Fast network configuration in Software Defined Networking

Software Defined Networking (SDN) provides a framework to dynamically adjust and re-program the data plane with the use of flow rules. The realization of highly adaptive SDNs with the ability to respond to changing demands or recover after a network failure in a short period of time, hinges on efficient updates of flow rules. We model the time to deploy a set of flow rules by the update time at the bottleneck switch, and formulate the problem of selecting paths to minimize the deployment time under feasibility constraints as a mixed integer linear program (MILP). To reduce the computation time of determining flow rules, we propose efficient heuristics designed to approximate the minimum-deployment-time solution by relaxing the MILP or selecting the paths sequentially. Through extensive simulations we show that our algorithms outperform current, shortest path based solutions by reducing the total network configuration time up to 55% while having similar packet loss, in the considered scenarios. We also demonstrate that in a networked environment with a certain fraction of failed links, our algorithms are able to reduce the average time to reestablish disrupted flows by 40%

Traffic allocation strategies in WSS-based dynamic optical networks

Elastic optical networking (EON) is a viable solution to meet future dynamic capacity requirements of Internet service provider and inter-datacenter networks. At the core of EON, wavelength selective switches (WSSs) are applied to individually route optical circuits, while assigning an arbitrary bandwidth to each circuit. Critically, the WSS control scheme and configuration time may delay the creation time of each circuit in the network. In this paper, we first detail the WSS-based optical data-plane implementation of a metropolitan network test-bed. Then, we review a software-defined networking (SDN) application designed to enable dynamic and fast circuit setup. Subsequently, we introduce a WSS logical model that captures the WSS time-sequence and is used to estimate the circuit-setup response time. Then, we present two batch service policies that aim to reduce the circuit-setup response time by bundling multiple WSS reconfiguration steps into a single SDN command. Resulting performance gains are estimated through simulation.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Dynamic Virtual Network Reconfiguration Over SDN Orchestrated Multitechnology Optical Transport Domains

Network virtualization is an emerging technique that enables multiple tenants to share an underlying physical infrastructure, isolating the traffic running over different virtual infrastructures/tenants. This technique aims to improve network utilization, while reducing the complexities in terms of network management for operators. Applied to this context, software defined networking (SDN) paradigm can ease network configurations by enabling network programmability and automation, which reduces the amount of operations required from both service and infrastructure providers. SDN techniques are decreasing vendor lock-in issues due to specific configuration methods or protocols. Application-based Network Operations (ABNO) is a toolbox of key network functional components with the goal of offering application-driven network management. Service provisioning using ABNO may involve direct configuration of data plane elements or delegate it to several control plane modules. We validate the applicability of ABNO to multi-tenant virtual networks in multi-technology optical domains based on two scenarios, in which multiple control plane instances are orchestrated by the architecture. Congestion Detection and Failure Recovery, are chosen to demonstrate fast recalculation and reconfiguration, while hiding the configurations in the physical layer from the upper layer.Grant numbers : supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the project FARO (TEC2012-38119)

NoSQL stores for coreless mobile networks

The goals of 5G networks — low latency, high bandwidth, and support for fast mobility — are non-trivial and they demand improvements across all involved technology fields. Researchers are therefore exploring approaches that leverage on network function virtualization and software-defined networking for meeting the demands of verticals expected to use 5G networks. One approach which appears promising is the concept of a coreless mobile network where the key network functions are placed at the edge of the network. In this article we focus on management of the user-context state in a coreless mobile network, and posit that these network functions can use a NoSQL data store for maintaining the user-context and other state variables. We first present an overview of promising NoSQL data stores and evaluate their suitability. We then present the results of benchmarking the Apache Geode data store as an example of a state management solution which could serve a coreless mobile network. During our tests we observe that the Apache Geode data store is, subject to its configuration, capable of delivering the data model, consistency, and high availability required by a coreless mobile network.Peer reviewe

A Survey on the Contributions of Software-Defined Networking to Traffic Engineering

Since the appearance of OpenFlow back in 2008, software-defined networking (SDN) has gained momentum. Although there are some discrepancies between the standards developing organizations working with SDN about what SDN is and how it is defined, they all outline traffic engineering (TE) as a key application. One of the most common objectives of TE is the congestion minimization, where techniques such as traffic splitting among multiple paths or advanced reservation systems are used. In such a scenario, this manuscript surveys the role of a comprehensive list of SDN protocols in TE solutions, in order to assess how these protocols can benefit TE. The SDN protocols have been categorized using the SDN architecture proposed by the open networking foundation, which differentiates among data-controller plane interfaces, application-controller plane interfaces, and management interfaces, in order to state how the interface type in which they operate influences TE. In addition, the impact of the SDN protocols on TE has been evaluated by comparing them with the path computation element (PCE)-based architecture. The PCE-based architecture has been selected to measure the impact of SDN on TE because it is the most novel TE architecture until the date, and because it already defines a set of metrics to measure the performance of TE solutions. We conclude that using the three types of interfaces simultaneously will result in more powerful and enhanced TE solutions, since they benefit TE in complementary ways.European Commission through the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (GN4) under Grant 691567 Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under the Secure Deployment of Services Over SDN and NFV-based Networks Project S&NSEC under Grant TEC2013-47960-C4-3-