path: root/OPENFLOW.rst

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================================
OpenFlow Support in Open vSwitch
================================

Open vSwitch support for OpenFlow 1.1 and beyond is a work in progress.  This
file describes the work still to be done.

The Plan
--------

OpenFlow version support is not a build-time option.  A single build of Open
vSwitch must be able to handle all supported versions of OpenFlow.  Ideally,
even at runtime it should be able to support all protocol versions at the same
time on different OpenFlow bridges (and perhaps even on the same bridge).

At the same time, it would be a shame to litter the core of the OVS code with
lots of ugly code concerned with the details of various OpenFlow protocol
versions.

The primary approach to compatibility is to abstract most of the details of the
differences from the core code, by adding a protocol layer that translates
between OF1.x and a slightly higher-level abstract representation.  The core of
this approach is the many ``struct ofputil_*`` structures in
``include/openvswitch/ofp-util.h``.

As a consequence of this approach, OVS cannot use OpenFlow protocol definitions
that closely resemble those in the OpenFlow specification, because
``openflow.h`` in different versions of the OpenFlow specification defines the
same identifier with different values.  Instead, ``openflow-common.h`` contains
definitions that are common to all the specifications and separate protocol
version-specific headers contain protocol-specific definitions renamed so as
not to conflict, e.g. ``OFPAT10_ENQUEUE`` and ``OFPAT11_ENQUEUE`` for the
OpenFlow 1.0 and 1.1 values for ``OFPAT_ENQUEUE``.  Generally, in cases of
conflict, the protocol layer will define a more abstract ``OFPUTIL_*`` or
struct ``ofputil_*``.

Here are the current approaches in a few tricky areas:

* Port numbering.

  OpenFlow 1.0 has 16-bit port numbers and later OpenFlow versions have 32-bit
  port numbers.  For now, OVS support for later protocol versions requires all
  port numbers to fall into the 16-bit range, translating the reserved
  ``OFPP_*`` port numbers.

* Actions.

  OpenFlow 1.0 and later versions have very different ideas of actions.  OVS
  reconciles by translating all the versions' actions (and instructions) to and
  from a common internal representation.

OpenFlow 1.1
------------

The list of remaining work items for OpenFlow 1.1 is below.  It is probably
incomplete.

* Match and set double-tagged VLANs (QinQ).

  This requires kernel work for reasonable performance.

  (optional for OF1.1+)

* VLANs tagged with 88a8 Ethertype.

  This requires kernel work for reasonable performance.

  (required for OF1.1+)

OpenFlow 1.2
------------

OpenFlow 1.2 support requires OpenFlow 1.1 as a prerequisite. All the
additional work specific to Openflow 1.2 are complete.  (This is based on the
change log at the end of the OF1.2 spec.  I didn't compare the specs carefully
yet.)

OpenFlow 1.3
------------

OpenFlow 1.3 support requires OpenFlow 1.2 as a prerequisite, plus the
following additional work.  (This is based on the change log at the end of the
OF1.3 spec, reusing most of the section titles directly.  I didn't compare the
specs carefully yet.)

* Add support for multipart requests.

  Currently we always report ``OFPBRC_MULTIPART_BUFFER_OVERFLOW``.

  (optional for OF1.3+)

* IPv6 extension header handling support.

  Fully implementing this requires kernel support.  This likely will take some
  careful and probably time-consuming design work.  The actual coding, once
  that is all done, is probably 2 or 3 days work.

  (optional for OF1.3+)

* Per-flow meters.

  OpenFlow protocol support is now implemented.  Support for the special
  ``OFPM_SLOWPATH`` and ``OFPM_CONTROLLER`` meters is missing.  Support for
  the software switch is under review.

  (optional for OF1.3+)

* Auxiliary connections.

  An implementation in generic code might be a week's worth of work.  The value
  of an implementation in generic code is questionable, though, since much of
  the benefit of axuiliary connections is supposed to be to take advantage of
  hardware support.  (We could make the kernel module somehow send packets
  across the auxiliary connections directly, for some kind of "hardware"
  support, if we judged it useful enough.)

  (optional for OF1.3+)

* Provider Backbone Bridge tagging.

  I don't plan to implement this (but we'd accept an implementation).

  (optional for OF1.3+)

* On-demand flow counters.

  I think this might be a real optimization in some cases for the software
  switch.

  (optional for OF1.3+)

OpenFlow 1.4 & ONF Extensions for 1.3.X Pack1
---------------------------------------------

The following features are both defined as a set of ONF Extensions for 1.3 and
integrated in 1.4.

When defined as an ONF Extension for 1.3, the feature is using the Experimenter
mechanism with the ONF Experimenter ID.

When defined integrated in 1.4, the feature use the standard OpenFlow
structures (for example defined in openflow-1.4.h).

The two definitions for each feature are independant and can exist in parallel
in OVS.


* Flow entry notifications

  This seems to be modelled after OVS's NXST_FLOW_MONITOR.  (Simon Horman is
  working on this.)

  (EXT-187)
  (optional for OF1.4+)

* Role Status

  Already implemented as a 1.4 feature.

