Transformation and Unified Control of Hybrid Networks Composed of OpenFlow Switches and Other Programmable Switches

Abstract

A method implemented by an OpenFlow (OF) adaptor positioned between an OF controller and a Non-OF (NOF) Network Element (NE) (NOF NE), comprising transmitting, by a transmitter of the OF adaptor, a discovery message to the NOF NE in a NOF format, receiving, by a receiver of the OF adaptor, a reply message from the NOF NE in the NOF format, and translating, by a processor coupled to the transmitter and the receiver, the reply message to an OF format based on a predetermined set of message relationships stored in the OF adaptor.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method implemented by an OpenFlow (OF) adaptor positioned between an OF controller and a Non-OF (NOF) Network Element (NE), comprising:
 transmitting, by a transmitter of the OF adaptor, a discovery message to the NOF NE in a NOF format;   receiving, by a receiver of the OF adaptor, a reply message from the NOF NE in the NOF format; and   translating, by a processor coupled to the transmitter and the receiver, the reply message to an OF format based on a predetermined set of message relationships stored in the OF adaptor.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, by the transmitter, the reply message translated to the OF format to the OF controller to initiate OF control of the NOF NE. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the receiver, the discovery message from the OF controller before transmitting the discovery message to the NOF NE in a NOF format. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the OF adaptor comprises a physical OF port configured to communicate with an OF controller. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the OF adaptor comprises a physical Non-OF port configured to communicate with the NOF NE. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined set of message relationships is based on an association between an OF protocol data and a NOF protocol data. 
     
     
         7 . A method implemented in an OpenFlow (OF) controller comprising:
 receiving, by a receiver of the OF controller from a Non-OF enabled network element (NOF NE) via an OF adapter, link data indicating a link between an OF enabled network element (OF NE) and the NOF NE;   discovering, by a processor coupled to the receiver, network topology in a hybrid network comprising the OF NE and the NOF NE based on the link data, and   storing, by a memory coupled to the processor, the discovered hybrid network topology in a network information base.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the link data indicating the link between the OF NE and the NOF NE is received in a discover message. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein discovering the network topology in the hybrid network further comprises receiving, by the receiver, the link data indicating the link between the OF NE and a NOF NE directly from the OF NE. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the link data indicating the link between the OF NE and the NOF NE is encoded in a NOF Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) packet encapsulated in an OF packet in message. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein discovering the network topology in the hybrid network further comprises:
 transmitting, by a transmitter coupled to the processor to a first OF NE, a Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) packet encapsulated in an OF packet out message; and   receiving, by the receiver from a second OF NE, the LLDP packet encapsulated in an OF packet in message, wherein the received LLDP packet comprises link data indicating the link between the first OF NE and the second OF NE.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein discovering the network topology in the hybrid network comprises obtaining, by the processor, sub-topology data from a plurality but less than all OF NEs in the hybrid network. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein discovering the network topology in the hybrid network further comprises obtaining, by the processor, sub-topology data from a plurality but less than all NOF NEs in the hybrid network. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein discovering the network topology in the hybrid network further comprises combining, by the processor, the OF sub-topology data and the NOF sub-topology data to construct a complete hybrid network topology. 
     
     
         15 . An OpenFlow (OF) adaptor comprising:
 a physical OF port configured to communicate with an OF controller;   a physical Non-OF (NOF) port configured to communicate with a NOF Network Element (NE);   a memory configured to store a predetermined set of message relationships;   a transmitter coupled to the OF port, and the NOF port, and configured to transmit a discovery message to the NOF NE in a NOF format;   a receiver coupled to the OF port, and the NOF port, and configured to receive a reply message from the NOF NE in the NOF format; and   a processor coupled to the memory, the transmitter, the receiver, the OF port, and the NOF port, and configured to translate the reply message to an OF format based on the predetermined set of message relationships stored in the OF adaptor.   
     
     
         16 . The OF adaptor of  claim 15 , wherein the reply message from the NOF NE comprises link and resource information associated with the NOF NE. 
     
     
         17 . The OF adaptor of  claim 15 , wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the translated OF format reply message to the OF controller to initiate OF control of the NOF NE. 
     
     
         18 . The OF adaptor of  claim 15 , wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a format discovery message from the OF controller. 
     
     
         19 . The OF adaptor of  claim 15 , wherein each relationship in the predetermined set of message relationships indicates how to translate between OF formatted messages and NOF formatted messages. 
     
     
         20 . The OF adaptor of  claim 15 , wherein the predetermined set of message relationships is based on an association between an OF protocol data and a NOF protocol data.