HP VAN SDN Controller Installation Guide

1 Overview
The HP VAN SDN Controller provides an extensive platform for developing and running SDN
applications. It features:
• A base controller platform for Linux/Java/OSGi, OpenFlow 1.0/1.3, built-in services, and a
device driver framework
• A distributed platform for High Availability (HA) and scalability
• Embedded Java applications, an extensible REST API and GUI, and IMC management interface
• Standalone or team operating modes
• Support for teaming with three controllers
As an HP VAN SDN Controller administrator, you should be familiar with OpenFlow, and have
OpenFlow configured and enabled on the network switches to be managed by the controller. The
controller supports both v1.0 and v1.3 versions of OpenFlow.
Supported environments and topologies
Before installing the HP VAN SDN Controller, make sure your environment and planned topology
meets the following requirements.
OpenFlow requirements
The controller must be connected to a network that includes one or more switches configured to
run OpenFlow. HP recommends that you plan and implement the switch OpenFlow configurations
before connecting the controller to the network.
CAUTION: OpenFlow switches in a controller domain should not be connected in a loop topology
with switches outside the domain. Allowing such connections can create broadcast loops inside
the OpenFlow network.
NOTE: Running the OpenFlow control mode on a specified switch VLAN disrupts the traffic on
that VLAN until the controller configures the required flow rules in the switch using the OpenFlow
controller API. For information on configuring OpenFlow, see the latest manual for the version of
OpenFlow running on your switches.
OpenFlow switches in the network must be configured to allow control by the HP VAN SDN
Controller. In a controller domain, including a switch that does not support OpenFlow or allow
control by the HP VAN SDN Controller creates separate clusters of OpenFlow networks.
Hardware requirements
The system where you want to install the HP VAN SDN Controller must meet these minimum
hardware requirements:
• AMD64 server or desktop machine
• Quad Core system
• 8 GB RAM
• 64 GB of available disk space
• 1–10GBps NIC
Software requirements
Before installing the HP VAN SDN Controller software, do the following:
4 Overview