Configuring and controlling a software defined network with a Pica8 switch

Abstract

Current network protocols are exceedingly strict, making the administrative duties of network providers difficult. The switches that control a network rely on stringent definitions, usually defined by the company who designed the switch, with which they can forward packets. Software Defined Networking (SDN) is a concept which allows control over the operations of a switch via remote software applications. But just how much control can we exhibit while writing these applications? And how well does a particular switch respond to this control? Using a Pica8 3297 OpenFlow switch in conjunction with five PowerEdge R210 severs and a Cisco switch, we analyze the response time and the control that the switch maintains while controlled by the Ryu SDN framework.