Mininet: A Simple Virtual Testbed for OpenFlow
or
How to Squeeze a 1024-node OpenFlow Network onto your Laptop
Mininet 1.0rc0
---
Welcome to Mininet!
Mininet creates OpenFlow test networks by using process-based
virtualization and network namespaces.
Simulated hosts (as well as switches and controllers with the user
datapath) are created as processes in separate network namespaces. This
allows a complete OpenFlow network to be simulated on top of a single
Linux kernel.
Mininet may be invoked directly from the command line, and also provides a
handy Python API for creating networks of varying sizes and topologies.
Mininet is currently in *limited alpha release*. We encourage you to
experiment with it and hope that you will provide us with feedback on
features, documentation, and how you're using it. We plan to make it
available publicly via a GPL or BSD license (probably in April), but please
don't distribute the code or URLs yet! The feedback you provide will help
us improve Mininet for general release.
In order to run Mininet, you must have:
* A Linux 2.6.26 or greater kernel compiled with network namespace support
enabled (see INSTALL for additional information.)
* An OpenFlow implementation (either the reference user or kernel
space implementations, or Open vSwitch.) Appropriate kernel modules
(e.g. tun and ofdatapath for the reference kernel implementation) must
be loaded.
* Python, bash, ping, iperf, etc.
* Root privileges (required for network device access)
Currently Mininet includes:
- A simple node infrastructure (Host, Switch, Controller classes) for
creating virtual OpenFlow networks
- A simple network infrastructure (Mininet class) supporting parametrized
topologies (Topo subclasses.) For example, a tree network may be created
with the command
# mn --topo tree,depth=2,fanout=3
- Basic tests, including connectivity (ping) and bandwidth (iperf)
- A command-line interface (CLI class) which provides useful
diagnostic commands, as well as the ability to send a command to a
node. For example,
mininet> h11 ifconfig -a
tells host h11 to run the command 'ifconfig -a'
- A 'cleanup' command to get rid of junk (interfaces, processes, files in
/tmp, etc.) which might be left around by Mininet or Linux. Try this if
things stop working!
# mn -c
- Examples (in the examples/ directory) to help you get started.
Batteries are not included (yet!)
However, some preliminary installation notes are included in the INSTALL
file.
Additionally, much useful information is available on the Mininet wiki:
http://www.openflowswitch.org/foswiki/bin/view/OpenFlow/Mininet
Enjoy, and good luck!
---
Bob Lantz
rlantz@cs.stanford.edu