Programmable networks, open by design.
OpenDaylight is the most widely deployed open source SDN controller on the planet. Model-driven, modular, and highly extensible, it provides centralized, programmable control and monitoring for networks of any size and scale.
Trusted by 1B+ network subscribers worldwide
- 10+ Years in Production
- 50+ Active Projects & Plugins
- 1B+ Subscribers on ODL Networks
- 23 Named Releases (& Counting)
Your network's operating system.
OpenDaylight sits between your applications and your network hardware, providing a unified abstraction layer. A model-driven architecture built on YANG means every interface is programmatic, every behavior is predictable.
YANG-modeled, contract-first APIs.
Every network service, protocol plugin, and application interface in OpenDaylight is defined through YANG models. This means auto-generated REST APIs, consistent data stores, and a single source of truth for how your network behaves.
One controller, every protocol.
OpenFlow, NETCONF, BGP-LS, PCEP, OVSDB, LISP, SNMP, and more. OpenDaylight's southbound plugin architecture lets you manage heterogeneous networks through a single control point without vendor lock-in.
Carrier-grade by design.
Built-in clustering, sharded data stores, and leader-based consensus let OpenDaylight scale horizontally across nodes. Production deployments manage thousands of network devices with sub-second convergence.
A layered, extensible architecture.
OpenDaylight's modular design separates applications from protocols through a service abstraction layer (MD-SAL). Northbound REST APIs expose network state to applications, while southbound plugins translate intent into device-level operations.
50+ Plugin Projects
10+ Protocols
108 Git Repositories
Core projects and protocols.
OpenDaylight is composed of over 50 projects covering protocol plugins, data models, core infrastructure, and applications. Here are some of the most active and widely adopted.
NETCONF Protocol
Network configuration protocol implementation providing YANG-model-driven configuration and monitoring of network devices.
BGPCEP Protocol
BGP and PCEP protocol implementations enabling path computation, traffic engineering, and topology discovery in carrier networks.
TransportPCE Application
Control and management of optical transport networks using OpenROADM device models, enabling multi-vendor optical path provisioning.
YANG Tools Core
The foundation of ODL's model-driven architecture: YANG parser, code generator, and data binding runtime.
Controller Core
The central infrastructure providing clustering, the distributed data store, and the MD-SAL framework that all other projects build on.
AAA Security
Authentication, authorization, and accounting framework providing role-based access control for all ODL northbound interfaces.
Where OpenDaylight runs today.
From optical transport to data center fabrics to carrier-scale automation, OpenDaylight powers production networks across use cases that demand programmability, scale, and vendor neutrality.
Multi-Layer Transport Control
OpenDaylight's TransportPCE project enables optical path provisioning across multi-vendor transport networks using OpenROADM device models, automating L0/L1 operations at scale.
Service Provider WAN Automation
Carriers use BGPCEP and NETCONF to automate traffic engineering, path computation, and device configuration across large-scale MPLS and segment routing networks.
Data Center SDN
Programmable overlay and underlay management using OpenFlow and OVSDB for data center switching fabrics, enabling microsegmentation and automated provisioning.
Network Telemetry and AI
Vanadium's native gNMI support enables push-based telemetry from modern fabrics like SONiC, feeding real-time network state into AI/ML pipelines for anomaly detection and autonomous operations.
Enterprise Network Control
Centralized, model-driven management of heterogeneous enterprise networks. ODL's protocol-agnostic architecture handles switches, routers, and firewalls from any vendor through a single pane.
ONAP Integration
OpenDaylight serves as the SDN controller within ONAP's network automation platform, providing NETCONF-based device management and service orchestration for telecom workloads.
Named after the periodic table.
Each OpenDaylight release is named after a chemical element. From Hydrogen to Chromium, each release brings improved scalability, security, and protocol support.
Current Release
Vanadium
SR1 . April 22, 2026 . karaf 0.23.1
The 23rd named OpenDaylight release. Vanadium introduces native gNMI support for modern network fabrics, transitions to Java 21 with Linux-native networking optimizations, and continues the evolution toward a cleaner, more modular codebase.
Prior Stable
Titanium
SR2 . April 10, 2026 . karaf 0.22.2
Production-proven prior release with full security patches. Includes the mature MD-SAL data store, NETCONF scalability improvements, and a stable Karaf distribution for deployments not yet ready to upgrade.
Up and running in four steps.
Whether you are evaluating OpenDaylight for the first time or deploying it in production, the process starts the same way. Pre-built binaries and Docker images make setup fast.
Prerequisites
Ensure you have Java 21 (or later) installed. OpenDaylight runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows.java -version
Download
Grab the latest Vanadium release as a tar.gz or zip archive from the downloads page.wget https://nexus.opendaylight.org/content/repositories/opendaylight.release/org/opendaylight/integration/karaf/0.23.1/karaf-0.23.1.tar.gz
Launch Karaf
Extract and start the Karaf container. The ODL controller will boot and listen for feature installs.tar xf karaf-0.23.1.tar.gz cd karaf-0.23.1 ./bin/karaf
Install Features
Install the features you need. RESTCONF for REST APIs, NETCONF for device management, etc.feature:install odl-restconf-all feature:install odl-netconf-topology
Trusted by the networks that matter.
Organizations worldwide rely on OpenDaylight to power their production networks. Here is what the community says about building on the platform.
OpenDaylight is the most widely deployed open source SDN controller. Its model-driven architecture and NETCONF/YANG foundation make it the natural choice for automating carrier-grade transport networks at scale.
PT
PANTHEON.tech
We built our TransportPCE solution on OpenDaylight because it gave us vendor-neutral optical path provisioning with OpenROADM support out of the box. The controller's extensibility lets us evolve at our own pace.
OR
Orange
OpenDaylight's clustering and sharded data store give us the horizontal scalability we need for managing thousands of network devices with sub-second convergence in production environments.
ER
Ericsson
As an SDN controller within the ONAP ecosystem, OpenDaylight provides the NETCONF-based device management layer that powers automated service orchestration for telecom operators globally.
LF
LF Networking
Built in the open, by the community.
OpenDaylight thrives because of its contributors. Whether you file an issue, review a patch, or maintain a project, you are part of the story.
The TSC oversees design and development activities, sets release quality standards, mediates technical conflicts, and organizes inter-project collaboration across the OpenDaylight ecosystem.
The TSC is responsible for simultaneous release dates, release quality standards, technical best practices, monitoring technical progress, and serving as OpenDaylight's liaison with other consortiums and groups.
TSC meetings are held weekly on Thursdays at 09:00 Pacific / 16:00 UTC. All meetings are open to the community and minutes are published on the wiki.