os-odl_l2-bgpvpn overview and description

Introduction

Many Telecom network functions are relying on layer-3 infrastructure services, within a VNF between components, or towards existing external networks. In many cases, these external networks are implemented in MPLS/BGP technology in existing service provider wide-area-networks (WAN). This proven technology provides a good mechanism for inter-operation of a NFV Infrastructure (NFVI) and wide-area networks (WAN) and is the main capability provided by the OPNFV SDNVPN project.

The OPNFV SDNVPN feature is made available through additional OPNFV deployment scenarios, which are derived from the baseline scenarios os-odl_l2-nofeature and os-odl_l3-nofeature. This document provides an outline of the os-odl_l2-bgpvpn scenarios including guidelines and references to required installation, software and hardware configuration documents.

Scenario components and composition

The SDN VPN feature enhances OPNFV’s baseline OpenStack deployment with the possibility to configure BGP based VPNs using the Neutron API extension and service plugin provided by the OpenStack Neutron Stadium project BGPVPN. The BGPVPN project consists of a Neutron API extension and a service plugin which has a driver framework similar to the ML2 plugin. BGPVPN today has a quite large number of backend drivers (Bagpipe, OpenContrail, Nuage and OpenDaylight currently). In OPNFV, currently only the OpenDaylight driver is supported.

The BGPVPN ODL driver maps the BGPVPN API onto the OpenDaylight VPNService, which exposes the data center overlay like a virtual router to which Neutron Networks and Routers (and in the future also Ports) are connected. The VPNService has access to the state of the Neutron API through the OpenDaylight Neutron Northbound Interface module, which has been enhanced to support the BGPVPN API extension. It uses an internal mesh of VxLAN tunnels to interconnect the vSwitches on the data center compute nodes. For the purpose of BGP based route exchange with other BGP speakers the ODL controller makes use of Quagga BGP as an external BGP speaker.

Scenario usage overview

Configuring SDNVPN features

Each installer has specific procedures to deploy the OPNFV platform so that the SDNVPN feature is enabled.

Fuel installer configuration

To install the SDNVPN feature using Fuel, follow the Fuel installation guide ensuring to select the SDNVPN feature when prompted <add link to Fuel docs once artifact locations are known>.

This will trigger installation of the OpenStack BGPVPN API extension for Neutron, set up for using the ODL driver, in addition to vanilla Neutron. In addition, the required karaf features will be activated when ODL is installed and the compute nodes will be configured including the VPN Service internal transport tunnel mesh.

No post-deploy configuration is necessary. The Fuel BGPVPN plugin and the ODL plugin should set up the cluster ready for BGPVPNs being created.

APEX installer configuration

To install the SDNVPN feature using the APEX installer, follow the APEX installation guide and activate the SDNVPN feature when prompted.

Limitations, Issues and Workarounds

Currently, in OPNFV only ODL is supported as a backend for BGPVPN. API calls are mapped onto the ODL VPN Service REST API through the BGPVPN ODL driver and the ODL Neutron Northbound module.

No DPDK-enabled vhost user ports are supported.

Integration with data center gateway will not work due to missing OVS patches for MPLSoGRE.

References

For more information on the OPNFV Colorado release, please visit http://www.opnfv.org/colorado