Software Defined Networking

Every large network is unique in its delivered services and unique combination of network elements and underlying protocols. However, while these networks grow more costly and complex they are expected to consistently provide an even quicker response to changes in traffic pattern, segment outage, and services rollouts. Consequently, new network elements must undergo a series of customizations before they can seamlessly merge into the uniqueness of a network. This puts substantial pressures on both CapEx and OpEx. As a result the industry is heading rapidly towards open, standard solutions.

Software defined networking (SDN) decouples the control and data planes to enable limitless possibilities in programming the switch as per the network’s needs. OpenFlow is the leading SDN standard spearheading the adoption of this disruptive technology. By optimizing and centralizing innovative applications SDN offers unprecedented OpEx and CapEx savings.

Aricent is committed to the OpenFlow/SDN revolution and provides comprehensive software frameworks than can be adapted to multiple silicon, support controller northbound APIs, and optimize network costs. Coupled with our state-of-the-art SDN lab, we offer world-class services for custom development, porting, and certification to deliver innovative controllers and SDN solutions for telecom equipment manufacturers (TEMs) with an accelerated time to market.

Aricent’s OpenFlow and SDN Services

We provide lifecycle services to our customers for the design, development, testing, and sustenance of OpenFlow and SDN solutions. Our dedicated SDN lab hosts multiple industry-leading controllers and sets of applications to provide a robust environment for interoperability testing among OpenFlow-compliant switches from different TEMs, various controllers, and existing network elements.

Services Capabilities	SDN Controllers and Controller Applications	OpenFlow Switches and Infrastructure
Product Development	Controller applications development Porting to different controllers Security Network management Adaptive routing Mobility Self-healing networks	Enabling OpenFlow support in traditional switches and routers Upgrading to newer standard versions as the OpenFlow specifications evolve
Testing	Testing SDN controller applications on various OpenFlow controllers and switches Interoperability testing of controllers with multiple OpenFlow switches	Compliance testing of OpenFlow switches against evolving specification versions Testing pure and hybrid OpenFlow switches with various controllers
SDN Lab	OpenFlow controllers – TREMA and Floodlight	OpenFlow switches from NEC, IBM, Juniper, and Extreme Networks Scalability and Performance test infrastructure

Aricent’s OpenFlow and SDN Software

SDN and OpenFlow are compelling use cases in VM mobility management, dynamic bandwidth, network convergence, and mobile backhaul optimizations. We have a strong focus on developing portable application frameworks, especially for northbound APIs.

Hybrid Routing and Switching

Our hybrid routing and switching framework support both OpenFlow-based as well as traditional L2/L3-based routing and switching. The framework is compatible with hybrid and pure OpenFlow switches and can be easily integrated into enterprise, transport, and datacenter networks. It provides:

• Generic APIs for easy integration with existing software architecture
• Comprehensive set of MIB objects for management through SNMP
• Support for all OpenFlow messages and Configuration through the OF-Config Interface

OpenFlow and SDN Controller Applications

We are committed to the development of applications for multi-layer networks, network security, VM mobility, and plug-ins for evolving network issues. Our SDN Application suite leverages decades of Aricent’s experience in deploying carrier grade solutions. Our SDN Applications are built on top of the leading commercial SDN Controllers.

Aricent is committed to support the applications on multiple controllers thus saving our customer’s effort of integrating the same across different platforms.

Aricent’s SDN approach is primarily based on the following tenets:

• Monitor the networks and harvest intelligence based on the Open Flow or Custom Interface from the Networks ( E.g. Topology Information, Network Health Indicators)
• Orchestration Logic takes into consideration the Custom Policies and collected metrics.
• Programming the Networks for Optimized Performance based on the Orchestration.

We work with its clients to understand the specific requirements to plug in the configured policy and tailor the reference Orchestration Logic to meet the individual goals.

The Aricent’s suite of SDN applications includes the following:

• Optimized routing in the mobile backhaul to steer traffic based on Network Congestion, mobile user’s service requirements, and policies defined by the service provider
• Traffic steering in Data Centers to monitor traffic in real time for Threat Perception and Action.
• Monitoring a Carrier Network at multiple levels (Optical, OTN/SDH, and Packet) and generating topology to facilitate the Implementation of Multi-layer Control Plane.
• A framework for supporting OAM in Carrier Ethernet and MPLS networks to facilitate Fast Failure detection and switchover.
• Framework for Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation based on the Network Quality Of Service (QoS) parameters.
• Framework for Network Monitoring including applications such as network debugging, Lawful Intercept etc.