HP VAN SDN Controller Administrator Guide v3

2.11.4 Controller enforcement levels for OpenFlow classes
The following table lists the enforcement levels that the controller can use for applications that send
flows to switches.
DescriptionEnforcement level
The controller does not manage flow modification priorities or validate flow modification
requests:
none
• Applications that do not register OpenFlow classes with the controller are permitted to
send flow modifications to switches.
• The controller does not validate flow modifications, even for applications that register
OpenFlow classes with the controller.
• The controller does not replace logical priorities with actual priorities for flow modification
requests from any applications.
(Default) The controller manages flow modification priorities and validates flow modification
requests for applications that register OpenFlow classes:
weak
• Applications that do not register OpenFlow classes with the controller are permitted to
send flow modifications to switches.
• The controller validates flow modifications from registered applications against the
OpenFlow classes that are registered.
• The controller replaces logical priorities with actual priorities for registered applications
only.
The controller manages all flow modification priorities and validates all flow modification
requests:
strict
• Applications that do not register OpenFlow classes with the controller are not permitted
to send flow modifications to switches.
• The controller validates all flow modifications against the OpenFlow classes that are
registered.
• The controller replaces logical priorities with actual priorities for all applications.
2.12 Packet listeners
The controller applications (and SDN applications) register packet listeners with the controller. The
order of processing an incoming packet is determined by the roles (Advisor, then Director, then
Observer), and then altitudes within a role (in decreasing value, with 0 the lowest altitude). An
incoming packet (OpenFlow Packet-In message) is wrapped in a Message Context (which also
holds a Packet-Out reply) which is passed to each packet listener in turn.
2.12.1 Packet Listeners screen
The packet listeners screen displays the packet listeners that are currently running on the controller.
DescriptionScreen component
Refreshes the information on the screen.Refresh
The role of the packet listener. Roles are one of the following:
DescriptionRole
Role
Examines the incoming packet. Might add
processing hints to the message context,
ADVISOR
but does not modify the packet out
message.
Processes the packet. Might add actions
or instructions to the packet-out message.
DIRECTOR
2.12 Packet listeners 51