Book Image

OpenStack Networking Essentials

By : James Denton, Derek Chamorro
Book Image

OpenStack Networking Essentials

By: James Denton, Derek Chamorro

Overview of this book

The OpenStack Networking API offers users the ability to create and manage both basic and complex network architectures that blend the virtual and physical network infrastructure. This book kicks off by describing various components of Openstack Neutron and installing Ubuntu OpenStack based on Canonical's process. Further on, you will use various methods to interface with Neutron to create and manage network resources. You will also get to grips with the relationship between ports, networks, and subnets through diagrams and explanations, and see how the logical components are implemented via plugins and agents. Moving forward, you will learn how virtual switches are implemented and how to build Neutron routers. You will also configure networks, subnets, and routers to provide connectivity to instances using simple examples. At the end, you will configure and manage security groups, and will observe how these rules translate to iptables rules on the host machines. By the end of the book, you will be able to build basic network architectures using Neutron networks and routers in no time.
Table of Contents (15 chapters)
OpenStack Networking Essentials
Credits
About the Author
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Chapter 3. Neutron API Basics

Neutron is a virtual networking service that allows users to define network connectivity and IP addressing for instances and other cloud resources using an application programmable interface (API). The Neutron API is made up of core elements that define basic network architectures and extensions that extend base functionality. Neutron accomplishes this by virtue of its data model, which consists of networks, subnets, and ports. These objects help define the characteristics of the network in an easily storable format. These core elements are used to build a logical network data model using information that corresponds to layer 1 through 3 of the OSI model, shown here:

Note

For more information on the OSI model, check out the Wikipedia article at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSI_model.

Neutron uses plugins and drivers to identify network features and construct the virtual network infrastructure based on information stored in the database. A core plugin, such as...