Implementing a custom network layout in an OpenStack environment can be achieved by acquiring the usage of plugins within the Neutron architecture. It is important to differentiate between two types of plugins in Neutron as follows:
- Core plugins: These enable layer 2 connectivity, IP addressing management, and orchestration of the logical elements of a virtual network, including networks, ports, and subnets.
- Service plugins: These enable a higher implementation of network services at layer 3 including routings, load balancing, firewalling, and VPN services.
By exploiting the plugin-based architecture design of Neutron, a cloud administrator can go beyond basic network implementations and extend its layout to support additional network functionalities.
Before diving into this exercise, let's have a look at the current state of art of the new Neutron...