[RFE] Neutron API enhancement - add optional attribute to network

[Sukhdev Kapur]

Add a new "optional" attribute to network resource. This allows users/operators to optionally specify the network type, based upon the deployment use cases.

If this optional attribute is not set, the business as usual is assumed. If this attribute is set, the back-ends could use it in the packet forwarding/processing decisions.

This keeps the API backward compatible, while opening it up to accommodate more newer use cases, where operators/users/vendors can specify the type of service the network is used to deploy

[Reedip (reedip-banerjee-deactivatedaccount)]

Any suggestions, ideas, or any specific mention of what type of netwrok-types can exist of be used ? It would give us an idea about this feature

[Sukhdev Kapur (sukhdev-8)]

Some examples of the network type are:

Point-to-point networks, MPLS networks, service networks, etc...

[Boden R (boden)]

Sorry I must be missing something, but how is this different from the provider:network_type we have today [1]? Also if you have an example use case that might be nice.

[1] https://developer.openstack.org/api-ref/networking/v2/?expanded=update-network-detail,create-network-detail#provider-extended-attributes

[Armando Migliaccio (armando-migliaccio)]

I agree with Boden, I am not sure I fully understand by the existing type driver doesn't fit the use case.

[Armando Migliaccio (armando-migliaccio)]

Please provide more details.

[Sukhdev Kapur (sukhdev-8)]

@Boden, @Armando,

Per our discussion at Atlanta PTG, the provider:network_type is associated provider_net, and not the tenant networks. In other words, this attribute is supported only from the admin mode.

See here all the attributes associated with network - https://github.com/openstack/neutron-lib/blob/master/neutron_lib/api/definitions/network.py#L33

And, here to see how provider:network_type is used/specified- https://github.com/openstack/neutron-lib/blob/master/neutron_lib/api/definitions/provider_net.py#L62

Just for the fun, I tried creating a network with network_type as a tenant and it was rejected. However, when I create it as an admin, I can do it....

So, the bottom line is this only available for provider networks.

If we can make this available as a general attribute of the network, that would be great - and, that is what this RFE is all about.

As to the examples (or use cases), I provided few examples earlier, another one brought up in the Gluon meeting was MPLS/GRE - hope this answers your question.

On an orthogonal note/topic, there seems to be some confusion about the the ML2 type driver being able to specify the network type - that is really not true. ML2 type drivers specify the segmentation type for the segments or a network, and a network can have multiple segments.
For example a neutron network can have three segments like VLAN-VxLAN-VLAN.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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