  (EXT-191)

  (required for OF1.4+)

* Flow entry eviction

  OVS has flow eviction functionality.  ``table_mod OFPTC_EVICTION``,
  ``flow_mod 'importance'``, and ``table_desc ofp_table_mod_prop_eviction``
  need to be implemented.

  (EXT-192-e)

  (optional for OF1.4+)

* Vacancy events

  (EXT-192-v)

  (optional for OF1.4+)

* Bundle

  Transactional modification.  OpenFlow 1.4 requires to support
  ``flow_mods`` and ``port_mods`` in a bundle if bundle is supported.
  (Not related to OVS's 'ofbundle' stuff.)

  Implemented as an OpenFlow 1.4 feature.  Only flow_mods and port_mods are
  supported in a bundle.  If the bundle includes port mods, it may not specify
  the ``OFPBF_ATOMIC`` flag.  Nevertheless, port mods and flow mods in a bundle
  are always applied in order and consecutive flow mods between port mods are
  made available to lookups atomically.

  (EXT-230)

  (optional for OF1.4+)

* Table synchronisation

  Probably not so useful to the software switch.

  (EXT-232)

  (optional for OF1.4+)

* Group and Meter change notifications

  (EXT-235)

  (optional for OF1.4+)

* Bad flow entry priority error

  Probably not so useful to the software switch.

  (EXT-236)

  (optional for OF1.4+)

* Set async config error

  (EXT-237)

  (optional for OF1.4+)

* PBB UCA header field

  See comment on Provider Backbone Bridge in section about OpenFlow 1.3.

  (EXT-256)

  (optional for OF1.4+)

* Multipart timeout error

  (EXT-264)

  (required for OF1.4+)

OpenFlow 1.4 only
-----------------

Those features are those only available in OpenFlow 1.4, other OpenFlow 1.4
features are listed in the previous section.

* More extensible wire protocol

  Many on-wire structures got TLVs.

  All required features are now supported.
  Remaining optional: table desc, table-status

  (EXT-262)

  (required for OF1.4+)

* More descriptive reasons for packet-in

  Distinguish ``OFPR_APPLY_ACTION``, ``OFPR_ACTION_SET``, ``OFPR_GROUP``,
  ``OFPR_PACKET_OUT``.  ``NO_MATCH`` was renamed to ``OFPR_TABLE_MISS``.
  (OFPR_ACTION_SET and OFPR_GROUP are now supported)

  (EXT-136)

  (required for OF1.4+)

* Optical port properties

  (EXT-154)

  (optional for OF1.4+)

OpenFlow 1.5 & ONF Extensions for 1.3.X Pack2
---------------------------------------------

The following features are both defined as a set of ONF Extensions for 1.3 and
integrated in 1.5. Note that this list is not definitive as those are not yet
published.

When defined as an ONF Extension for 1.3, the feature is using the Experimenter
mechanism with the ONF Experimenter ID.  When defined integrated in 1.5, the
feature use the standard OpenFlow structures (for example defined in
openflow-1.5.h).

The two definitions for each feature are independant and can exist in parallel
in OVS.

* Time scheduled bundles

  (EXT-340)

  (optional for OF1.5+)

OpenFlow 1.5 only
-----------------

Those features are those only available in OpenFlow 1.5, other OpenFlow 1.5
features are listed in the previous section.  Note that this list is not
definitive as OpenFlow 1.5 is not yet published.

* Egress Tables

  (EXT-306)

  (optional for OF1.5+)

* Packet Type aware pipeline

  Prototype for OVS was done during specification.

  (EXT-112)

  (optional for OF1.5+)

* Extensible Flow Entry Statistics

  (EXT-334)

  (required for OF1.5+)

* Flow Entry Statistics Trigger

  (EXT-335)

  (optional for OF1.5+)

* Controller connection status

  Prototype for OVS was done during specification.

  (EXT-454)

  (optional for OF1.5+)

* Meter action

  (EXT-379)

  (required for OF1.5+ if metering is supported)

* Enable setting all pipeline fields in packet-out

  Prototype for OVS was done during specification.

  (EXT-427)

  (required for OF1.5+)

* Port properties for pipeline fields

  Prototype for OVS was done during specification.

  (EXT-388)

  (optional for OF1.5+)

* Port property for recirculation

  Prototype for OVS was done during specification.

  (EXT-399)

  (optional for OF1.5+)

General
-------

* ovs-ofctl(8) often lists as Nicira extensions features that later OpenFlow
  versions support in standard ways.

How to contribute
-----------------

If you plan to contribute code for a feature, please let everyone know on
ovs-dev before you start work.  This will help avoid duplicating work.

Please consider the following:

* Testing.  Please test your code.

* Unit tests.  Please consider writing some.  The tests directory has many
  examples that you can use as a starting point.

* ovs-ofctl.  If you add a feature that is useful for some ovs-ofctl command
  then you should add support for it there.

* Documentation.  If you add a user-visible feature, then you should document
  it in the appropriate manpage and mention it in NEWS as well.

* Coding style (see the `coding style guide <CodingStyle.rst>`__ file at the top
  of the source tree).

* The `patch submission guidelines <CONTRIBUTING.rst>`__.  I recommend using
  "git send-email", which automatically follows a lot of those guidelines.