Software-defined Wide Area Network Research Articles

Implementation and Utilization of Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) Technology Within A Bank: A Case Study of Bank of Kigali

Implementation and Utilization of Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) Technology Within A Bank: A Case Study of Bank of Kigali

A predictive SD‐WAN traffic management method for IoT networks in multi‐datacenters using deep RNN

AbstractDeploying the Internet of Things (IoT) in integrated edge‐cloud environments exposes the IoT traffic data to performance issues such as delay, bandwidth limitation etc. Recently, Software‐Defined Wide Area Network (SD‐WAN) has emerged as an architecture that originates from the Software‐Defined Network (SDN) paradigm and provides solutions for networking multiple data centers by allowing network administrators to manage and control network layers. In this article, an SDWAN‐based policy for traffic management in IoT is introduced in which the Quality of Service (QoS) metrics such as end‐to‐end delay and bandwidth utilization are optimized. The proposed method implements the traffic management policy in the SDWAN controller. When the IoT traffic flows reach the SDWAN infrastructure network, graph search algorithms are performed to find the near‐optimal paths that affect the end‐to‐end delay of traffic flows. Because of the ability of deep learning to process complex data, a deep RNN model is used to predict the network state information, such as link latency and available bandwidth, before the traffic flows reach the infrastructure network. The proposed method consists of four key modules to predict the routes for future time intervals: (a) an SD‐WAN topology updater unit that checks the link changes and availability, (b) the network state information collector, which collects the network state information to create a dataset, (c) the learning unit, which trains a deep RNN model using the created dataset, and (d) the route predictor unit, which uses the trained model to predict the network state information using a heuristic algorithm to determine the routes. The simulation results showed that the deep RNN model can achieve high accuracy and low Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and the proposed method outperforms shortest‐path algorithms in terms of latency. At the same time, the available bandwidth is almost fairly distributed among all network links.

A discernment of round-robin vs SD-WAN load-balancing performance for campus area network

Efficient load balancing is crucial for optimizing network performance and ensuring seamless connectivity in modern campus area networks (CANs). With the proliferation of data-intensive applications and the increasing reliance on cloud-based services, organizations are seeking effective load-balancing solutions to distribute network traffic evenly across available resources. The continuous improvement of devices, tools, and techniques to cater a large amount of network traffic, started to be employed on different campuses. Understanding the best approach to maximize the utilization of the network resources is crucial in order to stabilize and maintain the network. The study aims to discern the round-robin and software defined-wide area network (SD-WAN) techniques based on defined metrics and conducted with a predefined payload for commonly used application conditions. The analysis shows that SD-WAN delivers a much superior performance than round-robin based on the criteria. The local area network (LAN) test shows difference between the two types of technology for the three given metrics. The WAN test shows that the round-robin has higher packet loss, latency, and jitter than the SD-WAN technology. While round-robin may suffice for small-scale deployments with relatively homogeneous traffic patterns, SD-WAN offers more sophisticated capabilities for larger CANs with diverse application workloads and distributed locations.

Enhancing Reliability in Rural Networks Using a Software-Defined Wide Area Network

Due to limited infrastructure and remote locations, rural areas often need help providing reliable and high-quality network connectivity. We propose an innovative approach that leverages Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) architecture to enhance reliability in such challenging rural scenarios. Our study focuses on cases in which network resources are limited to network solutions such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and a Low-Earth-Orbit satellite connection. The SD-WAN implementation compares three tunnel selection algorithms that leverage real-time network performance monitoring: Deterministic, Random, and Deep Q-learning. The results offer valuable insights into the practical implementation of SD-WAN for rural connectivity scenarios, showing its potential to bridge the digital divide in underserved areas.

