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Docker with OpenContrail

By September 20, 2014Orchestration, Uncategorized
1 Overview

OpenContrail is the infrastructure of building and managing overlay virtual networks. It’s capable of connecting Docker contrainers across multiple service nodes into one or separate virtual networks, and connecting virtual networks based on defined policies.

opencontrail-docker-figure-1
1.1 vRouter and virtual network

Vrouter is the forwarding engine of OpenContrail. It’s located in the host kernel. When a virtual network is created, a VRF is also created and associated to the virtual network. When vRouter receives packets, it determines which VRF packets will be sent to. Then vRouter looks up route in VRF, gets next-hop, and sends packets to it.

1.2 Attach container to virtual network

To attach container to virtual network,

  • create a tunnel with two veth interfaces (one end in kernel and another end in container),
  • attach veth interface in kernel to the VRF of virtual network,
  • allocate an IP address to this interface.

DHCP server is provided by vRouter. After attach container to the virtual network, running DHCP client in the container will get the allocated IP address for the veth interface.

A /32 interface route of allocated IP address is also added into the VRF. The next-hop is the veth interface in kernel.

1.3 Connect containers in the same virtual network

The interface route in each VRF will be advertised to all VRFs of the same virtual network in other servers. This is done by Contrail control component running BGP. Eventually, each VRF will have all routes of the same virtual network.

1.4 Connect virtual networks by network policy

By default, virtual networks are isolated. Routes of containers in one virtual network are not advertised to any other virtual network. To connect virtual networks, network policy has to be defined and attached to virtual networks.

Protocol, port and virtual network can be configured in the network policy to specify what traffic is allowed between which virtual networks.

1.5 Flow statistics

OpenContrail is capable of collecting flow statistics and providing REST API interface for users to query. This makes it possible for users to create a feedback loop. By monitoring the traffic, users can check policy enforcement, change container deployment based on traffic load, etc.

1.6 External/Public access

Floating IP is supported by OpenContrail to enable external/public access for containers. Gateway is required to support this feature.

2 Example

This example is based on OpenContrail 1.06 and Ubuntu 12.04.3.

2.1 Installation
2.1.1 OpenContrail

OpenContrail Installation

2.1.2 Docker
 $ sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 36A1D7869245C8950F966E92D8576A8BA88D21E9
 $ echo "deb https://get.docker.io/ubuntu docker main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list
 $ sudo apt-get update
 $ sudo apt-get install lxc-docker

Download Ubuntu image and check if it works.

$ sudo docker run -i -t ubuntu /bin/bash
2.1.3 Utility of opencontrail-netns
$ git clone https://github.com/pedro-r-marques/opencontrail-netns.git

This utility does all configurations to connect vRouter and container.

2.1.4 Utlity of config
$ git clone https://github.com/tonyliu0592/orch.git

This utility does OpenContrail configurations. Update config with correct settings.

2.2 Connect container to virtual network
Create virtual networks

Create two virtual networks, “red” and “green”, in tenant “admin”. Assume tenant “admin” is already created.

 $ cd orch
 $ ./config add ipam ipam-default
 $ ./config add network red --ipam ipam-default --subnet 192.168.10.0/24
 $ ./config add network green --ipam ipam-default --subnet 192.168.20.0/24
Create containers

Create two containers. Type CTRL-p and CTRL-q to exit container and keep it running.

 $ sudo docker run -i -t --net="none" ubuntu /bin/bash
 $ sudo docker run -i -t --net="none" ubuntu /bin/bash
Connect container to virtual network

Find out the container ID.

 $ sudo docker ps
 CONTAINER ID IMAGE COMMAND CREATED STATUS PORTS NAMES
 dccf1ec5a438 ubuntu:latest "bash" 38 minutes ago Up 38 minutes naughty_mcclintock
 0996f6040d5d ubuntu:latest "bash" 38 minutes ago Up 38 minutes sleepy_brown 

Connect one container to each virtual network respectively.

 $ sudo mkdir -p /var/run/netns
 $ cd ../opencontrail-netns/opencontrail_netns
 $ python docker.py -s  -n red --project default-domain:admin --start dccf1ec5a438
 $ python docker.py -s  -n green --project default-domain:admin --start 0996f6040d5d

Now, two containers are connected to two virtual networks respectively. Policy needs to be created and attached to two virtual networks to allow traffic flow between each other.

Connect virtual networks by network policy

Create a policy to pass all traffic and attach to two virtual networks.

 $ cd ../../orch
 $ ./config add policy policy-default
 $ ./config add network red --policy policy-default
 $ ./config add network green --policy policy-default

Login container and test connection.

 $ sudo docker attach dccf1ec5a438
 root@dccf1ec5a438:/# ip addr show veth0
 34: veth0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc pfifo_fast state UP group default qlen 1000
 link/ether 02:1a:74:99:fe:5f brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
 inet 192.168.10.253/24 brd 192.168.10.255 scope global veth0
 inet6 fe80::1a:74ff:fe99:fe5f/64 scope link
 valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
 root@dccf1ec5a438:/# ping 192.168.20.253
 PING 192.168.20.253 (192.168.20.253) 56(84) bytes of data.
 64 bytes from 192.168.20.253: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.774 ms
 64 bytes from 192.168.20.253: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.066 ms