# Networking

Networking is a service that you can use to create virtual networks and attach cloud devices such as servers to these networks.

## Concepts

To use the Networking service effectively, you should understand the following key concepts:

- Network: A network is an isolated virtual layer-2 broadcast domain that is typically reserved for the tenant who created it unless you configure the network to be shared. The network is the main entity in the Networking service. Ports and subnets are always associated with a network.
- Subnet: A subnet represents an IP address block that can be used to assign IP addresses to virtual instances (such as servers created using the Compute service). Each subnet must have a CIDR and must be associated with a network.
- Port: A port represents a virtual switch port on a logical network switch. Virtual instances (such as servers created using the Compute service) attach their interfaces into ports. The port also defines the MAC address and the IP address(es) to be assigned to the interfaces plugged into them. When IP addresses are associated to a port, this also implies the port is associated with a subet, as the IP address is taken from the allocation pool for a specific subnet.

## Getting started

### 1. Instantiate an OpenStack or Rackspace client.

To use the Networking service, you must first instantiate a `OpenStack` or `Rackspace` client object.

- If you are working with an OpenStack cloud, instantiate an `OpenCloud\OpenStack` client as follows:

      use OpenCloud\OpenStack;

      $client = new OpenStack('<OPENSTACK CLOUD IDENTITY ENDPOINT URL>', array(
          'username' => '<YOUR OPENSTACK CLOUD ACCOUNT USERNAME>',
          'password' => '<YOUR OPENSTACK CLOUD ACCOUNT PASSWORD>'
      ));

- If you are working with the Rackspace cloud, instantiate a `OpenCloud\Rackspace` client as follows:

      use OpenCloud\Rackspace;

      $client = new Rackspace(Rackspace::US_IDENTITY_ENDPOINT, array(
          'username' => '<YOUR RACKSPACE CLOUD ACCOUNT USERNAME>',
          'apiKey'   => '<YOUR RACKSPACE CLOUD ACCOUNT API KEY>'
       ));

### 2. Obtain an Networking service object from the client.

All Networking operations are done via an networking service object. To instantiate this object, call the `networkingService` method on the `$client` object. This method takes two arguments:

Position | Description | Data type | Required? | Default value | Example value
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
1 | Name of the service, as it appears in the service catalog | String | No | `null`; automatically determined when possible | `cloudNetworks`

2

Cloud region

String

Yes

`DFW`

    $region = '<CLOUD REGION NAME>';
    $networkingService = $client->networkingService(null, $region);

Any networks, subnets, and ports created with this `$networkingService` instance will be stored in the cloud region specified by `$region`.

### 3. Create a network.

    $network = $networkingService->createNetwork(array(
        'name' => 'My private backend network'
    ));

[ Get the executable PHP script for this example ]

## Next steps

Once you have created a network, there is more you can do with it. See complete user guide for networking.