Introduction

The OpenDaylight project is an open source platform for Software Defined Networking (SDN) that uses open protocols to provide centralized, programmatic control and network device monitoring. Like many other SDN controllers, OpenDaylight supports OpenFlow, as well as offering ready-to-install network solutions as part of its platform.

Much as your operating system provides an interface for the devices that comprise your computer, OpenDaylight provides an interface that allows you to connect network devices quickly and intelligently for optimal network performance.

It’s extremely helpful to understand that setting up your networking environment with OpenDaylight is not a single software installation. While your first chronological step is to install OpenDaylight, you install additional functionality packaged as Karaf features to suit your specific needs.

Before walking you through the initial OpenDaylight installation, this guide presents a fuller picture of OpenDaylight’s framework and functionality so you understand how to set up your networking environment. The guide then takes you through the installation process.

What’s different about OpenDaylight

Major distinctions of OpenDaylight’s SDN compared to traditional SDN options are the following:

  • A microservices architecture, in which a “microservice” is a particular protocol or service that a user wants to enable within their installation of the OpenDaylight controller, for example:
    • A plugin that provides connectivity to devices via the OpenFlow or BGP protocols
    • An L2-Switch or a service such as Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA).
  • Support for a wide and growing range of network protocols beyond OpenFlow, including SNMP, NETCONF, OVSDB, BGP, PCEP, LISP, and more.
  • Support for developing new functionality comprised of additional networking protocols and services.

Note

A thorough understanding of the microservices architecture is important for experienced network developers who want to create new solutions in OpenDaylight. If you are new to networking and OpenDaylight, you most likely won’t design solutions, but you should comprehend the microservices concept to understand how OpenDaylight works and how it differs from other SDN programs.

What you’ll find in this guide

To set up your environment, you first install OpenDaylight followed by the Apache Karaf features that offer the functionality you require. The OpenDaylight Getting Started Guide covers feature descriptions, OpenDaylight installation procedures, and feature installation.

The Getting Started Guide also includes other helpful information, with the following organization:

  1. An overview of OpenDaylight and common use models
  2. Who should use this guide?
  3. OpenDaylight concepts and tools
  4. Explanations of OpenDaylight Apache Karaf features and other features that extend network functionality
  5. OpenDaylight system requirements and Release Notes
  6. OpenDaylight installation instructions
  7. Feature tables with installation names and compatibility notes