Software Defined Wireless Networks Research Articles

Leveraging Software-Defined Wireless Network (SDWN) by Locator/Identifier Split Scheme for Mobility Management

Leveraging Software-Defined Wireless Network (SDWN) by Locator/Identifier Split Scheme for Mobility Management

A Novel Multipath-Transmission Supported Software Defined Wireless Network Architecture

The inflexible management and operation of today’s wireless access networks cannot meet the increasingly growing specific requirements, such as high mobility and throughput, service differentiation, and high-level programmability. In this paper, we put forward a novel multipath-transmission supported software-defined wireless network architecture (MP-SDWN), with the aim of achieving seamless handover, throughput enhancement, and flow-level wireless transmission control as well as programmable interfaces. In particular, this research addresses the following issues: 1) for high mobility and throughput, multi-connection virtual access point is proposed to enable multiple transmission paths simultaneously over a set of access points for users and 2) wireless flow transmission rules and programmable interfaces are implemented into mac80211 subsystem to enable service differentiation and flow-level wireless transmission control. Moreover, the efficiency and flexibility of MP-SDWN are demonstrated in the performance evaluations conducted on a 802.11 based-testbed, and the experimental results show that compared to regular WiFi, our proposed MP-SDWN architecture achieves seamless handover and multifold throughput improvement, and supports flow-level wireless transmission control for different applications.

CSMA/CQ: A Novel SDN-Based Design to Enable Concurrent Execution of Channel Contention and Data Transmission in IEEE 802.11 Networks

Conventional 802.11 carrier sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) networks perform channel contention and data transmission serially over a whole channel. This leads to low throughput efficiency. In this paper, we propose a novel design called CSMA/CQ (contention queuing) to address this problem. This design is developed from the decoupling idea of SDN (Software-defined networking). In CSMA/CQ, each node concurrently executes channel contention and data transmission over two separate subchannels, where a CQ is introduced to coordinate the concurrency. This design enables CSMA/CQ to inherit the merit of the conventional distributed random channel access and carry out a centralized control on data transmission, while achieving far higher throughput than conventional 802.11 networks. We then develop a theoretical model to optimize bandwidth allocation for the channel contention and the data transmission, and prove the existence and uniqueness of the optimal solution. Extensive simulations verify the efficiency of CSMA/CQ and the accuracy of our theoretical model. To the best of our knowledge, CSMA/CQ is the first protocol to make channel contention and data transmission be executed independently and concurrently for wireless LANs (WLANs). This paper provides novel ideas in designing software-defined wireless networks.

A novel software-defined wireless network architecture to improve ship area network performance

In this paper, we design a new software-defined wireless network architecture to enable high performance in the next generation of ship area networks (ShAN). We first introduce the current problem of end-to-end transmission delay in ship area networks, and then claim that both network and routing layers protocol will require improvement to guarantee data transmission. Hence, we propose a new network architecture, which combines SOTDMA and SDWN advantages to reduce end-to-end transmission delay to achieve high performance in ship area networks. We sketch out the changes and extensions of an SDWN network controller and switches to enable high performance. The complete design of an SDWN architecture using SOTDMA is an exciting avenue for future ship area networks. Using our proposed network architecture, our evaluation results show that for one wireless AP station, we can obtain 3 Mbps throughput.

Software-Defined Device-to-Device (D2D) Communications in Virtual Wireless Networks With Imperfect Network State Information (NSI)

Software-defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV) are a promising system architecture and control mechanism for future networks. Although some works have been done on wireless SDN and NFV, recent advancements in device-to-device (D2D) communications are largely ignored in this novel framework. In this paper, we study the integration of D2D communication in the framework of SDN and NFV. An inherent challenge in supporting software-defined D2D is the imperfectness of network state information, including channel state information (CSI) and queuing state information, in virtual wireless (QSI) networks. To address this challenge, we formulate the resource sharing problem in this framework as a discrete stochastic optimization problem and develop discrete stochastic approximation algorithms to solve this problem. Such algorithms can reduce the computational complexity compared with exhaustive search while achieving satisfactory performance. Both the static wireless channel and time-varying channels are considered. Extensive simulations show that users can benefit from both wireless network virtualization and software-defined D2D communications, and our proposed scheme can achieve considerable performance gains in both system throughput and user utility under practical network settings.

