Faucet on HPE-Aruba Switches

Introduction

All the Aruba’s v3 generation of wired switches support the FAUCET pipeline. These switches include:

The FAUCET pipeline is only supported from 16.03 release of the firmware onwards. HPE Aruba recommends use of the latest available firmware, which can be downloaded from HPE Support.

For any queries, please post your question on HPE’s SDN forum.

Setup

System & Network Requirements

  • NOTE: Do not configure IPv6 management of the switch! This will cause IPv6 under OpenFlow control to break.

  • Use Serial Console cable to login to the box.

  • Use minicom for serial terminal @ 115Kbps. Minicom is available on Linux and MacOS (macports) systems.

  • Connected Port 1 of Switch to Top of the Rack (TOR) switch which had DHCP and DNS enabled. Mac Address was programmed into DNS/DHCP Server so that IP address of 10.20.5.11 was provided to this box.

  • Need a TFTP Server on the network with write access so that we can store system software for upgrade and also certificates. The switch can copy files from a TFTP Server.

Tip

How to clear the password settings

Simultaneously press “Reset” and “Clear” buttons using a paper clip. Release “Reset” button only first. Once the orange power light comes up (after ~5 seconds), release the “Clear” button.

Switch

Chassis configuration

Skip this step if you have a fixed configuration system (2930 or 3810). On a chassis system with insertable cards (5400R) new cards are configured to work in a backwards-compatible way (with reduced functionality) unless older cards are disabled in the chassis. To disable older (V2) cards and enable all functionality necessary to operate FAUCET, put the chassis into a mode where only V3 cards are allowed.

  • Chassis system (5400R)

// Disable backwards compatibility, enable full Openflow flexibility
switch (config)# no allow-v2-modules

VLAN/PORT configuration

To ensure any port/vlan configuration specified in the faucet.yaml file works, one needs to pre-configure all vlans on the switch. Every dataplane port on the switch is made a tagged member of every vlan. This permits FAUCET to perform flow matching and packet-out on any port/vlan combination. The control-plane port (either OOBM or a front-panel port) is kept separate, so that FAUCET does not attempt to modify the control-plane port state.

  • Using OOBM control-plane (3810, 5400R)

// Increase the maximum number of allowed VLANs on the box and save the configuration.
switch (config)# max-vlans 4094
switch (config)# write mem

// Reboot the box for the new max-vlan configuration to take affect.
switch (config)# boot system

// Configure the control-plane IP address
switch (config)# oobm ip address 20.0.0.1/24

// Create maximum number of VLANs and tag every dataplane port available to each vlan. Takes up to 30 minutes.
switch (config)# vlan 2-4094 tagged all
  • Using VLAN control-plane (2930)

// Increase the maximum number of allowed VLANs on the box and save the configuration.
switch (config)# max-vlans 2048
switch (config)# write mem

// Reboot the box for the new max-vlan configuration to take affect.
switch (config)# boot system

// If you have mixed both management and control-plane vlan to a single port (port 1)
switch (config)# vlan 2048 untagged 1

// Alternatively, you can have a separate port for control plane traffic
// Create a control-plane vlan and add a single control-plane port (port 48)
switch (config)# vlan 2048 untagged 48

// Configure the control-plane IP address
// May Not be needed if you have port 1 set to DHCP/Bootp/DNS IP address of 10.20.5.11
switch (config)# vlan 2048 ip address 10.20.5.11/16

// Alternatively, to configure only the control-plane IP address
switch (config)# vlan 2048 ip address 20.0.0.1/24

// Create maximum number of VLANs and tag every dataplane port available to each vlan,
// except for the control-plane vlan (above). Note that the command below assumes it
// is run on a 52-port switch, with port 48 as the control-plane. Takes up to 20 minutes.
switch (config)# vlan 2-2047 tagged 1-47,49-52

// Configure DNS.  Here DNS is set to a local LAN DNS server
switch (config)# ip dns server-address priority 1 10.20.0.1

OpenFlow configuration

Aruba switches reference a controller by ID, so first configure the controllers which will be used. The controller-interface matches the control-plane configuration above.

  • Using OOBM control-plane (3810, 5400R)

// Enter OpenFlow context
switch (config)# openflow

// Configure an OpenFlow controller connection for FAUCET over tcp-port 6653
switch(openflow)# controller-id 1 ip 20.0.0.2 port 6653 controller-interface oobm

// Faucet Controller name can be FQDN
switch(openflow)# controller-id 1 hostname controller-1.tenant1.tenants.servicefractal.com port 6653 controller-interface oobm

// Configure an OpenFlow controller connection for Gauge over tcp-port 6654
switch(openflow)# controller-id 2 ip 20.0.0.2 port 6654 controller-interface oobm

