SDN Controllers comparative analysis - Part I

The joke goes around that the true meaning of SDN is Still Don't Know, there are different definitions, depending on who you ask, and three different kind of approach to SDN (SDN by overlays, SDN by APIs and Open SDN). As for the former, everyone agrees that SDN is a network paradigm that separates the control plane from the data plane, the differences are on the approach, protocols and semantics. As if that wasn't confusing enough, we also have multiple SDN controllers, some open source some proprietary but there is nowhere to be found a one to one comparison for features, pros and cons... but which one is which and whose are relevant and active in 2017.
I will try to clarify some of these questions:



Some closing thoughs: 

  • OpenDaylight continues to show momentum
    • OPNFV – embedded (so is ONOS, OpenContrail)
    • Over 600 developers supporting and contributing
    • Increasing number of customer deployments worldwide (AT&T, KT, Tencent, etc)
    • Mostly datacenter-centric
  • ONOS rises to top of WAN controller heap
    • Customer deployments in SP-space for transport offerings
    • Operators (AT&T, NTT, Telefonica, etc…) are pushing for ONOS while Providers are more pro ODL
    • Increasing commercial backers – Huawei, Ciena etc
  • Not one winner – but multiple winners
    • Every ONOS partner is also ODL member
    • OpenContrail has some limited production
    • Ryu is still very active, especially in datacenter virtualization and in Japan







I will enclose a full PDF presentation for download with spreadsheets comparison. 
Location: Dallas, TX, USA

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