WB 15.15

1 Introduction

This document provides the following:

• General steps for OpenFlow configuration and administration

• OpenFlow command syntax descriptions, including show commands

• OpenFlow troubleshooting commands and debug actions

This document only covers the additional features and commands for administering OpenFlow on

certain HP switches that use software version 15.10 or later, as described below:

DescriptionRelease Version

Added OpenFlow 1.0 support for the following switches:K/KA.15.10

• HP 3500, HP 3500 yl

• HP 3800

• HP 5400 zl with v1 or v2 modules

• HP 6200 yl

• HP 6600

• HP 8200 zl with v1 and v2 modules

Added HP QoS Extensions to OpenFlowK/KA.15.11

Added OpenFlow support for the HP 2920K/KA.15.12 and WB.15.12

Added OpenFlow v1.3 supportK/KA/WB 15.14

For more information about upgrading software, see the ‘Software Management’ chapter in the

Management and Configuration Guide for your HP switch.

Conceptual overview

OpenFlow is a programmable open-standard network protocol that uses flexible matching rules to

classify and manage network traffic into flows. OpenFlow defines a set of actions that network

devices can take to manage these flows. An OpenFlow controller defines and communicates

policies to specify traffic behavior on OpenFlow switches. OpenFlow separates the control plane

(that decides how traffic must be forwarded) from the data plane (that implements how traffic is

forwarded.)

OpenFlow is based on an Ethernet switch with internal flow-tables and a standardized interface

to add and remove flow entries via an external controller.

OpenFlow is a software environment that allows for experimentation of networking protocols and

traffic flows without interrupting the operation of production network. OpenFlow traffic can be

separated from the rest of the traffic on the network per VLAN, so that non-OpenFlow traffic is not

impacted by OpenFlow.

OpenFlow implementation on HP Switches separates OpenFlow traffic and non-OpenFlow traffic

with OpenFlow instances. Traffic within an OpenFlow instance does not influence or degrade

non-OpenFlow traffic. OpenFlow configuration commands are applied per-instance.

6 Introduction