THEORETICAL UNDERPINNINGS AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS OF SD-WAN TECHNOLOGIES IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The concept paper explores the transformative impact of Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) technologies on the telecommunications industry. SD-WAN has emerged as a game-changer, offering a more flexible, agile, and cost-effective alternative to traditional Wide Area Network (WAN) solutions. The paper begins by providing a theoretical foundation for SD-WAN, discussing its key principles, architectural components, and underlying technologies. It explores how SD-WAN leverages software-defined networking (SDN) principles to dynamically manage and optimize network traffic across geographically dispersed locations, improving performance and reducing costs. The practical implications of SD-WAN in the telecommunications industry are then examined. The paper discusses how SD-WAN enables organizations to enhance network performance, reduce latency, and improve application performance across their networks. It also explores how SD-WAN can simplify network management, enhance security, and support the growing demand for cloud-based applications and services. Furthermore, the paper discusses the challenges and considerations associated with implementing SD-WAN, such as ensuring compatibility with existing network infrastructure, managing security risks, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. It also explores the potential impact of SD-WAN on telecommunications service providers, highlighting opportunities for new revenue streams and business models. Overall, this concept paper provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical underpinnings and practical implications of SD-WAN technologies in telecommunications. It aims to inform telecommunications professionals, researchers, and policymakers about the transformative potential of SD-WAN and its implications for the future of telecommunications. Keywords: SD-WAN, Technology, Telecom, Security.

Implementation of auto failover on SD-WAN technology with BGP routing method on Fortigate routers at XYZ company

The current technological development is SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) which provides highperformance access for users located far from the head office so as to allow faster network connections and has been facilitated automation techniques for branch offices. This research solves the problem of XYZ company because it is known that the company requires network connectivity with a high SLA (Service Level Agreement) and no downtime in the information exchange process. This research hypothesis assumes that using SD-WAN would be ideal and the problems with XYZ company were resolved. The purpose of this research is the implementation of a WAN network using SD-WAN technology against two ISPs on the FortiGate router, as well as testing QoS (Quality of Service) that has been configured using the BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) routing method. This research plan consists of ISP-A using IP-VPN (Internet Protocol-Virtual Private Network) and ISP-B using broadband Internet. The test scenario was carried out using 3 methods, namely Full Service Scenario, Fail Over Scenario-1 when the IP VPN service is down and Fail Over Scenario-2 when the broadband Internet service is down. The final results of the research have obtained "Satisfactory" results for both services, including the average index on ISP-A and ISP-B of 3.7.

WAN optimization techniques: Exploring BGP attributes across industries

Wide Area Network (WAN) optimization has become a critical focus for industries seeking to enhance network performance, particularly in the era of digital transformation and cloud-based services. This paper explores the role of Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) attributes as a key element in WAN optimization across various industries. BGP, as the protocol responsible for routing data between autonomous systems on the internet, plays a significant role in determining the efficiency and reliability of data transmission across WANs. By leveraging specific BGP attributes, organizations can optimize network paths, reduce latency, and improve overall network performance. The paper begins by providing an overview of WAN optimization techniques and the importance of BGP in modern network architecture. It then delves into the specific BGP attributes that are instrumental in optimizing WAN performance, including Local Preference, AS Path, MED (Multi-Exit Discriminator), and BGP Communities. The discussion includes how these attributes can be manipulated to achieve optimal routing decisions, prioritize traffic, and manage bandwidth more effectively. Case studies from various industries, including financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and telecommunications, are presented to illustrate the practical applications and benefits of BGP-based WAN optimization. These examples highlight how organizations have successfully implemented BGP attribute manipulation to address industry-specific challenges such as ensuring low-latency communication, maintaining high availability, and supporting large-scale data transfers. The paper also addresses the challenges associated with BGP attribute manipulation, including the complexities of configuration and the potential risks of misconfigurations leading to network instability. It concludes with a discussion on emerging trends in WAN optimization, such as the integration of software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) technologies and the role of machine learning in automating and enhancing BGP-based optimizations. In summary, this paper provides a comprehensive exploration of how BGP attributes can be leveraged for WAN optimization across different industries, offering insights into best practices and future directions in network performance enhancement. Keywords: WAN, Optimization, Techniques, BGP, Attributes.

Controller placement with critical switch aware in software-defined network (CPCSA).

Software-defined networking (SDN) is a networking architecture with improved efficiency achieved by moving networking decisions from the data plane to provide them critically at the control plane. In a traditional SDN, typically, a single controller is used. However, the complexity of modern networks due to their size and high traffic volume with varied quality of service requirements have introduced high control message communications overhead on the controller. Similarly, the solution found using multiple distributed controllers brings forth the 'controller placement problem' (CPP). Incorporating switch roles in the CPP modelling during network partitioning for controller placement has not been adequately considered by any existing CPP techniques. This article proposes the controller placement algorithm with network partition based on critical switch awareness (CPCSA). CPCSA identifies critical switch in the software defined wide area network (SDWAN) and then partition the network based on the criticality. Subsequently, a controller is assigned to each partition to improve control messages communication overhead, loss, throughput, and flow setup delay. The CPSCSA experimented with real network topologies obtained from the Internet Topology Zoo. Results show that CPCSA has achieved an aggregate reduction in the controller's overhead by 73%, loss by 51%, and latency by 16% while improving throughput by 16% compared to the benchmark algorithms.

