Analysis of the role of SDN switches in cloud computing networks in different scenarios

In the context of SDN switch applications, a concise yet flexible summary is often used. The SDN switch in question here doesn't necessarily have to be an OpenFlow-based device. More commonly, a Cloud Agent is integrated into traditional switches. Providing an open API—such as JSON-RPC or REST API—is often a more effective way to achieve practical implementation. SDN technology has been evolving for several years, while cloud computing has an even longer history. Their combination represents a powerful application of SDN, and it has gained significant attention over the past two years. Consulting firms have consistently reported growing market interest in SDN. This growth primarily reflects the application of SDN in cloud computing networks. When it comes to SDN in cloud computing networks, there are currently two main approaches: the "soft" side, represented by VMware, and the "hard" side, led by Cisco. The soft approach involves implementing the core logic of network virtualization within the hypervisor on the server, with the physical network acting merely as a data path. In contrast, the hard approach places the network virtualization logic directly in the physical network, typically at the top-of-rack (TOR) switch. If the TOR cannot handle it, it may be placed on dedicated devices. Both methods have their advantages and attract different user bases. However, the real world isn’t unipolar or bipolar—it’s multipolar. Many unconventional requirements exist in actual networks that neither of these solutions fully address, or if they do, they aren’t optimal in terms of implementation difficulty, performance, or cost. As a provider of long-term hardware SDN solutions, I’d like to share how real-world hardware SDN switches can tackle specific scenarios in both public and private cloud environments. Private clouds, in particular, often face more customized needs. It's worth noting that these scenarios can be achieved using Cisco ACI, as its design fundamentally relies on hardware SDN to support network virtualization. However, many users avoid ACI due to high costs, vendor lock-in, or a preference for local solutions. While I personally admire ACI from a technical perspective, the need for alternative solutions remains valid. **Customization Needs for SDN Controllers and Switches in Cloud Networks** Many people misunderstand how SDN switches are applied in cloud environments. Two common misconceptions are: first, asking which controller is used and whether it can integrate with OpenDaylight, Ryu, or ONOS; second, assuming any SDN switch can support cloud networking regardless of the vendor. These misunderstandings stem from a lack of awareness that SDN requires application-specific customization. Unlike general-purpose tools, cloud networking is designed specifically for its use case, often with limited functionality and sometimes even embedding the controller directly within the cloud platform (like in OpenStack Neutron Server). Therefore, the controller in this scenario is not a generic SDN controller. Similarly, SDN switches must also be tailored for cloud environments, making it impossible for just any SDN switch to support such scenarios. For example, Shengke Network has developed specialized controllers and switches for cloud networking. **Scenario 1: Using Hardware SDN Switches to Improve Performance** In this scenario, users deploy network virtualization using Tunnel Overlay. However, the performance impact of vSwitch tunnel operations (like VxLAN or NvGRE) can be significant, causing low throughput, high latency, and jitter. To mitigate this, hardware SDN TOR switches can offload the tunnel processing, reducing the burden on the server. The SDN TOR switch can act as an extension of the vSwitch, and even support distributed L3 Gateway functions, deeply integrating into network virtualization. This model is not universally adopted, but some users prefer it. We've implemented this in several small to medium-sized private clouds and a well-known IDC cloud, where performance and stability were significantly improved. **Scenario 2: Using Hardware SDN Switches to Access Physical Servers** Many believe all servers in cloud data centers are virtualized, but this is far from the truth. A large number of physical servers still exist in both public and private clouds. Some lack virtualization capabilities, others run resource-heavy applications, and some are customized or require isolation for security reasons. Connecting these physical servers to the virtual network poses challenges. Using VLANs is relatively straightforward, but when tunnels are involved, configuration becomes complex. One solution is to use a hardware SDN switch as a VTEP gateway, allowing physical servers to join the virtual network without requiring changes on the server itself. This requires the switch to support both tunnel bridging and routing, a capability found in Shengke’s SDN switches. **Scenario 3: Using Hardware SDN Switches to Connect Hardware Firewalls** Hardware firewalls are widely used in cloud environments. Users often insist on using their own firewalls, requiring them to be connected to the virtual network. Traditional ACLs are not suitable for dynamic VM environments, so SDN switches offer a better solution by enabling dynamic policy enforcement. If tunnels are used, the SDN switch must also terminate the tunnel before forwarding traffic to the firewall. Shengke’s SDN switches support this, including unique VLAN configurations per port. **Scenario 4: Supporting Hybrid Networking with Multiple Hypervisors** Many customers use multiple hypervisors, especially VMware and KVM. VMware is closed-source, making integration challenging. Some want to support VPC without paying for NSX. An effective solution is to use an SDN switch to connect VMware servers, converting VLANs to tunnels and enabling centralized control. This has been successfully deployed in industry cloud environments. **Scenario 5: On-Demand VLAN Deployment Using Hardware SDN Switches** While some customers don’t care about VLANs, others do. In small private clouds, VLANs are still popular for simplicity and performance. However, managing VLANs dynamically during VM migration can be inefficient. Introducing an SDN switch allows dynamic VLAN configuration, improving efficiency and reducing unnecessary traffic across the network.

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