Improving SDN with InSPired Switches
Roberto Bifulco, Julien Boite, Mathieu Bouet, Fabian Schneider · 2016
In SDN, complex protocol interactions that require forging network packets are handled on the controller side. While this ensures flexibility, both performance and scalability are impacted, introducing serious concerns about the applicability of SDN at scale. To improve on these issues, without infringing the SDN principles of control and data planes separation, we propose an API for programming the generation of packets in SDN switches. Our InSP API allows a programmer to define in-switch packet generation operations, which include the specification of triggering conditions, packet's content and forwarding actions. To validate our design, we implemented the InSP API in an OpenFlow software switch and in a controller, requiring only minor modifications. Finally, we demonstrate that the application of the InSP API, for the implementation of a typical ARP-handling use case, is beneficial for the scalability of both switches and controller.