Everyone is talking about Software-Defined Networking (SDN) these days. It is often referred to as a technology revolution that was much needed for computer networks, especially in the cloud and virtualization world which tends to have a rapid provisioning of network services for virtual machines, multi tenancy support, and improved network visibility. The core concept of SDN is to decouple the control plane from the forwarding plane and enable innovation through network programmability. In this chapter we will be covering the SDN approach in KVM virtualization using the Open vSwitch and supporting tools that includes OpenDaylight SDN controller. You will learn about:
OpenvSwitch installation and setup
Creating VLANs for KVM virtual machines
Applying granular traffic and policy control to KVM VMs
Creating overlay networks
Port mirroring and SPAN
Managing OpenvSwitch using the OpenDaylight SDN Controller