Enhancing the performance of futurewireless networks with software-defined networking

To provide ubiquitous Internet access under the explosive increase of applications and data traffic, the current network architecture has become highly heterogeneous and complex, making network management a challenging task. To this end, software-defined networking (SDN) has been proposed as a promising solution. In the SDN architecture, the control plane and the data plane are decoupled, and the network infrastructures are abstracted and managed by a centralized controller. With SDN, efficient and flexible network control can be achieved, which potentially enhances network performance. To harvest the benefits of SDN in wireless networks, the software-defined wireless network (SDWN) architecture has been recently considered. In this paper, we first analyze the applications of SDN to different types of wireless networks. We then discuss several important technical aspects of performance enhancement in SDN-based wireless networks. Finally, we present possible future research directions of SDWN.

Patterns for the design of secure and dependable software defined networks

In an interconnected world, cyber and physical networks face a number of challenges that need to be resolved. These challenges are mainly due to the nature and complexity of interconnected systems and networks and their ability to support heterogeneous physical and cyber components simultaneously. The construction of complex networks preserving Security and Dependability (S&D) properties is necessary to avoid system vulnerabilities, which may occur in all the different layers of Software Defined Networking (SDN) architectures. In this paper, we present a model based approach to support the design of secure and dependable SDN. This approach is based on executable patterns for designing networks able to guarantee S&D properties and can be used in SDN networks. The design patterns express conditions that can guarantee specific S&D properties and can be used to design networks that have these properties and manage them during their deployment. To evaluate our pattern approach, we have implemented executable pattern instances, in a rule-based reasoning system, and used them to design and verify wireless SDN networks with respect to availability and confidentiality. To complete this work, we propose and evaluate an implementation framework in which S&D patterns can be applied for the design and verification of SDN networks.

5G roadmap: 10 key enabling technologies

The fifth generation (5G) mobile communication networks will require a major paradigm shift to satisfy the increasing demand for higher data rates, lower network latencies, better energy efficiency, and reliable ubiquitous connectivity. With prediction of the advent of 5G systems in the near future, many efforts and revolutionary ideas have been proposed and explored around the world. The major technological breakthroughs that will bring renaissance to wireless communication networks include (1) a wireless software-defined network, (2) network function virtualization, (3) millimeter wave spectrum, (4) massive MIMO, (5) network ultra-densification, (6) big data and mobile cloud computing, (7) scalable Internet of Things, (8) device-to-device connectivity with high mobility, (9) green communications, and (10) new radio access techniques. In this paper, the state-of-the-art and the potentials of these ten enabling technologies are extensively surveyed. Furthermore, the challenges and limitations for each technology are treated in depth, while the possible solutions are highlighted.

Testing Protocols for the Internet of Things on the EuWIn Platform

Several approaches have been considered by research community as possible enablers for the Internet of Things (IoT) implementation. This paper presents the results obtained by testing and comparing three different solutions. In particular, we compare a centralized solution based on software defined network (SDN), called software defined wireless networking (SDWN), with two standard and distributed solutions, that are ZigBee and IPv6 over low-power wireless personal area networks (6LoWPAN). SDWN uses a centralized network layer protocol, where routing policies are defined by an external controller that can be positioned anywhere in the network. The other two solutions are actually the most common protocol stacks for wireless sensor networks, and they both use a distributed routing protocol. The comparison is achieved by experimentations performed on the European Laboratory of Wireless Communications for the Future Internet (EuWIn) platform developed within the network of excellence, NEWCOM#. Results show that SDWN is the best solution in static or quasi-static environments, while the performance degrades in highly dynamic conditions. However, ZigBee has a good reactivity to environmental changes. This paper reports the evaluation of several performance metrics, including packet loss rate, round-trip-time, and overhead generated in the network, under different conditions and considering different kinds of traffic.

Software Defined Wireless Networks: Part 2 [Guest Editorial

The concept of software defined wireless networks (SDWN) has been rapidly evolving as the solution to meet the demand for dynamic wireless services in ubiquitous computing. In SDWN, the control plane and data plane are decoupled, network intelligence is logically centralized, and the underlying network infrastructure is abstracted from the applications. Thus it highly simplifies network administration and management, which facilitates the dynamic nature of future network functions and intelligent applications while lowering operating costs through simplified hardware, software, and management. This is the second part of the Software Defined Wireless Networks Feature Topic. In Part 1, which was published in November 2015, we provided an overview of the latest major developments and progress in SDWN architecture. In this Part II, we present articles that provide fruitful insights into selected topics such as Cloud-RAN management, flexible spectrum management, SDWN security, and SDN-based self organizing strategies. We believe that it complements Part I, and together they provide a holistic overview of features and trends in future SDWN development.

