Deployment Guide

4.5 OpenFlow Single Table Programming Supported by DNOS-OF (NEC

PF6800 PFC Cluster Controller compatibility mode)

4.5.1 Bridging and Routing Functions in NEC

While the same set of tables shown above that are used and exposed in OF-DPA exist in single table NEC

mode, only a single table is exposed to the NEC PF6800 controller. For DNOS-OF 1.1, only NEC OF1.3+ mode

is supported. Support for the recently released NEC OEF multi table mode is planned for a later release of

DNOS-OF.

In NEC OF1.3+ single table mode, the controller only communicates with 1 table in the switch. The of-switch

application in DNOS-OF converts the table 0 incoming flow table programming instructions into the

appropriate flow table programming instructions for the multiple tables shown in the diagram above.

One of the main differences between the Ryu controller in multi table mode and the NEC controller in single

table mode is how individual flow instructions are programmed. In multi table mode the application

programmer is responsible for all flow table installation and programming, specifying the individual match

criteria, instructions and actions. However in single table mode the individual flow match criteria, instructions

and actions are all programmed by the NEC controller. The application programmer only works with virtual

constructs such as virtual tenant network (VTN) endpoint stations, virtual bridges (vBridges), and virtual routers

(vRouters) within the NEC environment. The physical network is separated from the virtual network, and all

physical network flow table programming is handled automatically by the controller.