GNS3, Docker, Open vSwitch, SDN, OpenDaylight and OpenFlow

Learn how to leverage Docker, SDN, OpenFlow, OpenDaylight (ODL) and Wireshark in your GNS3 networks.

GNS3 allows to you virtualize either simple or complex topologies on your laptop! In these videos we will virtualize a both traditional and OpenFlow based networks. You will learn how to install OpenDaylight (ODL) on an Ubuntu Docker container in your GNS3 network. You will integrate Open vSwitch (OVS) with ODL and create a virtual patch panel using OpenFlow. You will also learn about the OpenFlow protocol and use Wireshark to capture OpenFlow packets sent between an OpenFlow switch and OpenFlow controller.

What is Docker?

Docker is the world’s leading software container platform. Developers use Docker to eliminate “works on my machine” problems when collaborating on code with co-workers. Operators use Docker to run and manage apps side-by-side in isolated containers to get better compute density. Enterprises use Docker to build agile software delivery pipelines to ship new features faster, more securely and with confidence for both Linux and Windows Server apps.

What is a Container?

Using containers, everything required to make a piece of software run is packaged into isolated containers. Unlike VMs, containers do not bundle a full operating system - only libraries and settings required to make the software work are needed. This makes for efficient, lightweight, self-contained systems and guarantees that software will always run the same, regardless of where it’s deployed.

What is OpenDayLight?

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is an industry movement for building programmable networks that are flexible and responsive to organizations' and users' needs. OpenDaylight, the largest open source SDN controller, is helping lead this transition. By uniting the industry around a common SDN platform, the OpenDaylight community -- solution providers, individual developers, and users working together -- is delivering interoperable, programmable networks to service providers, enterprises, universities and a variety of organizations around the globe.

What is Open vSwitch?

Open vSwitch is a production quality, multilayer virtual switch licensed under the open source Apache 2.0 license. It is designed to enable massive network automation through programmatic extension, while still supporting standard management interfaces and protocols (e.g. NetFlow, sFlow, IPFIX, RSPAN, CLI, LACP, 802.1ag). In addition, it is designed to support distribution across multiple physical servers similar to VMware's vNetwork distributed vswitch or Cisco's Nexus 1000V.

What is OpenFlow?

OpenFlow is the first standard communications interface defined between the control and forwarding layers of an SDN architecture. OpenFlow® allows direct access to and manipulation of the forwarding plane of network devices such as switches and routers, both physical and virtual (hypervisor-based). OpenFlow-based SDN technologies enable IT to address the high-bandwidth, dynamic nature of today's applications, adapt the network to ever-changing business needs, and significantly reduce operations and management complexity.