Download The role of SDN and OpenFlow in Mesh Network

The role of SDN and OpenFlow in Mesh
Network
SUBMISSION DATE: JUNE 1, 2015
Author: Ramin Hafezi
Supervisor Name: Prof. Mehran Abolhasan
University of Technology, Sydney
Keywords

Wireless Mesh
Wireless Mesh network (WMN) is a multi-hope radio station nodes with two Wi-Fi interfaces.
One interface implement as an ad-hoc wireless Lan (WLAN) and acts as mesh router to forward
the traffic via other nodes to the gateway which connects whole mesh network to the Internet.
Other Wi-Fi interface implements as an access point (AP) to provides network access for users.
Mesh protocols such as B.A.T.M.A.N and AODV handle the swift roaming of user’s IP address
through the network to provide end-to-end connectivity. So, WMN provides client mobility.
Additionally, WMN is self-organized and self-configured network and can be expand by just
adding more nodes. Each nodes in mesh network decide independently and network
fragmentation are a common event. Network failures and packet loses will be increased by
adding more nodes. In order to resolve this problem, we need traffic engineering.

Software Define Networking
Any network node has data-plan and control-plan. Network nodes process the transit traffic in
data-plane and figure out what is going on around it by control-plane. In other words each
node looks at its own configuration setting to generate some rules. Then, those rules helps
node to make a decision about the incoming packet. Software Define Networking (SDN) goal is
to add central and unique brain for the whole network. This brain looks at the entire network
and aware of the network changes. SDN makes a decision about every node then generate
specific flow table for each of them. In this view, the whole network is like one object for the
network administrator.

OpenFlow
administrator to route the packet between nodes based on its own policy. Thus, the
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functions can be added to switches, routers and access points and enable network
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OpenFlow is a set of network features and has its own protocol in the network. OpenFlow
forwarding decisions are extracted from nodes and dedicated to the servers. Hence, the
network control logic centralized in a dedicated servers with enhanced CPU and customized
operating system. OpenFlow makes SDN a handy tool for engineering traffic in wireless mesh
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network.
Abstract
Networking is complex and becomes more complicated when growing in the number of users.
Adding management protocols into the network cause nodes to generate packet and to route
them in the network. Software-defined network helps to troubleshoot and resolve many errors in
large scale's network, brings accuracy and productivity among prototypes of network and changes
network topology based on the operator view to the network as a single object.
One of the base impacts of software-defined network is decoupling the data plane from the
control plane. On the one hand, this separation helps the network operators to manage the
whole network by adding an upper layer to the existing network topology. On the other hand, this
layer generates traffic and reduces network bandwidth especially in mesh network.
When mesh network implemented by wireless nodes, the deliverable bandwidth is reduced
because of the wireless specification. Thus, adding SDN controller in wireless mesh network caused
extra overhead to the nodes CPU and memory.
Adding another abstract layer above the control plane and managing the whole network from the
central location is beneficial. Moreover, with that abstract layer, the network configuration can
change based on the view of the operator through the network. This functionality is essential in
network virtualization and cloud network infrastructure.
This document finds that the SDN role in many aspects of network management is inevitable. SDN
plays role in virtualizing network and cloud based network, in configuring middle boxes and in
monitoring real time process, in changing the view through the network devices is revolutionary.
Implementing SDN in wireless mesh network is a gap in the SDN based knowledge. This document
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bring a model to resolve wireless mesh controlling based on abstract layers of control plane.
Wireless Mesh ................................................................................................................. 1

Software Define Networking ........................................................................................... 1

OpenFlow ........................................................................................................................ 1
1.1
Research Background ...................................................................................................... 7
1.2
What is new in this research? ......................................................................................... 7
1.3
Aim .................................................................................................................................. 8
1.4
Objectives ........................................................................................................................ 8
1.5
Research Significant ........................................................................................................ 8
2
Literature Review ................................................................................................................... 9
3
Methods................................................................................................................................ 10
4
Result .................................................................................................................................... 10
5
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 11
6
Reference List ....................................................................................................................... 12
4
Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 7
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
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List of Figures
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List of Tables
1.1 Research Background
Wireless mesh network (WMN) is easy to install and implement. It needs less maintaining.
Moreover, WMN is self-organizing and self-configuring. Each nodes in the WMN has two radio
interfaces. One interface provides network access for users and other interface acts as a
backbone to keep mesh network up and running. By running wireless mesh we can provides
internet access into the large area such as university campus. SDN controller acts as a network
brain but generated extra packet to be handled by network.
Implementing SDN controller in wireless mesh network is troublesome. On the one hand,
wireless mesh network generates large control packets which needs to be handled by the
network. This condition getting worse when wireless network gets bigger by adding more
nodes to cover large area. On the other hand, SDN controller generates its own traffic and
deliver them to the network to be routed to the specific device which acts as a network brain.
Usually this brain is an SDN enable switch.
Adding third radio interface into the wireless mesh nodes and run separate network for SDN
packet might solve the problem. This paper tries to address this issue by adding abstract layer
for wireless mesh network and implement this strategy into the test bed.
[This part will be completed in the following weeks]
1.2 What is new in this research?
SDN aims is to decoupling data-plane and control-plane. SDN and control plane help to
manage the network. Adding SDN controllers to network reduces the network density by
exploring the data flow and sending the update packets to the central management site.
Central management site then choose new policy and change device configuration to
implement the new strategy. These packets add more traffic to the network and reduce
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bandwidth capacity.
I believe that SDN needs to be completely independent from the control plane. Adding another
liberated abstract layer over the existing data plane and control plane is new in the network
management knowledge. This abstract layer detached the control traffic from the user traffic.
1.3 Aim
1- New network management architecture for Wireless mesh network which is simpler to
control and provides higher user bandwidths.
2- Prove that new architecture are independent from number of nodes and provides
network stability in wireless mesh network.
1.4 Objectives
1- Logical topology of the mesh-network with the SDN controller. This topology shows
nodes address and logical links between network devices. The SDN layer and its
connection to the underlying layer is also visible in this topology.
2- A set of instructions and list of needed software and hardware. This list will used to
build a test-bed and run the physical topology.
3- In order to prove that separating SDN controller traffic in mesh network, increase user
bandwidth we use “Iperf” software. Therefore, we can compare available user
bandwidth in mesh network with/without SDN controller.
1.5 Research Significant
one of the project members. This research is also based on the test-bed result and real
equipment in UTS CRIN lab.
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
Most research on SDN are focused on the wired network. Testing SDN over WMN is
new.
This research is based on the UTS project in communication faculty and the author is
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
1- New network management
architecture for Wireless mesh
network
2- Prove that new architecture are
independent from number of nodes
and provides network stability in
wireless mesh network.

SDN

Wireless Mesh

OpenFlow
1- Logical topology of the mesh-network
with the SDN controller.
2- A set of instructions and list of needed
software and hardware.
3- In order to prove that separating SDN
controller traffic in mesh network,
increase user bandwidth we use
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“Iperf” software.
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