Software Design Principles to Enhance SDN Architecture

Iyad Alazzam,Khalid M.O,Izzat Alsmadi

doi:10.14569/ijacsa.2016.070822

Iyad Alazzam, Khalid M.O + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.14569/ijacsa.2016.070822

Copy DOI

Abstract

SDN as a network architecture emerged on top of existing technologies and knowledge. Through defining the controller as a software program, SDN made a strong connection between networking and software engineering. Traditionally, network programs were vendor specific and embedded in hardware switches and routers. SDN focuses on isolation between control and forwarding or data planes. However, in the complete SDN network, there are many other areas (i.e. CPU, memory, hardware, bandwidth and software). In this paper, we propose extending SDN architecture and propose isolation layers with the goal of improving the overall network design. Such flexible architecture can support future evolution and changes without the need to significantly change original components or modules.

Highlights

Software Defined Networking (SDN) has recently evolved as an alternative flexible network architecture to traditional network systems
As the main protocol used in SDN, OpenFlow is used in many research and technical documentations as a synonym to SDN
In order to assess the level of using design patterns in SDN, we evaluated three open source controllers written in Java: Floodlight, IRIS

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Software Defined Networking (SDN) has recently evolved as an alternative flexible network architecture to traditional network systems. Modularity is a core software design concept related to developing a program with different software modules. Using well-defined interfaces, controller and its modules can provide very specific services to those applications Those specific services should be called after fulfilling several pre-conditions from the application side including pre-conditions related to self-identity and authorization proof. Those applications can be defined and can expose controller modules or resources directly. We will revisit SDN architecture based on software design principles and patterns and show how such architecture can be improved.We believe that SDN separation of control and data plane is not enough.

LITERATURE REVIEW

GOALS AND APPROACHES

Design patterns

CONCLUSION