How to Begin Implementing a SDN Projects Using NS3

To stimulate execute of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) project in ns-3 involves has replicated SDN architecture; it contains the control and data planes, by network switches and controllers. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

Steps to Begin Implementing a SDN Projects Using NS3

Step 1: Understand SDN Concepts

1. SDN Architecture:
   • Control Plane: Centralized logic which handles the network for instance OpenFlow controllers.
   • Data Plane: The network devices such as switches and which forward the packets according to their procedures of control plane.
2. Key Components:
   • SDN Controller: It handles the network and delivers the control logic for sample POX, Ryu, ONOS.
   • OpenFlow Switches: Network switches which observe the steps from the SDN controller.
3. Use Cases:
   • Load balancing.
   • Network monitoring.
   • Traffic engineering.

Step 2: Install ns-3 and SDN Modules

1. Download ns-3:
   • Install ns-3 from the official website.
2. Enable Required Modules:
   • Setting and create the tool ns-3 by helps OpenFlow:

./waf configure –enable-modules=internet,point-to-point,openflow

./waf build

1. Verify Installation:
   • Sample validate the OpenFlow:

./waf –run openflow-switch

Step 3: Define the Project Scope

• Scenarios:
  • It replicates the SDN-enabled data center.
  • Validate the congestion engineering by flow-based routing.
  • Execute the custom SDN application for load balancing.
• Metrics:
  • It provides the metrices as latency, throughput, flow setup time, control plane overhead.

Step 4: Set Up the Network Topology

1. Create Nodes:
   • Describe the nodes for switches, hosts, and controllers:

NodeContainer switches, hosts, controller;

switches.Create(3);  // 3 OpenFlow switches

hosts.Create(4);     // 4 hosts

controller.Create(1); // 1 controller

1. Set Up Links:
   • Make use the setting like Point-to-Point links for connections:

PointToPointHelper p2p;

p2p.SetDeviceAttribute(“DataRate”, StringValue(“1Gbps”));

p2p.SetChannelAttribute(“Delay”, StringValue(“2ms”));

// Connect switches to hosts

NetDeviceContainer sw1_h1 = p2p.Install(switches.Get(0), hosts.Get(0));

NetDeviceContainer sw1_h2 = p2p.Install(switches.Get(0), hosts.Get(1));

Step 5: Configure SDN Components

1. Install OpenFlow Switches:
   • Enhance the OpenFlow capabilities for the switches:

OpenFlowSwitchHelper ofSwitchHelper;

ofSwitchHelper.Install(switches.Get(0), sw1_h1.Get(0), sw1_h2.Get(0), controller.Get(0));

1. Set Up the Controller:
   • Setting the SDN controller:

OpenFlowControllerHelper ofController;

ofController.Install(controller);

1. Install Internet Stack:
   • Download the IP stack on hosts:

InternetStackHelper internet;

internet.Install(hosts);

1. Assign IP Addresses:
   • Setting the IP addresses for hosts:

Ipv4AddressHelper ipv4;

ipv4.SetBase(“10.1.1.0”, “255.255.255.0”);

ipv4.Assign(sw1_h1);

ipv4.Assign(sw1_h2);

Step 6: Add Traffic Applications

1. Install Applications on Hosts:
   • Use TCP or UDP applications for build a congestion:

uint16_t port = 9;

OnOffHelper clientHelper(“ns3::UdpSocketFactory”, InetSocketAddress(Ipv4Address(“10.1.1.2”), port));

clientHelper.SetAttribute(“DataRate”, StringValue(“10Mbps”));

clientHelper.SetAttribute(“PacketSize”, UintegerValue(1024));

ApplicationContainer clientApp = clientHelper.Install(hosts.Get(0));

clientApp.Start(Seconds(1.0));

clientApp.Stop(Seconds(10.0));

PacketSinkHelper serverHelper(“ns3::UdpSocketFactory”, InetSocketAddress(Ipv4Address::GetAny(), port));