Design an Algorithm for dynamic Slice of SD-WAN Using VLAN

Software-Defined Network (SDN) is one of the most predominant technologies for networking in the existing and next-generation networks. SDN can conFig. , control, protect, and optimize network resources through software. The fundamental benefit of SDN is enabling the application of dynamic management. In addition, the literature shows that partitioning a Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) into several logical networks efficiently will optimize its performance. The main aim of paper is to design an algorithm to slice SD-WAN dynamically into several virtual networks according to the server-clients’ correlation using the Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN). The several virtual networks improve QoS of SD-WAN and reduce its broadcasting domain. The proposed framework consists of two parts. The first part is the management algorithm that finds the best server for each client; then it groups this server with their client in a dedicated logical network. The second part includes creating a VLAN for each logical network in an SD-WAN. The application of the POX controller calculates and maintains the dynamic VLAN, which will be applied by the control plan to slice the topology in the data plan. SD-WAN topology is tested before and after applying VLANs. The results show enhancement in latency by 42.85%, throughput by 4.61%, loss packet by 72% and jitter by 47.86% after applying VLAN. Finally, the greatest gain is reducing the broadcasting ratio by 77.77%. Index Terms— Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN), Software-Defined Network (SDN), Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN), Quality of Service (QoS), OpenFlow (OF).

SD-WAN: The Future of Networking

Abstract: Software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) is a networking technology that enables organizations to build secure, high-performance WANs (Wide Area Networks) using software-based controls that provide simplified network management, help businesses offer seamless connectivity to their users in this current world trend of cloud technology and Edge computing. It operates in a centralized manner, allowing for the control of the entire network at once surpassing the limitations of traditional WANs. This paper discusses the SD-WAN technology, including why it was created, its benefits, the components that make up the technology, the challenges associated with its adoption, the security features it offers, and the future of SD-WAN in networking.

Survey of optimizing dynamic virtual local area network algorithm for software-defined wide area network

Software-defined network (SDN) is one of the most predominant technologies for networking in the existing and next-generation networks. Therefore, this paper is conducted to introduce a survey for researchers who are interested in exploiting the dynamic tunneling technique to optimize software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN). The main purpose of this survey is not only to investigate the related works of dynamic tunneling with SD-WAN but also to classify this related work according to the aim of each research into the practicable categories and present the most dominated employments for tunneling with SD-WAN, specifically virtual local area network (VLAN). The performed classification accompany dynamic tunneling in SDN can be summarized into four categories as following: exploring VLAN in SDN; management of multi VLAN in SDN; recover link failure of SDN; and development of SDN by using VLAN. Finally, the intensive study of the literature in this paper discovers that the dominant path of research falls in the class that covers SDN’s link failure. This class takes full advantage of SD-WANs due to offering more robust networking and restoring most communication failures. In the event of a fault, the controller could respond and recover quickly by switching to a pre-computed backup route.

Implementation of Load Balancing and Failover Network Using Fortinet SDWAN Technology at PT. Lintasarta

An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is a company or entity that provides internet connection services and other related services. The complexity of distribution control from several ISPs causes problems, especially in the speed factor, which affects the costs that must be incurred by the company. Management company information is not only focused on price and speed, but also requires good security and data traffic management (Traffic Engineering/TE). One application that is able to meet these needs is Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN). SD-WAN is the latest technological network development paradigm overcoming the challenges that exist in network mechanisms in TE. The results of this study can be used as a comparison of several ISPs so that it can be known which one is better or which one to choose. Based on the results of the data analysis, the following conclusions were obtained: 1) As for the jitter problem in the performance of SD-WAN technology, it has advantages over ordinary conventional networks that do not use sdwan technology; 2) Regarding the delay/latency of internet service providers, SD-WAN has advantages over ordinary conventional networks and 3) With respect to packet loss, SD-WAN internet service providers have an advantage over ordinary conventional networks.

