Akanda virtual router for virtual networks in Openstack

The Openstack virtual network, aka Neutron (old name Quantum) is responsible to deliver networking services for other cloud infrastructure projects. There is already quite a lot about it on the Internet and we reviewed couple of  possible deployment scenarios and use cases here (Emerging of the virtual network aka Quantum in Openstack) as well. Going further this route and discussing virtual networking opportunities it is a time to ask another question:

Does Openstack Virtual Network/Quantum/Neutron support virtual routers?

I don't have yet a very clear answer to this but found today this interesting project: https://github.com/dreamhost/akanda.

Looking at DreamHost wiki we can see that they use it to solve a problem of distributing and redirecting traffic in multi tenancy environment to secure, extend and control the networking traffic. As they claim it is being implemented with a help of virtual router, aka akanda.

http://wiki.dreamhost.com/DreamCompute_Overview

Network

Networking services for DreamCompute are delivered through OpenStack's Quantum service, coupled with Nicira's NVP (Network Virtualization Platform), and DreamHost's own Akanda project.

Nicira initiated and leads the Networking project team within the OpenStack community. Nicira's NVP, in concert with the OpenStack Quantum project, provides the ability to create private networks per tenant with high availability and network hardware independence. Nicira's NVP virtualizes the network; the software does for networks what hypervisors do for servers.

Another component to DreamCompute networking is the open source Akanda project developed by DreamHost. Akanda serves as a network traffic router (OSI Layer 3) for virtual networks created in DreamCompute. Akanda allows virtual networks to be configured to talk to each other, to LANs, to WANs or to the Internet.

The combination of OpenStack, Nicira and Akanda bring a level of network flexibility and security that sets DreamCompute apart from the competition.

Best practices on how to learn multi vendor networking hardware with a help of modern virtualization

When I read my fist book to CCNA back in at the university I didn't know much about network simulators or emulators. I learn the stuff from the books and by practicing on our uni lab. But since my recent come back to networking again I needed today something that helps me to simulate or even reproduce some network config scenarios. As I'm not interested in buying any second hand Cisco gear (or any other vendor) or renting remote labs or setting complex repros in our datacenter I have found a simple solution for me: GNS3.

I didn't have a big chance yet to play with it extensively but at the first glimpse it has a huge potential. It can boot and emulate many vendor devices like [2]:

• Cisco switches and routers
• Cisco PIX and ASA firewalls
• Vyatta firewalls
• Juniper
• Linux Open vSwitch  
• generic VM

These are some further features described on the main page [1]:

Features overview

Design of high quality and complex network topologies.
Emulation of many Cisco IOS router platforms, IPS, PIX and ASA firewalls, JunOS.
Simulation of simple Ethernet, ATM and Frame Relay switches.
Connection of the simulated network to the real world!
Packet capture using Wireshark.
 

References

1. http://www.gns3.net/
2. http://www.gns3.net/appliances/ http://www.gns3.net/hardware-emulated/
3. http://www.gns3.net/screenshots/