// Gauge Controller name can be FQDN
switch(openflow)# controller-id 2 hostname controller-1.tenant1.tenants.servicefractal.com port 6654 controller-interface oobm
  • Using VLAN control-plane (2930)

// Enter OpenFlow context
switch (config)# openflow

// Configure an OpenFlow controller connection for FAUCET over tcp-port 6653
switch(openflow)# controller-id 1 ip 20.0.0.2 port 6653 controller-interface vlan 2048

// Faucet Controller name can be FQDN
switch(openflow)# controller-id 1 hostname controller-1.tenant1.tenants.servicefractal.com port 6653 controller-interface vlan 2048

// Configure an OpenFlow controller connection for Gauge over tcp-port 6654
switch(openflow)# controller-id 2 ip 20.0.0.2 port 6654 controller-interface vlan 2048

// Gauge Controller name can be FQDN
switch(openflow)# controller-id 2 hostname controller-1.tenant1.tenants.servicefractal.com port 6654 controller-interface vlan 2048

Aruba switches support two OpenFlow instance types:

  • Aggregate - Every VLAN on the switch apart from the controller/management VLANs are OpenFlow managed.

  • Virtualization - A set of VLANs configured as members are OpenFlow managed.

Since FAUCET is designed for a pure OpenFlow environment, we choose the “aggregate” instance type.

// Enter the OpenFlow instance context
switch(openflow)# instance aggregate

// Associate the controllers to the instance
switch(of-inst-aggregate)# controller-id 1
switch(of-inst-aggregate)# controller-id 2

// Associate the controllers in secure mode to the instance
switch(of-inst-aggregate)# controller-id 1 secure
switch(of-inst-aggregate)# controller-id 2 secure


// Configure the OpenFlow version to be 1.3
switch(of-inst-aggregate)# version 1.3 only

// Configure the pipeline model type of the instance. It is a must to set it to custom.
switch(of-inst-aggregate)# pipeline-model custom

// Configure the payload in the packet-ins message to be sent in its original form.
switch(of-inst-aggregate)# packet-in vlan-tagging input-form

// Ensure the switch re-attempts an OpenFlow connection at least once
// every 10 seconds when connection is dropped/inactive.
switch(of-inst-aggregate)# max-backoff-interval 10

// Allow OpenFlow to override some protocols which are otherwise excluded from OpenFlow processing in switch CPU.
switch(of-inst-aggregate)# override-protocol all
WARNING: Overriding the protocol can also potentially lead to control packets
         of the protocol to bypass any of the security policies like ACL(s).
Continue (y/n)? y

// Enable the instance
switch(of-inst-aggregate)# enable
switch(of-inst-aggregate)# exit

// Enable OpenFlow globally
switch(openflow)# enable
switch(openflow)# exit

// To save the Configuration
switch# save
switch# write mem

// Show running Configuration
switch# show running-config

// Check the OpenFlow instance configuration (includes Datapath ID associated)
switch# show openflow instance aggregate
...

// Easier way to get the Datapath ID associated with the OpenFlow instance
switch# show openflow instance aggregate | include Datapath ID
                Datapath ID                   : 00013863bbc41800

At this point, OpenFlow is enabled and running on the switch. If the FAUCET controller is running and has connected to the switch successfully, you should see the FAUCET pipeline programmed on the switch.

switch# show openflow instance aggregate flow-table

 OpenFlow Instance Flow Table Information

 Table                       Flow     Miss
 ID    Table Name            Count    Count         Goto Table
 ----- --------------------- -------- ------------- -------------
 0     Port ACL              5        0             1, 2, 3, 4...
 1     VLAN                  10       0             2, 3, 4, 5...
 2     VLAN ACL              1        0             3, 4, 5, 6...
 3     Ethernet Source       2        0             4, 5, 6, 7, 8
 4     IPv4 FIB              1        0             5, 6, 7, 8
 5     IPv6 FIB              1        0             6, 7, 8
 6     VIP                   1        0             7, 8
 7     Ethernet Destination  2        0             8
 8     Flood                 21       0             *


 Table
 ID    Table Name            Available Free Flow Count
 ----- --------------------- ------------------------------
 0     Port ACL              Ports 1-52          : 46
 1     VLAN                  Ports 1-52          : 91
 2     VLAN ACL              Ports 1-52          : 50
 3     Ethernet Source       Ports 1-52          : 99
 4     IPv4 FIB              Ports 1-52          : 100
 5     IPv6 FIB              Ports 1-52          : 100
 6     VIP                   Ports 1-52          : 20
 7     Ethernet Destination  Ports 1-52          : 99
 8     Flood                 Ports 1-52          : 280

 * Denotes that the pipeline could end here.

switch# show openflow instance aggregate
                Configured OF Version         : 1.3 only
                Negotiated OF Version         : 1.3
                Instance Name                 : aggregate
                Data-path Description         : aggregate
                Administrator Status          : Enabled
                Member List                   : VLAN 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12,
                ............
                ..............

