A Flexible OpenFlow-Controller Benchmark

Abstract

Software defined networking (SDN) promises a way to more flexible networks that can adapt to changing demands. At the same time these networks should also benefit from simpler management mechanisms. This is achieved by moving the network control out of the forwarding devices to purpose-tailored software-applications on top of a "networking operating system". Currently, the most notable representative of this approach is OpenFlow. In the OpenFlow architecture the operating system is represented by the OpenFlow controller. As the key component of the OpenFlow ecosystem, the behavior and performance of the controller are significant for the entire network. Therefore, it is important to understand these influence factors, when planning an OpenFlow-based SDN deployment. In this work, we introduce a tool to help achieving just that - a flexible OpenFlow controller benchmark. The benchmark creates a set of message-generating virtual switches, which can be configured independently from each other to emulate a certain scenario and also keep their own statistics. This way a granular controller performance analysis is possible.