OpenFlow 1.3

OpenFlow 1.3
Name	OpenFlow 1.3
Developer	Open Networking Foundation
Initial release	2012
Latest release	2012
Protocol type	Network protocol
Status	Published

OpenFlow 1.3 is a version of a programmable switch protocol developed by the Open Networking Foundation to enable separation of data plane and control plane functions in packet-switched networks used by operators such as AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, and NTT. It expanded earlier specifications produced by contributors from Stanford University, Nicira engineers associated with VMware, and researchers from California Institute of Technology and University of Cambridge. The release influenced deployments and research at institutions like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon (company).

Overview

OpenFlow 1.3 introduced key changes from predecessors that targeted high-performance environments operated by carriers such as Sprint Corporation, hyperscale providers like Google LLC, and academic testbeds at University of California, Berkeley and Carnegie Mellon University. The version aimed to support carrier-grade features referenced by standards bodies including the Internet Engineering Task Force, interoperability labs such as ETSI initiatives, and commercial vendors like Cisco Systems, Juniper Networks, and Huawei Technologies. Stakeholders from Broadcom, Intel Corporation, and Arista Networks participated in silicon and software porting, while research groups at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Princeton University published evaluations comparing OpenFlow 1.3 to earlier SDN frameworks.

Protocol Architecture and Features

The protocol architecture in 1.3 formalized message types and capabilities used by controllers such as ONOS, OpenDaylight, and Ryu to manage switches from Big Switch Networks, Cumulus Networks, and Pica8. It specified persistent connection semantics implemented by controller efforts from Google Summer of Code participants and enterprise projects sponsored by Red Hat. The feature set encompassed secure channel negotiation influenced by Transport Layer Security practices used by IETF working groups, role and capability messages informed by governance models from IETF RFCs and commercial operator guidelines from ETSI.

Match Fields and Flow Table Pipeline

OpenFlow 1.3 expanded match field semantics to include protocol headers encountered in deployments by Verizon Communications, Orange S.A., and Telefónica. The flow table pipeline supported multiple table stages leveraged by research at ETH Zurich, University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, and Delft University of Technology to implement fine-grained forwarding rules. Match fields covered tunnel encapsulations popularized by VXLAN proposals from contributors at Cisco Systems and Arista Networks, and by Geneve drafts advanced by cloud operators such as VMware and Microsoft Azure. The pipeline model enabled interaction patterns explored in studies at University of Washington and Georgia Institute of Technology comparing flow-mod semantics and table-miss behaviors used in production networks at LinkedIn and Netflix.

Metering, Group Tables, and Actions

The metering features introduced in 1.3 provided rate-limiting primitives relevant to traffic engineering practices from Level 3 Communications and CenturyLink. Group tables supported fast-failover, select, indirect, and all semantics used by vendors like Brocade Communications Systems and research projects at University College London to implement multicast and load-balancing functions. Action sets and instruction semantics allowed controllers such as Floodlight and Trema to compose packet modifications, mirroring techniques found in products by F5 Networks, and tunnel manipulations aligned with work at Broadcom and Marvell Technology Group.

Extensions and Compatibility

OpenFlow 1.3 defined extension mechanisms to accommodate vendor-specific features from Mellanox Technologies, Cavium, and NVIDIA for programmable dataplanes, and compatibility paths for switch ASICs by Barefoot Networks (later Intel acquisition). The spec influenced programmable data plane projects including P4 and initiatives at Stanford University and Princeton University exploring offloading of match-action pipelines to programmable hardware. Compatibility testing occurred in interoperability events organized by Open Networking Foundation and industry consortiums like OpenCompute Project, with testbeds at RIPE NCC and Internet2 participating in trials.

Implementations and Adoption

Implementations of OpenFlow 1.3 appeared in software switches like Open vSwitch and hardware platforms from Ciena, NEC Corporation, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Adoption was driven by orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes integrations in cloud environments run by IBM and Oracle Corporation, and by academic curricula at University of Toronto and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign teaching SDN concepts. Large-scale deployments and case studies were produced by cloud and telecom operators including BT Group, Comcast Corporation, and research networks like GLIF and ESnet documenting operational lessons and performance metrics.

Category:Network protocols