MPLS-TE and MPLS VPNs with OpenFlow

Abstract

We demonstrate MPLS Traffic Engineering (MPLS-TE) and MPLS-based Virtual Private Networks (MPLS VPNs) using OpenFlow [1] and NOX [6]. The demonstration is the outcome of an engineering experiment to answer the following questions: How hard is it to implement a complex control plane on top of a network controller such as NOX? Does the global vantage point in NOX make the implementation easier than the traditional method of implementing it on every switch, embedded in the data plane? We implemented every major feature of MPLS-TE and MPLSVPN in just 2,000 lines of code, compared to much larger lines of code in the more traditional approach, such as Quagga-MPLS. Because NOX maintains a consistent, up-to-date topology map, the MPLS control plane features are quite simple to implement. And its simplicity makes it easy to extend: We have easily added several new features; something a network operator could do to customize their network to meet their customers' needs. The demo consists of two parts: MPLS-TE services and then MPLS VPN driven by a GUI.