SONiC: Software for Open Networking in the Cloud

Lihua Yuan
Microsoft Azure Network Team
for
the SONiC Community
Application & Management
SONiC Community @ OCP Mar 2018

SONiC [Software For Open Networking in the Cloud]

Switch Platform

SAI [Switch Abstraction Interface]

Silicon/ASIC
Microsoft Cloud Network - 15 Billion Dollar Bet
 SONiC Is Powering Microsoft Cloud At Scale

Tier 3 - Regional Spine T3-1 T3-2 T3-3 T3-4

… … …
Tier 2 - Spine T2-1-1 T2-1-2 T2-1-8 T2-4-1 T2-4-2 T2-4-4

… … …
Tier 1 – Row Leaf T1-1
SONIC T1-2
SONIC T1-7
SONIC T1-8
SONIC
T1-1
SONIC T1-2
SONIC T1-7
SONIC T1-8
SONIC T1-1
SONIC T1-2
SONIC T1-7
SONIC T1-8
SONIC

… … …
Tier 0 - Rack T0-1
SONIC T0-2
SONIC T0-20
SONIC T0-1
SONIC T0-2
SONIC T0-20
SONIC T0-1
SONIC T0-2
SONIC T0-20
SONIC

Servers Servers Servers

 Goals of SONiC

Faster Reduce
Technology Operational
Evolution Burden

Disaggregation
with
SONiC

Open &
Choices of Vendors &
Modular
Platforms
Software
SONiC: Software for Open Networking in the Cloud
• Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI)
• Cross-ASIC portability

• Modular Design with Switch State Service (SwSS)

• Decoupling software components
• Consistent application development model

• Containerization of SONiC
• Serviceability
• Cross-platform portability

• SONiC Operational Scenarios

• Hitless upgrade
• Network emulation with CrystalNet
 Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI)

Network Applications
Network Applications Simple, consistent, and
Network Applications stable network
application stack
Hello

Switch Abstraction Interface Helps consume the

underlying complex,
heterogeneous hardware
Hola easily and faster
‫مرحبا‬ 你好 नम Bonjour
Aloha
स्ते
Switch Abstraction Interface

• CRUD operation over extensible

Entity/Attribute/Value data model

• Reference data-plane behavior model

supports various devices

• Significant feature/partner growth since

announcement in 2015
• https://github.com/opencomputeproject/SAI
 SAI Function Calls & Pipelines in SONiC

• Register SAI APIs to achieve specific functions and control logging separately
• Construct the right order to execute SAI function calls
• Refer to SAI Pipelines to create the right packet action flow

create_router_interface create_next_hop create_router_interface

get_switch_attribute get_switch_attribute
create_route create_neighbor
create_host_interface create_host_interface

Next
Port RIF Route Neigh RIF Port
Hop
SONiC: Software for Open Networking in the Cloud
• Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI)
• Cross-ASIC portability

• Modular Design with Switch State Service (SwSS)

• Decoupling software components
• Consistent application development model

• Containerization of SONiC
• Serviceability
• Cross-platform portability

• SONiC Operational Scenarios

• Hitless upgrade
• Network emulation with CrystalNet
 SONiC High Level Architecture
Linux
Network Applications

Object Library

Switch State Service

User Space

SAI

ASIC SDK
Kernel

PAL - sysfs netdev

ASIC PCI driver
HW Peripheral Network
drivers device drivers

Various
OCP
Chassis Switch Hardware
Supplier

ASIC Supplier Fan/Power/LED Transceiver ASIC

Linux
 Switch State Service (SwSS)
Network
SAI DB: persist SAI objects Applications

App DB: persist App objects

DB backend: redis with object library APP

SyncD: sync SAI objects between software and

DB

Object Library w/
Redis Backend
hardware Orchestration Agent
Orchestration Agent: translation between apps and
SAI objects, resolution of dependency and conflict SAI DB

Key Goal: Evolve components independently SyncD

SAI

ASIC
How SAI Objects are Stored in SAI Database
• APP DB:
• Application oriented SAI DB
• Human readable
• SAI DB:
• SAI oriented
• Query-able and machine parse-able KEY SAI_OBJECT_TYPE:SAI_OBJECT_ID
• Snapshot of the current SAI state SAI_OBJECT_ATTR VALUE

• APIs:
SAI_OBJECT_ATTR VALUE
SAI_OBJECT_ATTRSAI DB
VALUE
• sai_create_api SAI_OBJECT_TYPE_NEXT_HOP:00000001
• sai_set_api SAI_NEXT_HOP_ATTR_IP 10.0.0.1
• sai_get_api* SAI_NEXT_HOP_ATTR_TYPE SAI_NEXT_HOP_IP

• sai_remove_api
*Used only when querying ASIC settings and configurations

13
 How Routing Works in SONiC
BGP BGPd Zebra fpmsyncd
Neighbor

APP
DB

Orchestration Agent

SAI Redis SAI DB

socket

Host Intf SyncD

netdev

ASIC SAI Route

Transceivers
 How LAG Works in SONiC
LACP
teamD teamsyncd
Neighbor

APP
DB

Orchestration Agent
socket

teamD
SAI Redis SAI DB
netdev
Host Intf
netdev
SyncD

ASIC SAI lag

Transceivers
 SONiC Containerization
• TEAMD
LLDP SNMP BGP
• LLDP
DHCP TEAMD
• BGP: Quagga or FRR
• SNMP: Net-SNMP + SNMP subagent
SYNCD SWSS Database • DHCP Relay: isc dhcp
• Platform: sensors
Utility Platform • SWSS: switch state service
• DB: Redis
SONiC Base Image
• Syncd: sairedis + syncd agent
 SONiC Containerization

Container Strength SONiC Benefits

• Clean isolation • Serviceability
• Easy deployment • Extensibility
• Transactional • Development agility
• Run universal • Cross-platform
 SONiC Containerization
Quagga
• Components developed in
Routing different environments
LLDP SNMP FRR
• Source code may not be
DHCP TEAMD available
GoBGP
Databa
SYNCD SWSS
se
Arista • Enables choices on a per-
Utility Platform BGP component basis

SONiC Base Image

 Hitless Upgrade Through Docker

• Cloud users demand

zero-down time, but SPINE SPINE …… SPINE

1 2 1
• Security patches, bug LEAF 6 Server:
SONiC SWARM
fixes need to be rolled
out in hours 1 2 1
6

• New features need to be TOR TOR …… TOR

rolled out in days

Before they fly the space shuttle ….
They practice all activities and test all equipment extensively in a high-fidelity simulators
 CrystalNet:
A high-fidelity, cloud-scale network emulator

SONiC Container
Soft Switch

25
 Open Invitation

• Inviting contributions in all areas

• New ideas on white/open network devices
• New features, applications and tools
• Download it, Test, Deploy!

Website: https://azure.github.io/SONiC/
Mailing list: sonicproject@googlegroups.com
GitHub: https://github.com/Azure/SONiC
Wiki: https://github.com/Azure/SONiC/wiki/