Technical Summary
These two documents (
draft-ietf-bmwg-sdn-controller-benchmark-term and
draft-ietf-bmwg-sdn-controller-benchmark-meth)
specify the terminology, benchmark definitions
and methods for characterizing key performance aspects of
Software Defined Network (SDN) Controllers. Considering the
number of benchmarking and performance comparison studies that
have been published prior to standards development, this is an
important area for new specifications and tools to implement them.
These memos focus on the ability of SDN controllers to learn
topology, communicate with switches, and instantiate paths using
both reactive and proactive techniques (including controller clusters).
Further, requirements for test traffic and network emulation
capabilities of the test devices are specified. The memos approach
this problem in a generic way (Openflow specific procedures are
included in an Appendix) for broader applicability and longevity.
Working Group Summary
Consensus for these drafts required several WGLC which prompted
careful review and further comments. However, the process to achieve
consensus was smooth, and at no time was there sustained controversy.
Document Quality
There are existing implementations of the methods described here,
both full and partial, and many are available as Open Source tools.
Tools are tied to specific versions of Northbound and Southbound
protocols, but the memo avoids this dependency (and redundancy with
other industry efforts) by defining benchmarks for generic SDN
controller functions (as suggested in https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/bmwg/Glchqbvg6F7vOUc0ug3ACyztcNg ).
The document benefits from review in the NFVRG, and from interactions
with the Open Platform for Network Function Virtualization (OPNFV) "CPerf"
project team (which includes members from Open Daylight Integration
test team, ETSI NFV Test and Open Source WG, and other Linux Foundation
and independent Open Source projects related to SDN performance).
Personnel
Al Morton is the Document Shepherd
Warren Kumari is RAD!