Securing software defined wireless networks

Software defined wireless networking (SDWN) is a new paradigm of wireless networking, physically separating the data and control planes of various elements in the wireless infrastructure. Similar to its wired counterpart, SDWN is expected to introduce a wide range of benefits to the operation and management of wireless networks. Security is always important to any network. On one hand, SDWN enables new security mechanisms. On the other hand, some new threats are introduced due to the separation of the control and data planes and the introduction of the logically centralized controller. In this article, we discuss its security threat vectors as well as design issues in making it secure. Also, we analyze the security requirements of SDWN, and then summarize the security attacks and countermeasures in this area and suggest some future research directions.

Software defined access for HetNets

We present software defined access (SDA), an architecture for HetNets that incorporates various elements of SDN and software defined wireless networking (SDWN). SDA introduces a novel logical control path across radio interfaces and up to mobile devices. This control path allows SDA to regulate and configure data path via different RATs. Unlike SDN and SDWN, SDA can be deployed without changing network elements of RATs. The userspace implementation of client side utility is also presented to empower mobile devices with SDN-like flow management. This client with cloud hosted SDA servers presents an alternative for operator-independent and RAT-agnostic standalone SDA deployment. To demonstrate some of SDA’s capabilities, we also present various testbed experimental measurement results.

Fast Program Codes Dissemination for Smart Wireless Software Defined Networks

In smart wireless software defined networks (WSDNs), sensor nodes are deployed in the monitored area to sense data. In order to increase the flexibility of WSDNs configuration, sensor nodes use programmable technology. Thus, programming and software engineering that integrate Internet of Things (IoT) lead to a smart world. Due to the large capacity of program codes and the limited energy of wireless network, only a subset of nodes is selected to spread program codes, and the remaining nodes are in sleep status to save energy. In this paper, a fast program codes dissemination (FPCD) scheme for smart wireless software defined networking is proposed; many nodes in the area far from the sink will be selected to spread program codes; those areas have much energy left, while the area near the sink chooses less number of active nodes to spread program codes to save energy. Thus, FPCD scheme can reduce delay for spreading program codes while retaining network lifetime. The theoretical analysis and experimental results show that our approach can reduce transmission delay by 10.76%–105.791% while retaining network lifetime compares with previous broadcast schemes.

A software-defined wireless networking enabled spectrum management architecture

Recent years have seen the proliferation in versatile mobile devices and application services that demand different data rates and latencies. Fixed channelization configuration in today’s wireless devices fail to be efficient in the presence of such dynamic demands. In this regard, fine-grained spectrum management designs have been advocated by the research community to embrace the heterogeneity in devices and services. However, manufacturers hesitate to make hardware investments without comprehensive understanding of these designs. To break this stalemate, software-defined wireless networking (SDWN) has been pushed to market as a cost-effective paradigm. Motivated by recent innovations in SDWN, this article systematically investigates the spectrum management architecture design that reaps the benefits of SDWN while maintaining the features of fine-grained channelization. We shed light on design principles and key challenges in realizing the SDWN-enabled spectrum management architecture. With these principles and challenges in mind, we develop a general architecture with a new baseband virtualization design. We build a prototype that seamlessly integrates with the IEEE 802.11 protocol stack and commodity RF front-end. We demonstrate that the proposed architecture improves spectrum efficiency by emulating the upper layer behaviors using the traces captured in a campus WLAN.

Wireless Software Defined Networking: A Survey and Taxonomy

One of the primary architectural principles behind the Internet is the use of distributed protocols, which facilitates fault tolerance and distributed management. Unfortunately, having nodes (i.e., switches and routers) perform control decisions independently makes it difficult to control the network or even understand or debug its overall emergent behavior. As a result, networks are often inefficient, unstable, and fragile. This Internet architecture also poses a significant, often insurmountable, challenge to the deployment of new protocols and evolution of existing ones. Software defined networking (SDN) is a recent networking architecture with promising properties relative to these weaknesses in traditional networks. SDN decouples the control plane, which makes the network forwarding decisions, from the data plane, which mainly forwards the data. This decoupling enables more centralized control where coordinated decisions directly guide the network to desired operating conditions. Moreover, decoupling the control enables graceful evolution of protocols, and the deployment of new protocols without having to replace the data plane switches. In this survey, we review recent work that leverages SDN in wireless network settings, where they are not currently widely adopted or well understood. More specifically, we evaluate the use of SDN in four classes of popular wireless networks: cellular, sensor, mesh, and home networks. We classify the different advantages that can be obtained by using SDN across this range of networks, and hope that this classification identifies unexplored opportunities for using SDN to improve the operation and performance of wireless networks.

