Multiobjective Optimization Model and Algorithm Based on Differential Brain Storm for Service Path Constructing

Abstract

Network function virtualization (NFV) can provide the resource according to the request and can improve the flexibility of the network. It has become the key technology of the next‐generation communication. Resource scheduling for virtual network function service chain (VNF‐SC) mapping is the key issue of the NFV. Aiming at previous research primarily focused on constructing service paths with a single objective, for example, latency minimization, cost minimization, or load balance, which ignored the overall performance of constructed service paths, a multiobjective model, which minimizes benefit, expense, time delay, and load balance, to solve the service path constructing problem, is established. In this model, VNF‐SCs are divided into two classes, i.e., part of the required VNFs in each VNF‐SC is dependent, and others are independent. To solve this multiobjective model, an algorithm based on discrete difference brain storm (MO2DBS) in the framework of MOEA/D was proposed. In the new algorithm, a two dimensional integer coding is designed. In addition, a difference mutation was used to replace the original Gaussian mutation to adjust the mutation step adaptively. Simulation experiments show that the proposed algorithms can obtain higher benefit, load balance, lower expenses, and time delay than the compared algorithms.