参考：https://wiki.openstack.org/wiki/Neutron

OpenStack Networking ("Neutron")

Neutron Mission Statement

为了实现服务和相关库的按需、可扩展、无感的虚拟网络。
Source

What is Neutron?

Neutron 是 OpenStack 用来提供 "networking as a service" 网络即服务的组件。
从 Folsom 版本开始 release, Neutron 成为了OpenStack 平台的核心项目。(在 Essex版本, 还是孵化项目)。

Related projects

Python Neutron client
Neutron Admin and API documentation in OpenStack Manuals
Tempest testing project Tempest Manuals.

Why Neutron?

提供cloud租户一个API接口来构建丰富的网络拓扑，在cloud上配置告警网络策略。
- Example: 创建多层次的web应用拓扑
开放高级网络功能的创新插件（开源、闭源都有）
- Example: 使用 L2-in-L3 隧道来规避VLAN限制, 提供端到端的 QoS 质量保证, 使用监控协议 NetFlow.
让每个人都可以构建高级网络服务（开源、闭源都有）集成到Openstack tenant networks中。
- Examples: LB-aaS, VPN-aaS, firewall-aaS, IDS-aaS (没有完成), data-center-interconnect-aaS.
Horizon GUI 支持:
- Neutron L2 and L3 网络/子网的创建、删除
- 在指定Neutron network上启动VMs。
API 扩展框架:
- "provider network", 映射Neutron L2 networks 到一个特定的在物理数据中心的VLAN

Using Neutron

依照说明 Networking Guide, 或者依照安装说明 http://docs.openstack.org 来配合OpenStack Nova使用Neutron。

CodeNeutron Downloads

Neutron web services API Neutron API Guide

在devstack使用Neutron NeutronDevstack .

Plugins

这些插件当初已经包含在Neutron发行版中，并且Neutron community 同样支持:

Open vSwitch Plugin
Cisco UCS/Nexus Plugin
Cisco ASR1000 Plugin
Linux Bridge Plugin
Modular Layer 2 Plugin
Nicira Network Virtualization Platform (NVP) Plugin
Ryu OpenFlow Controller Plugin
NEC OpenFlow Plugin
Big Switch Controller Plugin
Cloudbase Hyper-V Plugin
MidoNet Plugin
Brocade Neutron Plugin Brocade Neutron Plugin
PLUMgrid Plugin
Mellanox Neutron Plugin Mellanox Neutron Plugin
Embrane Neutron Plugin
IBM SDN-VE Plugin
CPLANE NETWORKS CPLANE NETWORKS
Nuage Networks Plugin
OpenContrail OpenContrail Plugin
Lenovo Networking Lenovo Networking Plugin
Avaya Neutron Plugin Avaya Neutron Plugin

Additional plugins are available from other sources:

Cisco Systems Plugin
Extreme Networks Plugin
Ruijie Networks Plugin
Juniper Networks Neutron Plugin
Calico Neutron Plugin (docs)
BNC Plugin (docs)

Havana Release and ML2 Plugin Update

从 Havana 版本开始, openvswitch 和 linuxbridge 插件被弃用了。Modular Layer 2 (ML2) 插件替换了它们。 L2 客户端与ML2 plugin协同工作，并且继续跟已经弃用的集成插件协同功能工作。

ML2 插件体系架构 Type Drivers支持多种网络技术，Mechanism Drivers有助于访问事务模型中的网络配置。
这些驱动的详细情况 here。
长期的目标是替换所有的特定插件为标准的规则的驱动。

如下 Type Drivers 被支持:

Flat
Local
VLAN
GRE
VxLan

如下供应商的Mechanism Drivers被支持：

Huawei Switch Driver
Arista Driver
Cisco Nexus Driver
Tail-f NCS Driver

Participate

To get code, ask questions, view blueprints, etc, see: Neutron Launchpad Page

See NeutronDevelopment for some (rough) guides on how to contribute code to Neutron, including how to add your own plugin.

If you would like to participate, please send mail to the main openstack-dev list: http://lists.openstack.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/openstack-dev

You can also attend our regular IRC meetings, which start one hour after the main openstack meeting, on the same #openstack-meeting channel: http://wiki.openstack.org/Network/Meetings

Check out NeutronStarterBugs for ideas on easy bugs or starter projects you might tackle. Or just start playing with NeutronDevstack and come up with your own ideas!

Openstack - Neutron