Backends¶
MOSK offers various networking backends. Selecting the appropriate backend option for the Networking service is essential for building a robust and efficient cloud networking infrastructure. Whether you choose Open vSwitch (OVS), Open Virtual Network (OVN), or OpenSDN, understanding their features, capabilities, and suitability for your specific use case is crucial for achieving optimal performance and scalability in your OpenStack environment.
Refer to Networking backend configuration for the configuration details.
Capability |
OpenSDN |
Open vSwitch (OVS) |
Open Virtual Network (OVN) |
|---|---|---|---|
Logical routers |
|||
Static routes |
|||
SNAT |
|||
Floating IPs |
|||
External IPs on VMs |
|||
Per-tenant floating networks and SNAT pools |
|||
IPv6 |
|||
Bare Metal as a Service (Ironic) |
|||
DNS as a Service |
Designate and OpenSDN vDNS |
Designate |
Designate |
Firewalling |
Security groups and application policies |
OpenStack Security Groups |
OpenStack Security Groups |
Load balancing |
OpenSDN built in HAProxy, OpenStack Octavia/Amphora |
OpenStack Octavia/Amphora |
OpenStack Octavia/Amphora, Octavia/OVN native load balancer |
BGP VPNs |
Unsupported |
||
VPN as a Service (IPsec) |
TechPreview |
TechPreview |
|
Data plane acceleration |
SR-IOV |
SR-IOV |
SR-IOV |
QoS |
|||
Network equipment management |
Netconf/OVSDB |
Neutron ML2 plugins/networking-generic-switch |
Neutron ML2 plugins/networking-generic-switch |
East-West traffic encryption |
Open vSwitch¶
Open vSwitch is a production-quality, multilayer virtual switch licensed under the open source Apache 2.0 license. It is designed to enable massive network automation through programmatic extension, while supporting standard management interfaces and protocols.
Open vSwitch is suitable for general-purpose networking requirements in OpenStack deployments. It provides flexibility and scalability for various network topologies.
Key characteristics of Open vSwitch:
Depends on RabbitMQ and RPC communication
Uses keepalived to set up HA routers
Uses namespace and Veth routing to provide its capabilities
Locates metadata in router or DHCP namespaces
Centralizes the DHCP service, which is running in a separate namespace
Open Virtual Network¶
Open Virtual Network is a solution for Open vSwitch that provides native virtual networking support for Open vSwitch environments. It provides enhanced scalability and performance compared to traditional Open vSwitch deployments.
Key characteristics of Open Virtual Network:
Uses the OVSDB protocol for communication
Is distributed by design
Handles all traffic with OpenFlow
Runs metadata on all nodes
Provides DHCP through local Open vSwitch instances
Caution
There are numerous limitations related to VLAN/Flat tenant networks in Open Virtual Network with distributed floating IPs for bare metal and Octavia VIP ports. For more information about Open Virtual Network limitations, see relevant upstream documentation.
OpenStack official documentation
OpenSDN¶
OpenSDN, formerly known as Tungsten Fabric, is an open-source SDN based on Juniper Contrail. Its design allows for simplified creation and management of virtual networks in cloud environments. OpenSDN supports advanced networking scenarios, such as BGP integration and scalability.
Key characteristics of OpenSDN:
Uses well scalable protocols to set up tunnels, such as BGP/MPLS
Provides out-of-the-box BGPaaS/Service chaining capabilities