                Controller Id Connection Status Connection State Secure Role
                ------------- ----------------- ---------------- ------ ------
                1             Connected         Active           Yes    Equal
                2             Connected         Active           Yes    Equal

// To just get openflow controllers
switch (openflow)# show openflow controllers

                Controller Information

                Controller Id IP Address        Hostname          Port   Interface
                ------------- ----------------- ----------------- ------ --------------
                1             0.0.0.0           controller-1.t... 6653   VLAN 2048
                2             0.0.0.0           controller-1.t... 6654   VLAN 2048


// Copy Running Config to a TFTP Server
// (first enable TFTP client)
switch (config)# tftp client

PKI Setup on switch

Note

Root certificate container supports only one root certificate not a chain. So, install the one that the CSR (Certificate Signing Request) is signed with.

switch# show crypto pki application

        Certificate Extension Validation :

        Application      SAN/CN
        ---------------- ------------
        openflow         Disabled
        syslog           Disabled

// Here, we create Service Fractal CA profile
switch (config)# crypto pki ta-profile SERVICEFRACTAL_CA

// Copy the root certificate for the SERVICEFRACTAL_CA from a tftp server
switch#  copy tftp ta-certificate SERVICEFRACTAL_CA 10.10.22.15 tenant1.tenants.servicefractal.com.cert.pem

switch# show crypto pki ta-profile SERVICEFRACTAL_CA
        Profile Name    Profile Status                 CRL Configured  OCSP Configured
        --------------- ------------------------------ --------------- ---------------
        SERVICEFRACTAL_CA 1 certificate installed         No              No

        Trust Anchor:
        Version: 3 (0x2)
        Serial Number: 4096 (0x1000)
        Signature Algorithm: sha256withRSAEncryption
        ...
        ......

        // Now we are ready to create a CSR so that a switch identity certificate that is accepted by the controller can be setup.

switch (config)# crypto pki identity-profile hpe_sf_switch1 subject common-name myswitch.tenant1.tenants.servicefractal.com org ServiceFractal org-unit vendor-test locality MyCity state CA country US

switch (config)# show crypto pki identity-profile
        Switch Identity:
          ID Profile Name    : hpe_sf_switch1
          Common Name (CN) : myswitch.tenant1.tenants.servicefractal.com
        Org Unit (OU)    : vendor-test
        Org Name (O)     : ServiceFractal
        Locality (L)     : MyCity
        State (ST)       : CA
        Country (C)      : US

// Generate CSR
switch (config)# crypto pki create-csr certificate-name hpeswt_switch1_crt ta-profile SERVICEFRACTAL_CA usage openflow

// Copy the printed CSR request and send it to "SERVICEFRACTAL_CA"

switch (config)# show crypto pki local-certificate summary
        Name                 Usage         Expiration     Parent / Profile
        -------------------- ------------- -------------- --------------------
        hpeswt_switch1_crt   Openflow      CSR            SERVICEFRACTAL_CA

// Once the signed certificate is received, copy the same to switch.
switch (config)# copy tftp local-certificate 10.10.22.15 myswitch.tenant1.tenants.servicefractal.com.cert.pem
        000M Transfer is successful

switch (config)# show crypto pki local-certificate summary
        Name                 Usage         Expiration     Parent / Profile
        -------------------- ------------- -------------- --------------------
        hpeswt_switch1_crt   Openflow      2019/01/02     SERVICEFRACTAL_CA

Faucet

On the FAUCET configuration file (/etc/faucet/faucet.yaml), add the datapath of the switch you wish to be managed by FAUCET. The device type (hardware) should be set to Aruba in the configuration file.

/etc/faucet/faucet.yaml
      dps:
          aruba-3810:
              dp_id: 0x00013863bbc41800
              hardware: "Aruba"
              interfaces:
                  1:
                      native_vlan: 100
                      name: "port1"
                  2:
                      native_vlan: 100
                      name: "port2"

Limitations

  • Aruba switches currently does not support all the IPv6 related functionality inside FAUCET

  • Aruba switches currently does not support the OFPAT_DEC_NW_TTL action (so when routing, TTL will not be decremented).

Debug

If you encounter a failure or unexpected behavior, it may help to enable debug output on Aruba switches. Debug output displays information about what OpenFlow is doing on the switch at message-level granularity.

switch# debug openflow
switch# debug destination session
switch# show debug

 Debug Logging

  Source IP Selection: Outgoing Interface
  Origin identifier: Outgoing Interface IP
  Destination:
   Session

  Enabled debug types:
   openflow
   openflow packets
   openflow events
   openflow errors
   openflow packets tx
   openflow packets rx
   openflow packets tx pkt_in
   openflow packets rx pkt_out
   openflow packets rx flow_mod