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Overview

About SDN

Cloud computing's rapid evolution exposes limitations in traditional network architecture regarding agility, scalability, and operational efficiency. Software-Defined Networking (SDN) addresses this by separating the network control plane from the forwarding plane. This enables centralized, programmatic control and intelligent orchestration of network resources, making it foundational for modern cloud data center networks.

ZStack Cloud deeply integrates SDN capabilities, delivering network solutions ranging from software-based SDN to hardware-based SDN. This integration helps you build and operate cloud networks that are high-performing, highly available, and easier to manage.

Feature Highlights

  • Unified Management: Supports multiple software and hardware SDN controller types and delivers a consistent management experience.
  • Automated Configuration Deployment: Automatically pushes network configurations to the SDN controller when creating L3 networks, significantly improving deployment efficiency.
  • SDN Tenant-Level Resource Isolation: Automatically allocates subnets to target SDN tenants, ensuring resource isolation and preventing resource contention across tenants.

Prerequisites

Your network design affects your licensing needs. The base platform license includes standard networking features. However, hardware SDN integration and advanced features for managing OVS-DPDK-based software SDN require an SDN license. The following table outlines the licensing requirements across different network scenarios to assist you in determining if additional licenses are needed.
Module SDN License Required
SDN Controller Cloud SDN Controller No
H3C VCFC Yes
HUAWEI Yes
L2 Network Linux Bridge L2NoVLAN No
L2VLAN No
VXLAN No
HardwareVXLAN Yes
ZNS L2NoVLAN No
L2VLAN No
L2Geneve No
VXLAN Pool Software SDN No
Hardware SDN Yes

Practices

Create a Flat Network Using an H3C SDN Controller

Add an SDN controller to enable ZStack Cloud to manage the SDN network on your hardware switches. This reduces network latency and improves VXLAN performance.

Prerequisites

  1. Deploy the hardware environment and plan the management network in advance.
  2. Complete the basic configuration of the SDN controller, including configuring the virtual distributed switch and the VLAN-VXLAN mapping table.

About this task

To manage a hardware switch SDN network:
  1. Add the SDN controller to ZStack Cloud.
  2. Create a Hardware-SDN VXLAN pool and attach it to a cluster.
  3. Create a HardwareVxlanNetwork based on the VXLAN pool.
  4. Create a flat network using the HardwareVxlanNetwork.
  5. Create two VM instances (VM-1 and VM-2) using the flat network and ensure they are deployed on different hosts.
  6. Test the network bandwidth between two VMs to verify the performance of VXLAN network.

Procedure

  1. Add the SDN controller to ZStack Cloud.

    On the main menu of ZStack Cloud, choose Resource Center > Network Resource > SDN Device > SDN Controller. On the SDN Controller page, click Add SDN Controller. Then, the Add SDN Controller page appears.

    On the displayed page, set the following parameters:
    • Name: Enter a name for the SDN controller.
    • Description: Optional. Enter a description.
    • Vendor: Select H3C VCFC.
    • Version: Select E2507.
    • IP Address: Enter the IP address of the SDN controller.
    • User Name: Enter the username.
    • Password: Enter the password.
    • Virtual Distributed Switch UUID: Enter the UUID of the virtual distributed switch.
      Note:
      • Configure the virtual distributed switch on the SDN controller in advance.
      • The virtual distributed switch determines an available range of VNIs for a hardware SDN type VLXAN pool.
    Figure 1. Add SDN Controller


  2. Create a Hardware-SDN VXLAN pool and attach it to a cluster.

    On the main menu of ZStack Cloud, choose Resource Center > Network Resource > L2 Network Resources > VXLAN Pool. On the VXLAN Pool page, click Create VXLAN Pool. Then, the Create VXLAN Pool page appears.

