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This project aims to create a platform for software based internet router acceleration using OpenFlow hardware. The platform aims to integrate internet routing services to existing SDN networks and to offer great scalability and modularity, all while also possibly creating a cheaper alternative to commercial internet routers.
The main idea of this project is to use free and open source routing software, such as BIRD or Quagga on a whitebox x86 server, paired with OpenFlow capable hardware. Using Sflow-RT statistics software, it is possible to find the most active routes, and then push flow rules to the switching hardware. This allows to offload a huge part of the load on the software router.
Currently, the project is at a very early development stage, with only the offloading part tested and proven to work on a very small scale. IPv4 only.
sFlow-RT
sFlow-RT real-time BGP route statistics
Used to get most active routes from BGP (top prefixes).
Proof of concept demonstration
Detailed Proof of Concept topology:PNG SVG
Software Router configuration (BIRD routing daemon vm)
Host machine configuration (Sflow-RT, interfaces)
BGP route generation for testing
RouteFlow
Implements legacy IP routing services by running routing software on virtual machines and replicating routing tables on OpenFlow capable switches. Similar to our project, but would most likely not work with internet routing - many lower end switches do not have enough fast memory to replicate and store entire ipv4 and ipv6 BGP tables as OpenFlow flow rules.
SDN Internet Router by Spotify
Uses Linux-based switches to create an internet router using the same offloading idea as our project. Supports Linux-based switches only.
sFlow-RT Active route manager
Same as previous.