Question

Enable an SDN controller to communicate with devices on the network data plane.

a) API
b) CLI
c) SNMP
d) OF-Config

Answer 1

Explanation: d) OF-Config

OF-Config (OpenFlow-Config) is a configuration management protocol that enables an SDN (Software-Defined Networking) controller to communicate with devices on the network data plane. OF-Config is specifically designed to configure and manage OpenFlow-enabled devices within an SDN infrastructure.

The other options are not typically used for configuring or managing the data plane devices in the context of SDN:

a) API (Application Programming Interface): While APIs can be used for communication in SDN, they are more commonly associated with controller-to-controller communication, application-to-controller communication, or higher-level interactions rather than direct data plane configuration.

b) CLI (Command Line Interface): CLI is a human-readable interface used for device configuration, but it's not a standard protocol for communication between an SDN controller and devices in the data plane.

c) SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol): SNMP is commonly used for network monitoring and management, but it is not typically employed for direct configuration of the data plane in an SDN context. It is more associated with network management tasks.

Answer 2

An SDN controller communicates with devices on the network data plane mostly through a Southbound API, such as OpenFlow, rather than CLI, SNMP, or OF-Config, which serve different purposes in network management and configuration.

Step-by-step explanation:

To enable an SDN controller to communicate with devices on the network data plane, the correct option is b) CLI (Command Line Interface).The SDN controller typically interacts with the network devices using a protocol like OpenFlow. OpenFlow allows for the direct manipulation of the forwarding plane of network devices such as switches and routers, both physical and virtual (hypervisor-based)An API (Application Programming Interface) such as the Northbound API is used by the SDN controller to communicate with applications and business logic "above" it, while an API like OpenFlow (often referred to as a Southbound API) is used to communicate "down" to the network devices.

SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is used for network management and monitoring, not for the SDN control plane to data plane communication, and OF-Config is used for managing OpenFlow configurations, not the direct control of network devices by an SDN controller.In order for an SDN controller to communicate with devices on the network data plane, the controller needs to use a protocol that allows it to send and receive messages to and from the devices. One common protocol used for this purpose is the OpenFlow protocol. OpenFlow is an open standard protocol that enables an SDN controller to communicate with network devices in the data plane by sending and receiving OpenFlow messages.These OpenFlow messages are sent over a secure connection, typically using TCP/IP, between the controller and the network devices. The controller can use these messages to control the behavior of the network devices, such as configuring their forwarding tables or managing their flow entries.To implement OpenFlow communication, an SDN controller needs to have an OpenFlow interface that allows it to send and receive OpenFlow messages. The controller can then use this interface to communicate with network devices that support OpenFlow, enabling it to control and manage the network data plane.