Abstract—The centralization of network control and programmability coupled with network virtualization results in increased efficiency and flexibility with routine deployment activities and even major network design changes. This research attempts to explore the possibilities of Software Defined Network (SDN). For this purpose we have designed a novel testbed which can be used to implement and measure performances and features of many different kinds of SDN controllers. The paper provides a history of the development of SDN including the driving factors and the impact SDN has on today’s enterprise networks. This is followed by an overview and discussion of the SDN controller OpenContrail, a cloud based platform that includes the key concepts of network virtualization, programmability, automation, and analytics. Then, an SDN solution leveraging the controller is implemented within the confines of a test environment, after which various OpenContrail use cases are discussed.

Index Terms—cloud computing, OpenContrail, NFV, SDN controllers, openstack


Cite: Wajid Hassan and Tamer Omar, " Future Controller Design and Implementation Trends in Software Defined Networking," Journal of Communications, vol. 13, no. 5, pp. 209-217, 2018. Doi: 10.12720/jcm.13.5.209-217.