Native application are well suited when the application needs frequent and low latency interactions with network devices.
External applications can be developed in any language and are deployed on a platform outside the controller platform or on the same platform as the controller. External applications interact with the controller using the REST API services exported and advertised by the controller platform, and by native applications deployed on the controller. Because external applications are deployed outside the controller platform they cannot extend the REST API or GUI surface of the controller. External applications are suitable for applications that have relatively infrequent and high latency control interactions with network devices, and when deploying on a different platform is required.
1.1 Supported switches and OpenFlow compatibility
For information about supported network switches, OpenFlow versions, and switch configuration requirements, see the HP VAN SDN Controller and Applications Support Matrix.
CAUTION: OpenFlow switches in a controller domain should not be connected in a loop topology with switches outside the domain. Allowing such connections can create broadcast loops inside the OpenFlow network. For more on
NOTE: Including a switch that does not support OpenFlow in a controller domain creates two separate clusters.
1.1.1 OpenFlow requirements
The controller must be connected to a network that includes one or more switches configured to run OpenFlow. HP recommends that you plan and implement the switch OpenFlow configurations before connecting the controller to the network.
NOTE: Running the OpenFlow control mode on a specified switch VLAN disrupts the traffic on that VLAN until the controller configures the required flow rules in the switch using the OpenFlow controller API. For information on configuring OpenFlow, see the latest manual for the version of OpenFlow running on your switches.
OpenFlow switches in the network must be configured to allow control by the SDN Controller. In a controller domain, including a switch that does not support OpenFlow or allow control by the SDN Controller creates separate clusters of OpenFlow networks.
1.1.2 IPv6 traffic
IPv6 traffic running in the data plane of an OpenFlow network is supported when the controller is operating with hybrid mode set to “true” (the default). In this state the controller is not aware of the IPv6 traffic. However, with hybrid mode set to “false” (all packets sent to the controller), the controller drops IPv6 packets, and they do not reach their destinations. For more information, see the release notes.
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