Starting with OpenFlow

So after about 8 months of having Openflow code running on a switch, I was able to get a controller up and going. This is because using Openflow is not a business necessary project.

So why Openflow?

There are a few reasons in which I would like to use it.

• Redirecting a copy of user flows for analysis- Remote packet capture
• Traffic Engineering - Using different paths for flows based on policy
• Management Abstraction 

Now some will say that there are other ways to do these things, yes that is true. When you are using switches  that support Openflow it makes send to look into using it. 

My university is connected to Regional Optical Network - Ilight, which is managed by Indiana University. There will be a day when Openflow services will be sitting at my campus wan edge from them. It would be nice to be able to take advantage of them and also to inter-operate with them. If you look at Brocade's presentation at Network Field Day 5 you will see projects in which Indiana University is involved with OpenFlow.

I will probably post somethings about what I am doing with it as they happen. But I do have a lot of business critical project and task that are higher on the priority list. 

Currently looking at the following:

• Controller: Floodlight
• Switches: HP 6200yl currently running OF code K.15.06.5008 , 5400zl in production without OF code. Have 2 5406zl's in staging.
• Avior - GUI for adding flows to controller. 

For more OpenFlow info look to the Open Networking Foundation and OpenFlowHub.org
Check out Brent Salisbury's blog listed in the blog roll to the right, Brent has some tutorials on getting started, with some code snippets as well.