A lightweight deployment of TD routing based on SD-WANs

Multipath routing conforms to the evolution principle of network development and is a trend of routing architectures. It can not only meet the needs but also enhance the performance and security of a network. However, deploying multipath routing further increases the scale of the forwarding information base (FIB) and the cost of forwarding devices. Therefore, to realize the lightweight deployment of multipath routing with a distributed architecture, this paper takes two-dimensional routing (TD routing) as an example to provide a solution. We propose a distributed storage mechanism of TD routing in combination with SRv6 (TDSR) and the corresponding SRv6 header (SRH) compression (CARD) method. The main methods are as follows: Inspired by a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN), this paper introduces segment routing (SR) in the data plane, which can disperse TD-FIBs in different ingress nodes. The ingress routers push path information into the stack, and the intermediate routers forward the packets according to the SRH. Second, for the bandwidth waste of the SRH, compression is attempted by comparing the difference between the the shortest path first (SPF) path and the SRv6 path. Only a few hops in the TD path that are different from those in the one-dimensional (OD) path are kept. Finally, we sort out several typical application scenes of multipath routing and discuss several simplification algorithms. The experimental results show that the TDSR can reduce TD entries by 69%, and the average compression rate of CARD can reach 70%. In addition, CARD can be combined with existing methods to improve their effect.

Resilience of Delay-Sensitive Services With Transport-Layer Monitoring in SD-WAN

Today, more and more enterprises are embarking on a digital transformation where most of their applications are hosted in the Cloud. As a result, a reliable Wide Area Network (WAN) has become a primary need to interconnect their distributed branch offices and data centers that accommodate those applications. Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) represents the most promising technology solution for next-generation enterprise networks, being able to increase network agility and reduce costs. In this paper, we present an experimental SD-WAN solution capable of running and optimizing delay-sensitive high-priority services, such as real-time video streaming, while minimizing downtime caused by network failures. This solution comprises a monitoring and a traffic engineering system for SD-WAN. The first consists of a Transport-layer Passive Monitoring (TPM) system based on extended Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF) technology with the goal of monitoring TCP flows; the second consists of an application, running inside the SD-WAN controller, with the goal of orchestrating the network traffic in consideration of the monitoring measurements by ensuring rapid recovery and resilience in case of unexpected congestion events. We validate our solution over two SD-WAN testbeds: the first is hosted in our laboratory at Politecnico di Milano, while the second is deployed in a municipal network of an Italian city. Results show that our SD-WAN solution can increase the overall service availability while meeting the stringent QoS requirements of delay-sensitive services.s

A Security Framework for Secure Host-to-Host Environments

Data security is an infrastructure designed to protect and secure data from unauthorized access, data manipulation, malfunction, destruction, and inappropriate data disclosure. Currently, organizations widely use data transfer to validate and verify data using different media particularly in host-to-host connections. This research focuses on data exchanged (end-to-end communication) using Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS), metro ethernet, and Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) network architecture with third parties. This research aims to develop a design and analysis framework for verifying data transferred from one host to another in ABC organization by applicable security standards that are appropriate and follow its needs to help the organization. Furthermore, the analysis result is used as materials for drafting a cybersecurity framework through the three standards ISO/EIC 27001:2013, NIST SP800-161, and ITU-T X.805. The methodology used in this study is the comparative analysis of three frameworks, requirement analysis, and content analysis to develop a framework. The framework proposed of eight security dimensions, five threats, and providing mitigation is expected to enhance the security system of data exchange on host-to-host connections in ABC organization.

Performance evaluation of software‐defined wide area network based on queueing theory

Software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) is part of wider technologies of software-defined networking (SDN). SDN is one of the pivotal network management approaches that abstracts the underlying network infrastructure away from its applications. SDN allows for the centralisation of network intelligence. That allows higher network automation, the simplification of operations, the provisioning, the monitoring, and the troubleshooting. These days, data volume that enterprises and users make is growing rapidly and continuously. As a result, wide area networks are growing increasingly and they are becoming very complicated to manage and monitor using traditional tools. So, many enterprises are interested in developing SD-WAN and benefiting from its advantages. To achieve this goal, a proposed model for the SD-WAN network will be presented based on the queueing theory; then, the proposed model will be analysed using the Quasi-birth–death approach to evaluate traffic behaviour of a proposed queueing model for Poisson distribution in the SD-WAN. Moreover, it compares Poisson to phase type distribution via calculating some parameters that influence traffic behaviour of those distributions in the SD-WAN. The analysis results indicate that the proposed queueing model displays a more accurate SD-WAN controller performance than the existing ones.

