Although in recent years, Open Flow has become a popular technology to control switches in data center environments for orchestrating services, an analysis by PacketFront, an automated service deployment company claims that the much acclaimed Open Flow standard is not the best choice for networks outside the data center. PacketFront said NetConf is better for broadband networks. PacketFront concludes that the issues that Open Flow solves in the data center do not exist in the regional- or national networks that provide high-speed broadband services. The company added that centralized flow control does not scale well and creates reliability issues that are difficult and costly to overcome without adding any benefits.
PacketFront also claims that services in the network require collaboration between devices and to use device functionality that Open Flow cannot control. According to PacketFront, the analysis also shows that a data model approach, achieved with the standardized NetConf protocol gives complete control of all features in the network devices to the SDN controller. The SDN controller can then deliver automated activation, customization, and deactivation of services across one, or multiple, network devices.
Johnny Hedlund, CEO of PacketFront
With SDN, operators expect to create new services and adapt networks to changing demands from customers much faster and at a lower cost than current solutions allow. The problem is not lack of functionality in the network devices, the problem is how to get full control over every device in the service chain, and in this scenario, Open Flow is not the answer. SDN with NetConf is an evolution of what PacketFront has been doing for over a decade. We fully support the industry shift towards SDN and open standards, and our unique experience in interaction between network hardware and software to deliver services is something we are eager to share. Our new line of products include the standards, such as NetConf, that deliver full SDN support - even for the most complex services.
