Learning OpenStack Networking

Discover the basics of virtual networking in OpenStack to implement various cloud network architectures

Key Features

• Learn the difference between Open vSwitch and Linux bridge switching technologies
• Connect virtual machine instances to virtual networks, subnets, and ports
• Implement virtual load balancers, firewalls, and routers in your network

Book Description

OpenStack Networking is a pluggable, scalable, and API-driven system to manage physical and virtual networking resources in an OpenStack-based cloud. Like other core OpenStack components, OpenStack Networking can be used by administrators and users to increase the value and maximize the use of existing datacenter resources. This third edition of Learning OpenStack Networking walks you through the installation of OpenStack and provides you with a foundation that can be used to build a scalable and production-ready OpenStack cloud.

In the initial chapters, you will review the physical network requirements and architectures necessary for an OpenStack environment that provide core cloud functionality. Then, you’ll move through the installation of the new release of OpenStack using packages from the Ubuntu repository. An overview of Neutron networking foundational concepts, including networks, subnets, and ports will segue into advanced topics such as security groups, distributed virtual routers, virtual load balancers, and VLAN tagging within instances.

By the end of this book, you will have built a network infrastructure for your cloud using OpenStack Neutron.

What you will learn

• Get familiar with Neutron constructs, including agents and plugins
• Build foundational Neutron resources to provide connectivity to instances
• Work with legacy Neutron routers and troubleshoot traffic through them
• Explore high-availability routing capabilities utilizing Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP)
• Create and manage load balancers and associated components
• Manage security groups as a method of securing traffic to and from instances

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.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to OpenStack Networking
2. Installing OpenStack
3. Installing Neutron
4. Building a Virtual Switching Infrastructure Using Linux Bridges
5. Building a Virtual Switching Infrastructure using Open vSwitch
6. Building Networks with Neutron
7. Attaching Instances to Networks
8. Managing Security Groups
9. Role-Based Access Control
10. Creating Standalone Routers with Neutron
11. Router Redundancy Using VRRP
12. Distributed Virtual Routers
13. Load Balancing Traffic to Instances
14. Advanced Networking Topics

James Denton is a Principal Architect at Rackspace with over 15 years of experience in systems administration and networking. He has a bachelor's degree in Business Management with a focus on Computer Information Systems from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. He is currently focused on OpenStack operations and support within the Rackspace Private Cloud team. James is the author of the Learning OpenStack Networking (Neutron), first and second editions, as well as OpenStack Networking Essentials, both by Packt Publishing.