Abstract
Software-Defined Networking (SDN) has gained growing momentum from its earlier application for wired networks (e.g., data center networks) to its application for wireless and mobile networks. In addition, state-of-the-art wireless and mobile networks (cellular networks and mesh networks) have been enhanced through the integration of multiple radio access technologies or multiple interfaces. This paper considers how to evolve multi-interface wireless mobile networks according to a future SDN-based paradigm, and deals with the technical problems therein. It presents the design and implementation of mechanisms that support SDN-based control of two types of multi-interface wireless mobile networks: one with multi-interface user devices and the other with multi-interface switching entities. As a methodology of demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed solution, a novel testing suite incorporating a real SDN controller and a standardized network simulator is designed and built. The functional verification and performance of the proposed solution is demonstrated in a virtual network topology but with the orchestration of the real SDN controller. The results show the multi-interface wireless entities can exploit the multi-radio and multi-channel wireless resources with the help of SDN approach.
Highlights
Software-Defined Networking (SDN) has recently drawn significant attention from the networking communities owing to its potential to introduce innovative networking mechanisms by decoupling the control plane from the data plane of networks and centrally controlling the resulting networks [1]
As the first type of multi-radio wireless mobile networks, the authors consider the Long Term Evolution (LTE)/wireless local area networks (WLANs) multi-radio access technology (RAT) wireless network illustrated in Fig. 1, where user devices are equipped with both an LTE radio interface and a WLAN radio interface
For the purpose of identification, the same international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) can be used. (Step 7) Through the identification, the controllers handle the device as multi-radio capable. (Step 8) The controller makes a decision on the mobility of flow 2 from RAT 1 to RAT 2. (Step 9) A mobility command is sent out to the RAT 1 base station and device. (Step 10) A new flow table entry for flow 2 on RAT 2 is configured using an OpenFlow Flow Modify message
Summary
Software-Defined Networking (SDN) has recently drawn significant attention from the networking communities owing to its potential to introduce innovative networking mechanisms by decoupling the control plane from the data plane of networks and centrally controlling the resulting networks [1]. Congestion on LTE access networks can be alleviated by offloading LTE/WLAN multi-radio devices to WLAN access points (APs) based on the centralized decision of the SDN controller, thereby leading to more enhanced multi-radio resource utilization and load balancing. This trend toward softwarizing networks and enhancing multi-interface availability motivates the authors to examine, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the first in-depth investigation into the feasibility of SDN-based centralized control of multi-RAT wireless mobile networks as a nextgeneration evolution.
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