SDN management based on Hierarchical Task Network and Network Functions Virtualization

Abstract

Ensuring proper operation of networks based on the Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is essential. Many proposals exist for managing SDN. However, they present low automation, long-time for Administrators to manage situations, and lack of flexibility and workability. In this paper, we introduce an architecture based on the Hierarchical Task Network (HTN) planning technique and the Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) for managing SDN. This architecture presents how to carry out the orchestrator of NFV by using HTN for SDN management. Furthermore, it presents how to perform a Virtualized Network Functions Manager and a Virtualized Infrastructure Manager of NFV by using a request-response model for communicating to and from managed networks. Furthermore, our architecture inherited flexibility and workability from NFV. We evaluate the architecture in a proof-of-concept regarding time-planning and network traffic. The evaluation results evidenced short time-planning and small traffic overhead.