Glossary¶
- Network Datapath Orchestration
- Continuous adjustment of network forwarding behavior in unison with upper layer flux
- Ephemeral Network Function (ENF)
- Usually a short-lived network task that steers or modifies packets thereby implementing a particular communication role. Both the preparation and the execution of the datapath action set, which produces the network forwarding behavior, comprise the ENF.
- Network Microservice
- The combined behavior of one or more ENFs realizing a communication pattern
- Network Microservice Orchestrator (NMO)
- A vertically distributed, highly-available system that arranges and coordinates automated tasks resulting in network microservice establishment, maintenance, and termination. May scale out as demand requires.
- Network Microservice Processor (NMP)
- Functional block responsible for ENF action set preparation at the switch; paired with switch datapath, which provides ENF action set execution
- Network Microservice Agent (NMA)
- Functional block responsible for ENF endpoint management at the host; controls host datapath in Linux kernel
- Network Microservice SDK
- Toolset for creating microcode to implement network microservices in either Java- or Python-like syntax
- Domain
- Domain is a collection of Users, Resources, and Contracts. The visibility of a set of Users, Resources, and Contracts are limited by the domain boundaries. Domain serves as a logical division between different portions of the system.
- User
- User is an entity that receives access to the resources that are isolated in the domain. There are two types of users: admin users and resource users. Admin user is an Orchestrator’s northbound API entity for administrator or external system. Resource user is an Orchestrator’s southbound API entity for switch or host.
- Template
- Generic implementation of a communication pattern comprised of ENFs; also, Network Microservice Template
- Resource
- Either switch datapath or host datapath; used interchangeably with node;
- Contract
- Customized implementation of a communication pattern comprised of ENFs; also, Network Microservice Instance or topic
- Flow
- Series of packets with a common set of identifiers e.g., host, contract and flow label
- Northbound API
- Orchestrator’s externally-facing API for management by service orchestrator
- Southbound API
- Orchestrator’s internally-facing API for host and switch operation
- Agent API
- Optional API to business logic running on host for more granular control over datapath