    On the displayed page, set the following parameters:
    • Zone: By default, the current zone is displayed.
    • Name: Enter a name for the VXLAN pool. The name must be 1 to 128 characters in length and can contain Chinese characters, letters, digits, spaces, hyphens (-), underscores (_), periods (.), parenthesis (), colons (:), and plus signs (+) and cannot begin or end with spaces.
    • Description: Optional. Enter a description for the VXLAN pool.
    • SDN Type: Select Hardware.
    • SDN Controller: Select an SDN controller.
      Note: You need add an SDN controller to the cloud platform in advance.
    • VNI Range: Enter the start ID and end ID of hardware-based VXLAN networks.
      Note:
      • The end ID must be equal to or greater than the start ID.
      • The VNI range of a hardware-SDN VXLAN pool varies depending on the virtual distributed switches associated with the SDN controller.
      • This parameter will not be displayed if the vendor of the selected SDN controller is HUAWEI.
    • Cluster: Optional. Attach the VXLAN pool to a cluster.
      Note: You can attach a cluster to a VXLAN pool when you create the VXLAN pool or after the VXLAN pool is created.
    • NIC: Enter a host NIC.
      Note: The host NICs in the cluster attached to the VXLAN pool must be connected with the switches managed by the SDN controller.
    Figure 2. Create Hardware-SDN VXLAN Pool


  3. Create a HardwareVxlanNetwork based on the VXLAN pool.

    On the main menu of ZStack Cloud, choose Resource Center > Network Resource > L2 Network Resources > L2 Network. On the L2 Network page, click Create L2 Network. Then, the Create L2 Network page appears.

    On the displayed page, set the following parameters:
    • Zone: The current zone is displayed.
    • Name: Enter a name for the HardwareVxlanNetwork.
    • Description: Optional. Enter a description.
    • Switch Type: Select Linux Bridge.
    • Network Type: Select HardwareVxlanNetwork.
    • VXLAN Pool: Select a VXLAN pool of the hardware SDN type.
    • VNI: Optional. Select a specified VNI in the VXLAN pool. If not specified, ZStack Cloud allocates a VNI randomly.
    Figure 3. Create HardwareVxlanNetwork


  4. Create a flat network using the HardwareVxlanNetwork.

    On the main menu of ZStack Cloud, choose Resource Center > Network Resource > L3 Network Resources > Flat Network. On the Flat Network page, click Create Flat Network. Then, the Create Flat Network page appears.

    On the displayed page, set the following parameters:
    • Name: Enter a name for the flat network.
    • Description: Optional. Enter a description.
    • L2 Network: Select the HardwareVxlanNetwork you created before.
      Note: ZStack Cloud allows you to use an L2 network to create multiple L3 networks. However, we recommend that you do not use an L2 network to create multiple L3 networks if not for specific business needs.
    • IP Address Management: Choose whether to enable the IP Address Management (IPAM) service for the L3 network. Enable IPAM here.
    • Network Address Type: Select IPv4.
    • Network Range Method: Select CIDR.
      • CIDR: Set a CIDR block for the flat network, for example, 192.168.108.1/24.
      • Gateway: Set a gateway for the flat network, for example, 192.168.108.1.
        Note:
        • We recommend that you use the first or last IP address in the specified CIDR block as the gateway.
        • If left blank, the first IP address in the specified CIDR block is used as the gateway.
      • DHCP Service: Enable the DHCP service here.
      • IP Allocation Policy: Select Random.
      • DHCP IP: Set an IP address for the DHCP server.
      • DNS：Add a DNS server to provide domain name resolution services for the flat network. You can specify 223.5.5.5, 8.8.8.8, or 114.114.114.114.
    Figure 4. Create Flat Network


  5. Create two VM instances (VM-1 and VM-2) using the flat network and ensure they are deployed on different hosts.
    Figure 5. VM-1 and VM-2


  6. Test the network bandwidth between two VMs to verify the performance of VXLAN network.
    1. Log in to VM-1 and run the iperf -s command.
    2. Log in to VM-2 and run the iperf -c 192.168.11.237 -i 1 command.
      Figure 6 shows the actual test results. In this scenario, the physical NICs are 10 Gigabit. The network bandwidth between the two VM instances approaches 10 Gigabits, demonstrating significant VXLAN network performance improvement.
      Figure 6. VM-2 Console


Create a VPC Network Using an HUAWEI SDN Controller

ZStack Cloud works with the HUAWEI SDN controller to provision services. This enables the integrated deployment of your compute and network resources.

