On 4 November 2013, the 4th Open Networking Foundation (ONF) PlugFest was held in the Spirent Proof Concept (SPOC) Labs in California. As one of the most influential SDN testing activities, the ONF PlugFest attracted over ten ONF member companies and SDN device manaufacturers around the world. As the second SDN testing and certification institutions authorized by the ONF across the world, Global SDN Testing and Certification Center attended the autumn ONF PlugFest to assist the tests.

The PlugFest was held to display the progress the device manufacturers had made since the previous PlugFest and to re-demonstrate the problems that were left unsolved in the previous PlugFest. In the first two days, the manufacturers focused their attention on the “one-to-one” test on a controller and a switchboard, or traversal all controller and switchboard portfolio to demonstrate the intercommunity among the devices of different manufacturers. After the “one-to-one” demonstration project, a small topology intercommunity test was held. Although the activity lasted for merely five days, it offered an excellent opportunity for a large number of manufacturers to have SDN exchanges and intercommunity tests with the companies in the industry. Furthermore, the test results will push forward the technical standard development and the commercial deployment of SDN.

      The 4th ONF PlugFest Site

According to Li Zhen – the Director of Global SDN Testing and Certification Center, a large quantity of manufacturers will have collective tests on the intercommunity and comformance of the OpenFlow 1.3 Standard, which will greatly improve the functions of the devices, promote the implementation of the protocols and enhance the SDN performance of the devices. In the future tests, the testing scenarios will be closer to the practical application of SDN. The tests will deepen the understanding of the companies in the industry of the protocols and display the development of SDN and more new applications and features of OpenFlow. Additionally, Global SDN Testing and Certification Center will collaborate with relevant ONF member units to improve the OpenFlow 1.3 Testing and Certification Standard on top of the OpenFlow 1.0 comformance certification and to launch OpenFlow 1.3 certification services as early as possible.

Owing to the constant popularity of SDN in recent years, tests similar to the ONF PlugFest have been continuously held in different regions across the world. It is said that Global SDN Testing and Certification Center held the first SDN intercommunity test at the Global SDN and Open Network Summit in late August. A great number of manufacturers, including the ones of SDN controllers, switchboards and testers, undertook the intercommunity test on the SDN devices based on the OpenFlow 1.0 Standard and the OpenFlow 1.3 Standard. About 30 SDN devices, such as controllers, switchboards and testers, were tested. In 2014, Global SDN Testing and Certification Center will continue to held and assist similar tests under the support of the ONF, with the hope of promoting the application of the OpenFlow standards.

About Global SDN Testing and Certification Center：

Global SDN Testing and Certification Center (www.sdnctc.com) is a third-party, neutral SDN testing and certification lab which is committed to the research and test on and the popularization of the Software Defined Network (SDN) technologies. The Center is a member of the ONF as well as the second ONF-authorized SDN testing and certification center in the world. As a third-party, independent testing and certification institution, the Center demonstrates the effectiveness and deployment ability of the SDN products and solutions of the manufacturers through tests and certification. Meanwhile, it would report the problems detected in the tests to relevant standard organizations so as to improve the SDN standards and promote the industrial deployment of SDN. Additionally, the Center enthusiastically collaborates with the ONG Intercommunity Testing Work Group to make the test rules, establish the testing and certification system and improve the technical standards and commercial deployment of SDN.

As a third-party, neutral testing institution, Global SDN Testing and Certification Center provides the following services:

        ONF OpenFlow switchboard comformance test and certification .

        SDN comformance test 

        SDN multi-manufacturer intercommunity test 

        SDN functional test 

        SDN performance test

        SDN solution test and demonstration 

        SDN third-party test report 

        SDN technology consultation & training