ITU Workshop on
“Standardization on IMT, M2M, IoT,
Cloud Computing and SDN”
(Algiers, Algeria, 8 September 2013)
SDN and its standardization
Takashi Egawa
t-egawa@ct.jp.nec.com
NEC Corporation
ITU-T Rapporteur, Q.14/13
Algiers, Algeria, 8 September 2013
Software-Defined Networking (SDN)
Your program (software) defines networks
Open interface is provided for network resources
You define how switches and others behave
e.g., if packet header field xxx matches xxx, the packet is
forwarded (switch), or discarded (proprietary firewall)
e.g., an application notifies your program security breach is
found. Your program disable a link (port) to isolate it
e.g., your processor (virtual machine) notices …
Your program (software)
Open Interface
Commands to provision,
control, manage
ICT resources
switches
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links
processors
storages
….
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Issues to make SDN effective (1)
Open interface must be easy to understand & use
The target of the interface; what to control/manage?
Flow table in switches? (OpenFlow protocol’s approach)
Routing table in routers?
Controller itself?
Resource abstraction: how they should be modeled?
e.g., resources provided at controller level: ‘link: node A to
B’? ‘information flow pipe to end-users living in Tokyo’? …
Typical network
software architecture:
various software in
various layers
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Which interface?
What function?
What parameter?
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Issues to make SDN effective (2)
Open interface must be easy to implement
Control plane and data plane should be separated
Control function should be logically centralized
Control function
multiple controller
for e.g., redundancy
Open
Interface
controller
controller
Logically
one entity
Different
physical
entity
ICT
ICT
ICT
ICT
ICT
resource resource resource resource resource
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Core concepts of SDN are very old
A textbook written in ‘80s discussed ‘software
definable network’
at concept-level, such idea always existed
Virtually all equipment of today has open interface
(I/F)
Huge number of control I/F and management I/F has been
developed, standardized, and used
Programs has been using these I/F, and automating
operations
C/D separation has been common in telco for many
years
In telecom carrier networks,
control = operater’s. data = customer’s.
Some sort of separation is a MUST
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Time to revisit SDN concept
Technologies, requirements that makes SDN useful
Virtualization
it is becoming popular, in particular in datacenters
OpenFlow protocol
it destroyed ‘distribution = just’ illusion
Customization
Traditional IP network is difficult to
customize. But if possible, …
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Items that makes SDN useful (1):
Virtualization (1)
To make everything virtual is a long-time dream
If we could make a pool of network resources and
realize everything as its instances…
(servers, firewalls, all appliances are specialized computers. If you can ignore
performance, non-specialized computers can become anything)
Abundant computers, enormous processing power,
ubiquitous links, switches, abundant storages,
… are shared among purposes/customers…
Purpose
Temporary,
local ICT system
Global ICT
infrastructure
Highly secure,
closed network
Then we are free from hardware restrictions!
all difficulties will go to complicated system|software architecture, and its
management
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Items that makes SDN useful (1):
Virtualization (2)
Many ICT resources are becoming REALLY abundant
CPU performance is still increasing, end-users don’t care it
anymore
The amount of memory and storage are still increasing
Access links are fast enough to be shared among multiple
purposes
Gbps access is too much for email and simple web!

OK, let’s invent a way to use them
Isolation and/or separation are a good way to
achieve it --- we human love ‘territory’
Computing resources are already virtualized.
Network’s turn
Data-centers created a market for virtualization. Time to
expand the market by applying it to other areas
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Items that makes SDN useful (2):
OpenFlow protocol
OpenFlow protocol destroyed the myth of ‘distributed
system is good’
It was a sort of religion
OpenFlow-based system showed centralized system is
sometimes very efficient and fast

