DEAN abstracts the controller specific view of the network and provide an global view, and unified services. DEAN belongs to the control plan of standard SDN ecosystem 1> DEAN is not a controller 2> DEAN is a Unified API provider for different Controller 3> DEAN abstracts the controller details from the user/App. 4> DEAN doesn’t deal with network elements, but Controllers 5> DEAN’s goal is provide better and easier API for Network Programming 6> DEAN currently supports OpenDayLight, FloodLight and ONOS

1. Unified Controller Service
By Swarvanu Sengupta

2. Motivation behind DEAN
“Think of it as a general language or an instruction set that lets me write a
control program for the network rather than having to rewrite all of code on
each individual router,” -Scott Shenker, a Berkley
• SDN do promise a simplified and abstracted view of network as a virtual and
programmable entity.
• The concept of programmable network has many possibilities considering different
domains like Cloud Network management, NFV etc.
• To achieve the SDN goal of Network programmability the network has been
abstracted in terms of virtual entities that could be customized using basic network
services.
• Different controller has been developed to enable SDN providing the abstraction of
the network and basic services in terms of REST, RPC etc.
• For a Network Application (in SDN ecosystem) the developer needs to choose from
different controllers and add controller capability in the Application.
• It redeems the complexity of inter controller operability.

3. Controller2Controller1 ControllerN
Network1 Network2 Network3 NetworkN
Physical Network
Controller Layer
App1 App2 AppN
Application Layer
SDN Ecosystem
Controller Capability Controller Capability Controller Capability
Application
Layer needs
implement
controller
capability
Controller
layer could
include set
of different
and same
controllers
Physical
network

4. Controller2Controller1 ControllerN
Network1 Network2 Network3 NetworkN
Physical Network
Controller LayerDEAN
App1 App2 AppN
Application Layer
DEAN in SDN Ecosystem
Application
Layer
independent
of controller
capability
Controller
layer
capability is
abstracted by
the DEAN,
providing
common API
Physical
network
DEAN plugin **

5. DEAN – Facts
DEAN abstracts the controller specific view of the network and provide an global
view, and unified services.
• DEAN belongs to the control plan of standard SDN ecosystem
• DEAN is not a controller
• DEAN is a Unified API provider for different Controller
• DEAN abstracts the controller details from the user/App.
• DEAN doesn’t deal with network elements, but Controllers
• DEAN’s goal is provide better and easier API for Network Programming
• DEAN currently supports OpenDayLight, FloodLight and ONOS
DEAN plugins are needed to be implemented in some of the Controller depending
on the Feature criteria.

6. Controller Plugins
Global View Of the Network
Basic Network Service Layer
API Layer
ODL plugin ONOS plugin FloodLight plugin
Switches Links Hosts
Topology Info Host Info Flow Programmer
REST API RPC API
APPS
APPS
ControllersControllers
DEAN Architecture
Provide The REST
and RPC interface
Different services
provided by DEAN
The global view of
the combined
network
Controller plugin
provides controller
support
Plugins Controller may
include a Plugin for
specific feature

7. DEAN Developer Facts
• DEAN is developed In java.
• OSGI framework is used for modularity and extensibility
• It is based on a Producer and Consumer Design
• Provide Controller Plugin abstraction for the Features and well as APIs

8. DEAN Developer View
REST API REST API REST API
FEATURE FEATURE FEATURE
Controller Plugin Controller Plugin
API layer
Feature Layer
Plugin Layer
Implemented By
Provided By
1. A Basic Network Feature Identified and Added (i.e. FlowManager)
2. According to the Feature the Implementation of Rest API is provided
3. The feature gets Implemented by the Controller Plugin**

9. Features provided by DEAN
DEAN currently provides 4 major features:
1. Topology Info (include Switches and Links info)
It maintains a combined topology independent of controller. All Switch and links are
mapped to the physical entities. Provides API to get and manage information of
switches and Links.
1. Host info
All discovered host information across different controller. Provides API to get hosts
information.
1. Flow Programmer
Flow programmer independent API to manage flow
2. STATs manager
Statistics information.
Features that are planned:
1. Virtual (Overlay) Network Manager
2. Failover of DEAN
3. Load balancing of DEAN

10. THANKS