Designing Core Layer in Campus Network Using Software-Defined Networking

Abstract

As one of the layers in campus network, core layer or backbone network should provide interconnectivity and routing between internal and external networks, including other campus networks or the Internet. With that requirement, designing this layer to be highly available to interconnect and route traffic is a high priority. By using software-defined networking (SDN) paradigm, we attempt to design core layer in campus network employing best practices of network topology and routing protocol at the layer with a use case of core layer in a university campus network. We use RouteFlow as the SDN platform supporting a traditional routing protocol, i.e. Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), over OpenFlow (OF) network infrastructure. The experimental testbed/environment consists of two virtual machines (VMs). The first VM is used as the SDN/OF data plane with Open vSwitch in Mininet network emulator, and the second one representing SDN control plane comprising RouteFlow with POX controller. We evaluated the design by testing the interconnectivity using ping for the OF switches in the topology and hosts that are connected to the switches. We also tracked the route of the packets by monitoring traffic passed through all network interfaces of the switches using tcpdump. This case was evaluated since we need to make sure that packets were routed with the shortest path from source to destination using OSPF that was implemented in the virtual network at the top of the SDN platform.