Now we are free!
Good time to re-visit fundamental telco network
architecture

If distributed is preferable, let’s use it.
If centralized is efficient, let’s use it.
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Items that makes SDN useful (3):
Customization
Customization is becoming even more important
More customer, application, traffic are in the networks
Customized traffic engineering is really necessary
OpenFlow has shown the possibility
 We may now able to realize service-aware networks
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In SDN, there are so many different voices.
ITU is now trying to capture the essence, and
started SDN standardization for telecom carriers
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Various activities discuss specific part
of SDN
OSS
Each cloud service
SDO
User
Terminal
Open Stack Cloud stack
OpenDaylight
Network Services
ETSI
SG11, 13
IETF
BBF
ONF
NFV
Access
Core transport
transport
OIF Q.12/15
management
Applications
TMF
Collaboration among SDOs/open source activities
critical. Joint Coordination Activity on SDN (JCA-SDN)
established
ITU-T discuss overall architecture of carrier networks
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SDN related activity in ITU-T SG13 and
other SGs
In SG13, SDN, network virtualization, iSCP had been
discussed
Future Networks uses SDN and network virtualization as
technologies to combat ever-increasing services
Described in Y.3001, 3011 and others
iSCP (independent Scalable Control Plane, counterpart of
IETF Forces) for control/data separation
Described in Y.2621, 2622
The discussion on SDN itself has started
SDN Framework document is now under development
A brief document that defines what is SDN from ITU
viewpoint, and what ITU should do
Discussion to apply SDN to NICE started (Y.S-NICE-reqts)
SG11 is discussing SDN signaling
SG15, 17 is interested in SDN
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List of ITU-T SDN-related work items
SG13
Y.2621 (Requirements of independent Scalable Control Plane (iSCP) in FPBN)
Y.2622 (Architecture of an independent scalable control plane in future packet based
networks)
Y.3001 (Future networks: Objectives and design goals): fin, 2011/05
Y.3011 (Framework of network virtualization for future networks): fin, 2011/09
Y.FNvirtreq (Requirement of network virtualization for Future Networks): target 2013/11
Y.SDN-FR (Framework of SDN): target 2013/11
Y.FNsdn-fm (Requirements of formal specification and verification methods for softwaredefined networking): target 2014/07
Y.Sup-SDNusecases (Supplement for use-cases of telecom SDN): target 2014/07
Y.S-NICE-reqts (Requirements and capability framework for NICE implementation
making usage of software-defined networking technologies): target 2014/09
SG11
Q.SBAN (Scenarios and signaling requirements for software-defined BAN (SBAN)): target
2014/11
Q.Supplement-SDN (Framework of signalling for SDN): target 2014/11
Q.IPv6UIP (Scenarios and signalling requirements of unified intelligent programmable
interface for IPv6): target 2014/12
Discussions exists at SG15 Q.12, and SG17
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SG13’s roadmap
Open stack, Cloud stack
ETSI
NFV ONF OIF TMF IETF BBF
Collaboration and coordination
Q14/13
Gaps
Common
SDN
Common SDN
2013
2014
2015 ~ 2016
Y.SDN -FR
Q14/13
Functional requirements and architectures Q14/13
of common SDN
New1/13
Qs/13
Figure from
TD-18 (TSAG)
ITU -T SDN
New2/13
Use Cases
Q11/13
Q 6,8,9/13
Q2, 3/13
Functional requirements of ITU
-T SDN
Functional architectures and mechanisms
of ITU-T SDN
Analysis of Regulatoryimplications
of SDN and future networks
SDN Interworking requirements and functions
Common capabilities QoS,
(
Security, Mobility) and
mechanismsto support SDN
Use of SDN into existing networks such as NGN
-e
Basic common part as ‘common SDN’
Will discuss ITU-T specific SDN in various groups (Qs)
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Conclusion
SDN enables you to define networks with
software
If you write programs, you have enormous freedom
Many issues remains to make good open
programming I/F
Where should be the I/F? What resource model? …
SDN has historical basis
Now emerging thanks to virtualization and others
Many SDOs are contributing to SDN in their area
ITU-T will provide the total view for carrier networks
Collaboration will be provided through JCA-SDN
ITU-T SG13 and other SGs started discussion
SDN framework Recommendation is the 1st target
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