In today's data centers, networks are composed of more devices than ever before. Servers, switches, routers, storage systems, and security appliances that once consumed rows and rows of data center space now exist as virtual machines and virtual network appliances. These devices place a large strain on traditional network management systems, as they are unable to provide a scalable and automated approach to managing next-generation networks. Users now expect more control and flexibility of the infrastructure with quicker provisioning, all of which OpenStack promises to deliver.

This chapter will introduce many features that OpenStack Networking provides, as well as various network architectures supported by OpenStack. Some topics that will be covered include the following:

• Features of OpenStack Networking
• Physical infrastructure requirements
• Service separation