ICT3051 Week 10 - SDN controller and monitor network

ICT3051 Enterprise Networking

Week-10 Laboratory Practicum 1

SDN Controller Configuration and Network Monitoring

Task

In this lab, you will have the opportunity to configure an SDN controller and monitor network traffic using OpenDaylight (ODL) controller and Wireshark. The workshop will consist of two parts: controller configuration and network monitoring.

Objectives

Understand the role and function of an SDN controller in network management

Understand how to configure flow rules in an SDN network

Understand how to use Wireshark to monitor network traffic and analyze network behavior

Part 1: Controller Configuration

Work in small groups to draw the topology, configure the controller and test their configurations by pinging hosts on the network.

The Topology:

The network consists of three switches (Switch 1, Switch 2, and Switch 3) and four hosts (Host A, Host B, Host C, and Host D).

Host A and Host B are connected to Switch 1.

Host C is connected to Switch 2.

Host D is connected to Switch 3.

Switch 1 is connected to Switch 2.

Switch 2 is connected to Switch 3.

Installation and Configuration of the ODL Controller

Download the latest stable release of ODL from the official website.

Extract the contents of the downloaded file to a directory of your choice.

Open a command prompt and navigate to the bin directory of the extracted ODL files.

Start the ODL controller by running the following command: ./karaf.

Once the controller is running, open a web browser and navigate to the ODL web interface at http://<controller_ip>:8181/index.html.

Log in using the default username and password (admin/admin) and change the password when prompted.

Adding Switches and Hosts to the Network:

In the ODL web interface, click on the "Topology" tab.

Click the "+" icon to add a new node.

Select "Switch" and enter the switch's IP address and any other required information.

Repeat steps 2-3 for each switch in the network.

Click the "+" icon again and select "Host".

Enter the host's IP address and MAC address, and select the switch to which it is connected.

Repeat steps 5-6 for each host in the network.

Configuring Flow Rules to Control Network Traffic:

In the ODL web interface, click on the "OpenFlow" tab.

Click the switch you wish to configure.

Click on the "Table" tab.

Click the "+" icon to add a new flow rule.

Enter the rule's priority, match criteria, and action.

Repeat steps 4-5 for each flow rule you wish to add.

Part 2: Network Monitoring

Students will work individually to answer the questions and present their findings in the lab report.

Sample Capture File:

The capture file contains traffic from the network topology above.

The capture should be taken while Host A was pinging Host D.

Answer the following questions:

What is the source IP address of the ping packet?

What is the destination IP address of the ping packet?

Which switch did the ping packet traverse first?

Which switch did the ping packet traverse last?

How many packets were exchanged during the ping?

Were any other hosts on the network communicating during the ping? If so, what were they communicating about?

Did any packets get dropped or rejected during the ping? If so, why?

How did the flow rules configured in the ODL controller affect the behaviour of the network during the ping?

What other types of traffic can you observe in the capture file, and how do they relate to the network topology?

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