ietf
[Top] [All Lists]

RE: [Sdn] FW: Last Call: <draft-sin-sdnrg-sdn-approach-04.txt> (Software-Defined Networking: A Perspective From Within A Service Provider) to Informational RFC

2013-10-09 13:41:33
It is true that SDN depends on automation. 

IMHO, "Automation" is a much bigger area than SDN. 

When you look at Amazon EC2 graphic interface, you can click X number of VMs, 
and create any kind of virtual networks among them, along with a set of service 
functions to dictate inter-subnet communication. That is a "Software defined 
network". 

Linda

  

-----Original Message-----
From: George, Wes [mailto:wesley(_dot_)george(_at_)twcable(_dot_)com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 09, 2013 9:18 AM
To: Linda Dunbar; IETF Discussion
Subject: RE: [Sdn] FW: Last Call: <draft-sin-sdnrg-sdn-approach-04.txt>
(Software-Defined Networking: A Perspective From Within A Service
Provider) to Informational RFC

From: ietf-bounces(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org 
[mailto:ietf-bounces(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org] On Behalf
Of
Linda Dunbar


- We all understand the challenges of "Full Automation". However, the
SDN and Full automation are two separate angles to Carrier networks.
I
find the Section 4.1  "Implications of full automation" actually de-
rails the focus of the draft on SDN.

[WEG] I strongly disagree. First, "we all understand..." is an
overgeneralization, and a dangerous and grossly inaccurate one at that.
Lots of SDN vendors have repeatedly demonstrated to me how little they
actually understand about this problem. It's not a new problem by any
means, but there's a really significant amount of hand-waving going on
around the complexities of actually doing what they're saying is
possible through the "magic" of SDN, when few have demonstrated how the
abstract concept "SDN" actually makes solving this problem easier. The
reality is that SDN and automation are inextricably linked. The next to
last sentence in section 2.3 reinforces this, and I believe that 4.1 is
absolutely appropriate for this draft. A truly software-defined network
is an automated one, and any discussion of an operator's perspective on
SDN is going to need to consider the same challenges that have been
present in prior attempts to better automate network management,
provisioning, and control. There are two models for managing a network
like this, one that is fully automated, meaning that it is quite a lot
more complex and susceptible to "ghost in the machine" problems, the
other which has a human making most of the important decisions and then
dictating those to the network. Even the latter model requires a
significant amount of automation to execute what the human has decided
should be done.
The things covered in section 4.1 mirrors a lot of the discussion that
I have had both internally and with other operators around the
challenges of separating the hype of SDN from the actual benefit, and
in selling this model to operations folks who are skeptical of ceding
control to a set of computer logic.

Wes George

This E-mail and any of its attachments may contain Time Warner Cable
proprietary information, which is privileged, confidential, or subject
to copyright belonging to Time Warner Cable. This E-mail is intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed.
If you are not the intended recipient of this E-mail, you are hereby
notified that any dissemination, distribution, copying, or action taken
in relation to the contents of and attachments to this E-mail is
strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this E-
mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and permanently
delete the original and any copy of this E-mail and any printout.