Diploma Chapters

Claudiu Ghioc

Title

• Providing Multiple Back Ends for LiSA Software Switch

Abstract

Contents

1. Overview of Switching and Software Switches

• a few words about networks, switches, layer 2 level;
• software switch (why do we need one, all the reasons);
• initial version of LiSA (description of old features);
• what was wrong with the old version.

2. Generic software switch architercture

• old LiSA architecture (two layers: kernel module and CLI);
• describe the idea to separate the switch on three layers (middleware);
• introduction to the new Switch API;
• changes needed to adapt the CLI;
• enumerate the possible implementation and how they would fit with the new design.

3. "bridge" and "8021q" linux kernel modules

• describe the "bridge" module with its current features (multicast, stp etc);
• describe the "8021q" module (how these modules can be configured from userspace);
• suggest a scenario using "vconfig" and "brctl" to simulate a software switch;
• pros / cons for this combination (it helps LiSA to be included in a Linux distibution,
• the kernel modules already exist, the performance is lower than other implementations etc).

4. Implementation

• general concepts to follow (one bridge per VLAN, virtual interfaces for each trunk interface);
• "bridge + 8021q" architecture
• data structures to hold the VLAN database, the lists on interfaces and other
• configurations in shared memory;
• communication with the two kernel modules;
• description of the switch API functions with this back-end.

5. Testing and Evaluation

• describe the testing architecture (the equipments involved);
• test results compared to other implementation (hardware switch, lisa.ko).

6. Conclusion and further work

• describe the functional solution obtained with this implementaion;
• this solution works on any platform which runs a current version of the linux kernel;
• it can be intergrated in a Linux distribution;
• describe possible uses of this solution and other implementations.

Appendix

• here I could describe some linux concepts such as shared memory and atomic operations witch its data structures, linux kernel lists;
• relevant pieces of code (data structures holding interface and vlan data);

References

• nu stiu sigur daca ar trebui inversate capitolele 2 si 3. Al treilea tine mai mult de teorie si ar fi mers inainte, pe cand al doilea descrie arhitectura aplicatiei. To be decided.
• titlu ar putea suferi mici modificari.

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Mihaela Martinas

Title:

• Multi – engine software switch implementation based on LiSA

Contents

1. Introduction

• why is a software switch needed
• benefits that LiSA brought

2. LiSA overview

• LiSA old implementation vs new implementation (the new api)
• Communication with the network subsystem (sockets AF_SWITCH vs RAW_SOCKETS)
• CDP and RSTP daemons
• Particularities of systems that can use LiSA (hardware switch, LibVirt etc. - brief presentation of every middleware)

3. Multi – engine switch architecture

• Integrating LiSA middleware implementations in the multi-engine switch
• Command Line Interface architecture for the multi-engine switch

4. Multi – engine implementation

• Communication with the hidden backend implementations
• Data management(shared memory, structures)

5. Testing and results

• usage of 2 independent middle-ware implementations vs using the multi-engine switch

6. Further work and Conclusion

• further work
• achieved goals

7. Appendix