Neutron is an OpenStack project to provide NaaS among interface devices (known as virtual NICs) managed by other OpenStack services (nova). Starting with the Folsom release of OpenStack, Neutron is a core and supported part of the OpenStack framework. In this chapter, the key building blocks of OpenStack, including the Neutron networking component and the backend plugins (specifically the Floodlight plugin), were introduced. The Neutron API includes support for L2 networking and IP Address Management (IPAM). An API Extensibility platform, including extensions for the provider network, which maps Neutron L2 networks to a specific VLAN in the physical data center and the network L3 routers supports a simple L3 router construct to route between L2 networks. It also provides a gateway to external networks with support for floating IP addresses.
In the next chapter, we'll look at a selection of key open source projects around SDN and OpenFlow.