ApplicationContainer serverApp = serverHelper.Install(hosts.Get(1));

serverApp.Start(Seconds(0.0));

serverApp.Stop(Seconds(10.0));

1. Custom Applications:
   • Encompass Application for execute the custom SDN logic.

Step 7: Enable Tracing and Monitoring

1. Enable OpenFlow Tracing:
   • Log OpenFlow action:

ofSwitchHelper.EnableDatapathLogs(“sdn-log”);

1. FlowMonitor:
   • Track the network flows:

FlowMonitorHelper flowMonitor;

Ptr<FlowMonitor> monitor = flowMonitor.InstallAll();

1. Enable PCAP:
   • Seizure their packets:

p2p.EnablePcapAll(“sdn-project”);

Step 8: Run the Simulation

1. Schedule and Start Simulation:
   • Express the duration for replication:

Simulator::Stop(Seconds(10.0));

Simulator::Run();

Simulator::Destroy();

1. Analyze Results:
   • Use the trace logs and FlowMonitor data for analysis.

Step 9: Example: Simple SDN Simulation

Here’s a simple sample script:

#include “ns3/core-module.h”

#include “ns3/network-module.h”

#include “ns3/internet-module.h”

#include “ns3/point-to-point-module.h”

#include “ns3/openflow-module.h”

using namespace ns3;

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {

CommandLine cmd;

cmd.Parse(argc, argv);

NodeContainer switches, hosts, controller;

switches.Create(1);  // 1 OpenFlow switch

hosts.Create(2);     // 2 hosts

controller.Create(1); // 1 controller

PointToPointHelper p2p;

p2p.SetDeviceAttribute(“DataRate”, StringValue(“1Gbps”));

p2p.SetChannelAttribute(“Delay”, StringValue(“2ms”));

// Links

NetDeviceContainer sw_h1 = p2p.Install(switches.Get(0), hosts.Get(0));

NetDeviceContainer sw_h2 = p2p.Install(switches.Get(0), hosts.Get(1));

// OpenFlow Switch

OpenFlowSwitchHelper ofSwitchHelper;

ofSwitchHelper.Install(switches.Get(0), sw_h1.Get(0), sw_h2.Get(0), controller.Get(0));

// Controller

OpenFlowControllerHelper ofController;

ofController.Install(controller.Get(0));

// Internet Stack and IP Assignment

InternetStackHelper internet;

internet.Install(hosts);

Ipv4AddressHelper ipv4;

ipv4.SetBase(“10.1.1.0”, “255.255.255.0”);

ipv4.Assign(sw_h1);

ipv4.Assign(sw_h2);

// Traffic Applications

uint16_t port = 9;

OnOffHelper clientHelper(“ns3::UdpSocketFactory”, InetSocketAddress(Ipv4Address(“10.1.1.2”), port));

clientHelper.SetAttribute(“DataRate”, StringValue(“10Mbps”));

ApplicationContainer clientApp = clientHelper.Install(hosts.Get(0));

clientApp.Start(Seconds(1.0));

clientApp.Stop(Seconds(10.0));

PacketSinkHelper serverHelper(“ns3::UdpSocketFactory”, InetSocketAddress(Ipv4Address::GetAny(), port));

ApplicationContainer serverApp = serverHelper.Install(hosts.Get(1));

serverApp.Start(Seconds(0.0));

serverApp.Stop(Seconds(10.0));

Simulator::Stop(Seconds(10.0));

Simulator::Run();

Simulator::Destroy();

return 0;

}

Step 10: Extend and Customize

1. Custom SDN Applications:
   • Encompass the OpenFlow controller functionality for maintain the specific challenges such as traffic engineering.
2. Advanced Scenarios:
   • Setting for multi-controller SDN.
   • Hybrid for SDN designs.
3. Performance Analysis:
   • Examine the network performance below varying loads and failure environments.

In the conclusion, we clearly simulate the Software-Defined Networking in the network that was executed in the ns3 tool that enhances the network performance. Further guidance on this project will be included in a supplementary manual.