Chapter 8
OpenFlow
8.1 Introduction
The OpenFlow protocol structures communication between the control and data planes of supported network devices (https://www.opennetworking.org; Azodolmolky, 2013; Hu, 2014; Open Networking Foundation [ONF], 2013; Bansal et al., 2013). OpenFlow has been designed to provide an external application with access to the forwarding plane of a network switch (or router). Access to this part of the router can be gained over the network, which allows the controlling program not to have to be colocated with the network switch.
Traditional networking protocols have tended to be defined in isolation, with each solving a specific problem and without the benefit of any fundamental abstractions. The result of this isolation ...
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