Learning OpenStack Networking (Neutron), 2nd Edition

Wield the power of OpenStack Neutron networking to bring network infrastructure and capabilities to your cloud

About This Book

• This completely up-to-date edition will show you how to deploy a cloud on OpenStack using community-driven processes. It includes rich examples that will help you understand complex networking topics with ease
• Understand every aspect of designing, creating, customizing, and maintaining the core network foundation of an OpenStack cloud using OpenStack Neutron all in one book
• Written by best-selling author James Denton, who has more than 15 years of experience in system administration and networking. James has experience of deploying, operating, and maintaining OpenStack clouds and has worked with top enterprises and organizations

Who This Book Is For

If you are an OpenStack-based cloud operator and administrator who is new to Neutron networking and wants to build your very own OpenStack cloud, then this book is for you.

Prior networking experience and a physical server and network infrastructure is recommended to follow along with concepts demonstrated in the book.

What You Will Learn

• Architect and install the latest release of OpenStack on Ubuntu Linux 14.04 LTS
• Review the components of OpenStack networking, including plugins, agents, and services, and learn how they work together to coordinate network operations
• Build a virtual switching infrastructure using reference architectures based on ML2 + Open vSwitch or ML2 + LinuxBridge
• Create networks, subnets, and routers that connect virtual machine instances to the network
• Deploy highly available routers using DVR or VRRP-based methods
• Scale your application with haproxy and Load Balancing as-a-Service
• Implement port and router-level security using Security Groups and Firewall as-a-Service
• Provide connectivity to tenant networks with Virtual Private Networking as-a-Service (VPNaaS)
• Find out how to manage OpenStack networking resources using CLI and GUI-driven methods

In Detail

OpenStack Neutron is an OpenStack component that provides networking as a service for other OpenStack services to architect networks and create virtual machines through its API. This API lets you define network connectivity in order to leverage network capabilities to cloud deployments.

Through this practical book, you will build a strong foundational knowledge of Neutron, and will architect and build an OpenStack cloud using advanced networking features.

We start with an introduction to OpenStack Neutron and its various components, including virtual switching, routing, FWaaS, VPNaaS, and LBaaS. You’ll also get hands-on by installing OpenStack and Neutron and its components, and use agents and plugins to orchestrate network connectivity and build a virtual switching infrastructure.

Moving on, you’ll get to grips with the HA routing capabilities utilizing VRRP and distributed virtual routers in Neutron. You’ll also discover load balancing fundamentals, including the difference between nodes, pools, pool members, and virtual IPs. You’ll discover the purpose of security groups and learn how to apply the security concept to your cloud/tenant/instance.

Finally, you’ll configure virtual private networks that will allow you to avoid the use of SNAT and floating IPs when connecting to remote networks.

Style and approach

This easy-to-follow guide on networking in OpenStack follows a step-by-step process to installing OpenStack and configuring the base networking components. Each major networking component has a dedicated chapter that will build on your experience gained from prior chapters.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Preparing the Network for OpenStack
Chapter 2: Installing OpenStack
Chapter 3: Installing Neutron
Chapter 4: Building a Virtual Switching Infrastructure
Chapter 5: Creating Networks with Neutron
Chapter 6: Managing Security Groups
Chapter 7: Creating Standalone Routers with Neutron
Chapter 8: Router Redundancy Using VRRP
Chapter 9: Distributed Virtual Routers
Chapter 10: Load Balancing Traffic to Instances
Chapter 11: Firewall as a Service
Chapter 12: Virtual Private Network as a Service
Appendix A: Additional Neutron Commands
Appendix B: Virtualizing the Environment