A solution of High-precision WLAN positioning based on TDOA and PTP

For indoor WLAN positioning it is difficult to achieve decimeter or centimeter-level precision questions, to IEEE1588v2 (PTP) precision network clock synchronization technology and the arrival time difference principle (TDOA), combined with non line of sight (NLOS) error mitigation techniques ranging research and design a set based on the existing WLAN (IEEE802.11x series of standards) device with high precision realtime location solutions. First, build a high-performance software-defined radio network communications platform, for accurate measurement of the radio signal arrival time and is calculated based on TDOA location. Secondly, the use of high-precision clock IEEE1588v2 standard equipment PTPGrand-2100 as a network clock source, through the integrated application of multi-hop latency compensation and asymmetric compensation algorithm to ensure nanosecond clock synchronization between the various WLAN access points (AP) accuracy(Experiments show that 1 nanosecond time synchronization error is equivalent to 10 to 30 cm of positioning error). Finally, based NLOS error becomes stability principle, filtered NLOS error and pre-positioned before the data, eliminate the influence of the greatest degree of NLOS error, the time domain error control in wireless ranging 5ns or less to achieve decimeter or more accurately estimate the position. The case can be widely used in mobile Internet, logistics management, mineral exploration, health and other needs of the precise location services (LBS) in other industry sectors.

Software defined wireless networks (SDWN): Part 1 [Guest Editorial

The growing popularity of smart phones, tablet computers and mobile cloud services places an increasing demand for dynamic services from wireless networks. This demand creates new requirements for the network architecture, such as flexibility in management and configuration, adaptability and vendor-independence. To meet these requirements, software defined wireless network (SDWN) has been proposed as a cost-effective solution. SDWN decouples the data plane from the control plane, enabling direct programmability of network controls and an abstraction of the underlying infrastructure for wireless applications. With SDWN, we can create a service delivery platform that is adaptable to the users' varying demands. However, issues such as supporting a large number of subscribers, frequent mobility, fine-grained measurement and control, and real-time adaptation need to be addressed by future SDWN architectures. In this Feature Topic, we provide an overview of the latest major developments and progresses in SDWN.

Network virtualization and resource description in software-defined wireless networks

Future networks will be defined by software. In contrast to a wired network, the software defined wireless network (SDWN) experiences more challenges due to the fast-changing wireless channel environment. This article focuses on the state-of-the-art of SDWN architecture, including control plane virtualization strategies and semantic ontology for network resource description. In addition, a novel SDWN architecture with resource description function is proposed, along with two ontologies for the resource description of the latest wireless network. Future research directions for SDWN, control strategy design, and resource description are also addressed.

Service provider competition and cooperation in cloud-based software defined wireless networks

Software-defined wireless networking (SDWN) is an emerging paradigm in the era of the Internet of Things. In cloud-based SDWNs, resource management is seperated from the geo-distributed cloud, forming a virtual network topology in the control plane. Thus, a centralized software program is able to control and program the behavior of the entire network. In this article, we focus on resource management in cloud-based SDWNs, and discuss the competition and cooperation between cloud service providers. We present a Nash bargaining game approach to process the resource trading activity among cloud service providers in cloud-based SDWNs. Utility functions have been specifically considered to incorporate operation cost and resource utilization. Illustrative results indicate that cooperation is able to generate more benefits than competition. Moreover, resource sharing among cloud service providers has great significance in efficiently utilizing limited resources and improving quality of service.

Wireless software-defined networks (W-SDNs) and network function virtualization (NFV) for 5G cellular systems: An overview and qualitative evaluation

Cellular network technologies have evolved to support the ever-increasing wireless data traffic, which results from the rapidly-evolving Internet and widely-adopted cloud applications over wireless networks. However, hardware-based designs, which rely on closed and inflexible architectures of current cellular systems, make a typical 10-year cycle for a new generation of wireless networks to be standardized and deployed. To overcome this limitation, the concept of software-defined networking (SDN) has been proposed to efficiently create centralized network abstraction with the provisioning of programmability over the entire network. Moreover, the complementary concept of network function virtualization (NFV) has been further proposed to effectively separate the abstraction of functionalities from the hardware by decoupling the data forwarding plane from the control plane. These two concepts provide cellular networks with the needed flexibility to evolve and adapt according to the ever-changing network context and introduce wireless software-defined networks (W-SDNs) for 5G cellular systems. Thus, there is an urgent need to study the fundamental architectural principles underlying a new generation of software-defined cellular network as well as the enabling technologies that supports and manages such emerging architecture. In this paper, first, the state-of-the-art W-SDNs solutions along with their associated NFV techniques are surveyed. Then, the key differences among these W-SDN solutions as well as their limitations are highlighted. To counter those limitations, SoftAir, a new SDN architecture for 5G cellular systems, is introduced.