S., Sherwood, R., Huang, X., (2010) EuroView 2010, , FIBIUM - Towards Hardware Accelerated Software Routers. (poster session), AugustSplit Architecture Carrier Grade Networks, , http://www.fp7-sparc.eu/Koponen, T., Onix: A distributed control platform for large-scale production networks (2010) OSDI '10, , Oc