An Agent Based Approach for Assignment of Virtual Networks to Substrate Network for Software Defined Networking

Abstract

Virtual Networking and Software Defined Networking are two interesting topics for researchers which have many challenges, particularly when it is desired to embed virtual networks for software defined networks. In one hand, virtual network embedding (VNE) is known as a non-deterministic polynomial-time hard (NP-hard) problem. In the other hand, Software-Defined Networking (SDN) needs to address new solutions for the consideration of its central controller in the process of assigning virtual networks to physical resources. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to address the challenge of embedding VNs to the physical network for SDNs, followed by providing a solution. In this paper, we present our new approach for virtual network embedding problem in a distributed manner for SDNs. To do so, we used the techniques of multiagent systems, as a well-known pattern for distributed systems. A virtual network mapping protocol is proposed to communicate messages between agent-based substrate nodes. We also present a new distributed algorithm which is responsible for load balancing and mapping virtual nodes to substrate nodes, and for virtual links to substrate links. This algorithm minimizes the delays of controller-to-switch.