Prerequisites

  • Supported HUAWEI SDN controller version: HUAWEI iMaster NCE-Fabric V100R023
  • Enable LLDP on both the switches and the hosts in advance.
  • Before integrating with ZStack Cloud, you must complete the physical network setup and create the basic logical network in the iMaster NCE-Fabric:
    1. Create the basic network, including creating a Fabric, a tenant, and a VPC and deploying the VPC.
    2. Create a third-party system access account.
    3. Configure the available VLAN range.
  • A single ZStack Cloud environment can only be integrated with one independent iMaster NCE-Fabric.
  • The SDN license must be added to ZStack Cloud and be in a valid state.

Procedure

  1. Log in to iMaster NCE-Fabric.
  2. Add the devices and servers on the network to iMaster NCE-Fabric.
    1. Click Network Planning and Construction > Physical Resources > Device Management > Device.
    2. Based on the actual environment, you can choose automatic discovery, registered device discovery, and discovery of third-party devices through import.
    Figure 7. Discover Devices


  3. Create a Fabric.
    1. Click Network Planning and Construction > Resource Pool > Fabric > Create.
    2. Complete the fabric network configuration and add devices.
    Figure 8. Create Fabric


  4. Create a tenant.
    1. Click Service Provisioning > Tenant > Create.
    2. Complete the basic information, authorization, and quota configuration.
    Figure 9. Create Tenant


  5. Create and deploy a VPC.
    1. Click Service Provisioning > VPC > VPC List > Create.
    2. Select the corresponding tenant information and Fabric, then complete the other VPC configuration settings.
      Figure 10. Create VPC


    3. After creation, in the VPC list, click Deploy to deploy the VPC.
      Figure 11. Deploy VPC


  6. Create a third-party system access account.
    1. Click System > Administrator > User Management.
    2. On the Default Workgroup page, select Users, then click Create.
    3. For Type, select Third-party, then complete the configuration of the other user information.
      It is recommended not to apply special restrictions in the advanced settings to prevent validation issues when ZStack Cloud calls the API interfaces.
    Figure 12. Create Third-Party User


  7. Configure the available VLAN range.
    1. Click Network Planning and Construction > Resource Pool > Global Resource.
    2. Select VLAN.
    3. Modify or add the available VLAN range.
    Figure 13. Configure Available VLAN


  8. Log in to ZStack Cloud.
  9. Add a HUAWEI SDN controller.
    1. On the main menu of ZStack Cloud, choose Resource Center > Network Resource > SDN Controller.
    2. On the SDN Controller page, click Add SDN Controller.
    3. On the Add SDN Controller page, set the following parameters:
      • Name: Enter a name for the SDN controller.
      • Description: Optional. Enter a description for the SDN controller.
      • Vendor: Select HUAWEI.
      • Version: Select iMaster NCE-Fabric V100R023
      • VLAN Range: Enter a VLAN range that matches the one configured on the Huawei SDN controller.
        Note:
        • VLAN range: 1-4094.
        • You can enter multiple VLAN ranges, with each range separated by a comma. Example: 2-100,1000-1999
      • IP Address: Enter the IP address of the SDN controller.
      • User Name: Enter the username of the SDN controller.
      • Password: Enter the password.
      Figure 14. Add HUAWEI SDN Controller


