Book Image

Learning OpenStack Networking (Neutron)

By : James Denton
Book Image

Learning OpenStack Networking (Neutron)

By: James Denton

Overview of this book

OpenStack Neutron is an OpenStack component that provides networking as a service for other OpenStack services to architect networks and create virtual machines through its API. This API lets you define network connectivity in order to leverage network capabilities to cloud deployments. Through this practical book, you will build a strong foundational knowledge of Neutron, and will architect and build an OpenStack cloud using advanced networking features. We start with an introduction to OpenStack Neutron and its various components, including virtual switching, routing, FWaaS, VPNaaS, and LBaaS. You’ll also get hands-on by installing OpenStack and Neutron and its components, and use agents and plugins to orchestrate network connectivity and build a virtual switching infrastructure. Moving on, you’ll get to grips with the HA routing capabilities utilizing VRRP and distributed virtual routers in Neutron. You’ll also discover load balancing fundamentals, including the difference between nodes, pools, pool members, and virtual IPs. You’ll discover the purpose of security groups and learn how to apply the security concept to your cloud/tenant/instance. Finally, you' ll configure virtual private networks that will allow you to avoid the use of SNAT and floating IPs when connecting to remote networks.
Table of Contents (21 chapters)
Learning OpenStack Networking (Neutron) Second Edition
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Chapter 7. Creating Standalone Routers with Neutron

Neutron enables users to build routers that provide connectivity between the networks created by users and external networks. In a reference implementation, the Neutron L3 agent provides IP routing and network address translation for virtual machine instances within a cloud by utilizing network namespaces to provide isolated routing instances. By creating networks and attaching them to routers, users can expose connected virtual machine instances and their applications to the Internet and other remote networks.

Prior to the Juno release of OpenStack, users were limited to building standalone routers that acted as single points of failure in the network stack. Since the advent of distributed virtual routers in Juno and beyond, standalone routers are now referred to as legacy routers.

In previous chapters, we discovered the difference between provider and tenant networks and demonstrated the process of booting an instance and connecting it...