1,125 research outputs found
Container-based network function virtualization for software-defined networks
Today's enterprise networks almost ubiquitously deploy middlebox services to improve in-network security and performance. Although virtualization of middleboxes attracts a significant attention, studies show that such implementations are still proprietary and deployed in a static manner at the boundaries of organisations, hindering open innovation. In this paper, we present an open framework to create, deploy and manage virtual network functions (NF)s in OpenFlow-enabled networks. We exploit container-based NFs to achieve low performance overhead, fast deployment and high reusability missing from today's NFV deployments. Through an SDN northbound API, NFs can be instantiated, traffic can be steered through the desired policy chain and applications can raise notifications. We demonstrate the systems operation through the development of exemplar NFs from common Operating System utility binaries, and we show that container-based NFV improves function instantiation time by up to 68% over existing hypervisor-based alternatives, and scales to one hundred co-located NFs while incurring sub-millisecond latency
Design of a Hybrid Modular Switch
Network Function Virtualization (NFV) shed new light for the design,
deployment, and management of cloud networks. Many network functions such as
firewalls, load balancers, and intrusion detection systems can be virtualized
by servers. However, network operators often have to sacrifice programmability
in order to achieve high throughput, especially at networks' edge where complex
network functions are required.
Here, we design, implement, and evaluate Hybrid Modular Switch (HyMoS). The
hybrid hardware/software switch is designed to meet requirements for modern-day
NFV applications in providing high-throughput, with a high degree of
programmability. HyMoS utilizes P4-compatible Network Interface Cards (NICs),
PCI Express interface and CPU to act as line cards, switch fabric, and fabric
controller respectively. In our implementation of HyMos, PCI Express interface
is turned into a non-blocking switch fabric with a throughput of hundreds of
Gigabits per second.
Compared to existing NFV infrastructure, HyMoS offers modularity in hardware
and software as well as a higher degree of programmability by supporting a
superset of P4 language
On the Fly Orchestration of Unikernels: Tuning and Performance Evaluation of Virtual Infrastructure Managers
Network operators are facing significant challenges meeting the demand for
more bandwidth, agile infrastructures, innovative services, while keeping costs
low. Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Cloud Computing are emerging as
key trends of 5G network architectures, providing flexibility, fast
instantiation times, support of Commercial Off The Shelf hardware and
significant cost savings. NFV leverages Cloud Computing principles to move the
data-plane network functions from expensive, closed and proprietary hardware to
the so-called Virtual Network Functions (VNFs). In this paper we deal with the
management of virtual computing resources (Unikernels) for the execution of
VNFs. This functionality is performed by the Virtual Infrastructure Manager
(VIM) in the NFV MANagement and Orchestration (MANO) reference architecture. We
discuss the instantiation process of virtual resources and propose a generic
reference model, starting from the analysis of three open source VIMs, namely
OpenStack, Nomad and OpenVIM. We improve the aforementioned VIMs introducing
the support for special-purpose Unikernels and aiming at reducing the duration
of the instantiation process. We evaluate some performance aspects of the VIMs,
considering both stock and tuned versions. The VIM extensions and performance
evaluation tools are available under a liberal open source licence
Will SDN be part of 5G?
For many, this is no longer a valid question and the case is considered
settled with SDN/NFV (Software Defined Networking/Network Function
Virtualization) providing the inevitable innovation enablers solving many
outstanding management issues regarding 5G. However, given the monumental task
of softwarization of radio access network (RAN) while 5G is just around the
corner and some companies have started unveiling their 5G equipment already,
the concern is very realistic that we may only see some point solutions
involving SDN technology instead of a fully SDN-enabled RAN. This survey paper
identifies all important obstacles in the way and looks at the state of the art
of the relevant solutions. This survey is different from the previous surveys
on SDN-based RAN as it focuses on the salient problems and discusses solutions
proposed within and outside SDN literature. Our main focus is on fronthaul,
backward compatibility, supposedly disruptive nature of SDN deployment,
business cases and monetization of SDN related upgrades, latency of general
purpose processors (GPP), and additional security vulnerabilities,
softwarization brings along to the RAN. We have also provided a summary of the
architectural developments in SDN-based RAN landscape as not all work can be
covered under the focused issues. This paper provides a comprehensive survey on
the state of the art of SDN-based RAN and clearly points out the gaps in the
technology.Comment: 33 pages, 10 figure
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