    4. Review the configuration and click OK.
  10. Create a VXLAN Pool.
    1. On the main menu of ZStack Cloud, choose Resource Center > Network Resource > VXLAN Pool.
    2. On the VXLAN Pool page, click Create VXLAN Pool.
    3. On the Create VXLAN Pool page, set the following parameters:
      • Zone: The current zone is displayed.
      • Name: Enter a name for the VXLAN pool.
      • Description: Optional. Enter a description.
      • SDN Type: Select Hardware.
      • SDN Controller: Select the HUAWEI SDN controller added in Step 8.
      • Cluster: Select the cluster to be attached.
      • NIC: Enter the NIC name of the hosts in the attached cluster.
        Note: This NIC should be connected to a switch managed by the SDN controller.
      Figure 15. Create VXLAN Pool


    4. Review the configuration and click OK.
  11. Create a HardwareVxlanNetwork L2 network.
    1. On the main menu of ZStack Cloud, choose Resource Center > Network Resource > L2 Network.
    2. On the L2 Network page, click Create L2 Network.
    3. On the Create L2 Network page, set the following parameters:
      • Zone: Displays the zone.
      • Name: Set the L2 network name.
      • Description: Optional. Enter a description.
      • Switch Type: Select Linux Bridge.
      • Network Type: Select HardwareVxlanNetwork.
      • VXLAN Pool: Select the VXLAN Pool created in Step 10.
      • Remote VPC: Select the VPC corresponding to the HUAWEI SDN tenant.
        Note: After selecting a VPC under the target SDN tenant, the L3 network resources created based on this L2 network will be automatically allocated to that tenant and isolated from other tenants.
      • VLAN ID: Enter the VLAN ID.
        Note: The VLAN ID must be within the VLAN range added on the HUAWEI SDN controller.
      Figure 16. Create HardwareVxlanNetwork L2 Network


    4. Review the configuration and click OK.
  12. Create a logical router.
    1. On the main menu of ZStack Cloud, choose Resource Center > Network Resource > SDN Controller.
    2. On the SDN Controller page, click the name of the HUAWEI SDN controller to enter its details page.
    3. On the details page, click Tenant.
    4. On the Tenant tab, click the name of the target SDN tenant.
    5. In the Tenant Info drawer, click Logical Router > Create Logical Router.
    6. In the Create Logical Router dialog, set the following parameters:
      • Name: Enter a name for the logical router.
      • Remote VPC: Specify the VPC that belongs to this tenant.
        Note: Make sure the VPC on iMaster NCE-Fabric is set to "Deployed" state. Otherwise, network configuration provisioning will fail.
      Figure 17. Create Logical Router


    7. Click OK.
  13. Create a VPC network.
    1. On the main menu of ZStack Cloud, choose Resource Center > Network Resource > VPC Network.
    2. On the VPC Network page, click Create VPC Network.
    3. On the Create VPC Network page, set the following parameters:
      • Name: Enter a name for the VPC network.
      • Description: Optional. Enter a description.
      • L2 Network: Select the L2 network created in Step 11.
      • Logical Router: Select the logical router created in Step 12.
      • Network Address Type: Select IPv4.
      • Network Range Method: Select CIDR.
      • CDIR: Enter a CIDR.
      • Gateway: Enter a gateway.
      • DHCP Service: Enabled by default and cannot be disabled.
      • IP Allocation Policy: Select Random.
      • DHCP IP: Specify an IP address used by the DHCP service.
      • DNS: Specify a DNS address.
      Figure 18. Create VPC Network


    4. Review the configuration and click OK.
  14. Create a VM instance using the VPC network.
    1. On the main menu of ZStack Cloud, choose Resource Center > Resource Pool > VM Instance.
    2. On the VM Instance page, click Create VM Instance.
    3. On the Create VM Instance page, for the Network Configuration in Resource Configuration, select the VPC network created in Step 13.
      Figure 19. Create VM Instances Using VPC Network


    4. Complete the rest VM configurations.
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SDN Tutorial | 5.5.30 | ZStack Cloud · ZCF | ZStack Resource Center