“Saving Precious Seconds”—A Novel Approach to Implementing a Low-Cost Earthquake Early Warning System with Node-Level Detection and Alert Generation

This paper presents findings from ongoing research that explores the ability to use Micro-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS)-based technologies and various digital communication protocols for earthquake early warning (EEW). The paper proposes a step-by-step guide to developing a unique EEW network architecture driven by a Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN)-based hole-punching technology consisting of MEMS-based, low-cost accelerometers hosted by the general public. In contrast with most centralised cloud-based approaches, a node-level decentralised data-processing is used to generate warnings with the support of a modified Propagation of Local Undamped Motion (PLUM)-based EEW algorithm. With several hypothetical earthquake scenarios, experiments were conducted to evaluate the system latencies of the proposed decentralised EEW architecture and its performance was compared with traditional centralised EEW architecture. The results from sixty simulations show that the SD-WAN-based hole-punching architecture supported by the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) creates the optimum alerting conditions. Furthermore, the results provide clear evidence to show that the decentralised EEW system architecture can outperform the centralised EEW architecture and can save valuable seconds when generating EEW, leading to a longer warning time for the end-user. This paper contributes to the EEW literature by proposing a novel EEW network architecture.

Mathematical model for forwarding packets in communication network

The software-defined networking (SDN) represents the future backbone of the Internet. In general, to understand the performance and the limitation of SDN is a prerequisite for deploying these networks and making the most of their resources. For achieving that goal, this paper discusses the difference between traditional networks and SDN over wide area network (WAN) where an accurate queuing model of packet forwarding is proposed to measure the performance of many factors affecting the system, such as response time, service rate, utilization, throughput and delay through a vEdge router. Additionally, it focusses for studying algebraic estimates of the probability distribution of the system states. The Matrix-Geometric solution procedure of a phase-type distribution queue with first-in, first-out (FIFO) discipline is used. The analysis results indicate that the proposed queuing model gives a more accurate approximation for software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) controller system performance than the present, where this solution shows that the most important results are benefits of centralized management of SD-WAN, an increase in bandwidth through separating the control plan from the data plan, thus reducing volume operations in the data plan, a delay and an increase in packet transfer speed. Additionally, it improves business performance and diminishes budget.

An effective prediction method for network state information in SD-WAN

In a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN), a logically centralized controller is responsible for computing and installing paths in order to transfer packets among geographically distributed locations and remote users. Accordingly, this would necessitate obtaining the global view and dynamic network state information (NSI) of the network. Therefore, the centralized controller periodically collects link-state information from each port of each switch at fixed time periods. While collecting NSI in short periods causes protocol overhead on the controller, collecting in longer periods leads to obtaining inaccurate NSI. In both cases, packet losses are inevitable, which is not preferred for quality of service (QoS). Packet loss needs to be reduced by minimizing the protocol overload on the controller and collecting accurate NSI to provide better QoS. This work proposes an effective prediction method for collecting NSI (PM-NSI) that significantly reduces packet loss and controller protocol load allowing the controller to collect accurate NSI in longer periods. The proposed method is compared against the existing NSI collection method, which collects NSI periodically, in use on the RYU controller and the Mininet emulator by using a dynamic routing algorithm. The test results indicated that PM-NSI reduces controller load around 1000% by collecting NSI in longer periods and so outperforms the existing periodic NSI collection method in terms of packet loss, jitter, controller load, and thus QoS.

SD-WAN for Bandwidth and Delay Improvements on the Internet

Advancement in applications and operational situations place stringent demands on longdistance data transmission, forcing network operators to rethink how they construct wide area networks [1]. Wide-area network improvement that is indicated by software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) has been lauded as the most promising next-generation wide-area network design. SD-WAN is able to monitor and manage connection links adaptively based on application requirements [2]. This paper will discuss the newly emerging SD-WAN architecture for the implementation of the Internet. A thorough comparison and challenges that WAN faced before SD-WAN was also discussed to further prove the current features and its benefits. Handling any information accessible over the aspect and exploiting 5G transport for those important applications that demand amazingly low latency and huge bandwidths, SD-WAN will provide a smooth shift for the energy industry to an entire 5G connection [3], also will promote the development of the society.