Deployment Guide

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4 Product Details
4.1 SDN and the OpenFlow Architecture
4.1.1 SDN/OpenFlow High Level Architectural Components
At the core of the OpenFlow specifications is the definition of an abstract packet processing machine,
called a switch. The switch processes packets using a combination of packet contents and switch
configuration state. A protocol is defined for manipulating the switch's configuration state as well as
receiving certain switch events. Finally, a controller is an element that speaks the OpenFlow protocol
down to the switch based agent in order to manage the configuration state of many switches and respond
to switch events.
Controller Topology
OpenFlow Controller
User application
REST
API
OpenFlow Agent
OpenFlow 1.3.4 protocol
TCP or TLS
OpenFlow Logical Switch OpenFlow Logical Switch
OpenFlow Agent
OpenFlow 1.3.4 protocol
TCP or TLS
The controllers provide flow programming instructions to agents running in the switches for setting up
switch functions and tables that are normally programmed to run on the legacy firmware on the switch
itself, such as VLAN’s, ACL entries, routing and bridging.