SDN-Enabling Multihop Wireless Networks

支持 SDN 的多跳无线网络

• 批准号: RGPIN-2017-06352
• 负责人: Kunz, Thomas
• 金额: $ 2.4万
• 依托单位: Carleton University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=765862
• 关键词: SDN; Enabling; Multihop; Wireless; Networks

Multihop wireless networks (MWNs) have established themselves in a range of domains: vehicular ad-hoc networks, mobile ad-hoc networks, wireless mesh networks, wireless sensor networks, home networking, or even as extensions in cellular networks. The co-operative nature of the nodes and the absence of a fixed infrastructure make them very attractive where fast deployment, low cost, or support for strong mobility is required. Networking protocols for such networks have been designed with the assumption that nodes need to co-operate to achieve network-wide goals, with all nodes involved in operating and managing the network.At the same time, wired networks are seeing a paradigm shift towards Software-Defined Networking (SDN). SDN proposes a network architecture with a (logically) central controller that collects information about the whole network. This central entity makes network-wide decisions about routes and resource usage. The network routers and switches become much simpler and consequently cheaper. They are instructed by the SDN controller how to forward packets, removing the requirement for them to be involved in any network-wide decisions. The goal is to facilitate the introduction of new and innovative services, to simplify network management, to allow for better/more optimized use of resources, and to reduce the costs of offering communication services.This SDN paradigm is fundamentally different from the distributed network protocols prelevant in today's MWNs. However, SDN is quite promising for such networks as well. WMNs, for example, are severely resource-limited (bandwidth, energy, etc.). The central controller, having global knowledge of the network, can optimize resource usage network-wide. Yet efficiently supporting this paradigm over high-latency, lossy, and bandwidth-constrained wireless links is not trivial. In our research, we are exploring how to best deploy the SDN architecture in multihop wireless networks. The key idea is to apply various clustering approaches to reduce overhead, improve responsiveness, and provide robustness. We will demonstrate the advantages of our proposed designs in a number of ways. We will apply and evaluate popular SDN techniques such as traffic engineering or network slicing. We will also design and implement new global optimizations that address the unique challenges of MWNs.The research outcomes will simplify the deployment and increase the flexibility of future MWNs. It will enable us to apply many of the advances made in wired SDNs to MWNs. As a result, it will become easier for ISPs to offer rural mesh networks that provide Internet access in remote communities or for vendors to offer new services in home networks. Furthermore, managing MWNs via SDN will make it easier for telcos to integrate them as access networks with next-generation core networks that are similarly based on SDN.

多主无线网络（MWN）已在一系列领域中建立了自己：车辆临时网络，移动临时网络，无线网络网络，无线传感器网络，家庭网络，甚至是蜂窝网络的扩展。节点的合作性质和缺乏固定的基础设施使它们非常有吸引力，而在需要快速部署，低成本或对强大移动性的支持中。已经设计了此类网络的网络协议，假设节点需要合作以实现网络范围的目标，并且所有节点都涉及操作和管理网络。同时，有线网络正在看到范式向软件定义的网络（SDN）的范式转移。 SDN提出了一个具有（逻辑上）中央控制器的网络体系结构，该网络架构收集有关整个网络的信息。该中央实体在范围内做出有关路线和资源使用情况的决策。网络路由器和开关变得更简单，因此便宜。 SDN控制器指示它们如何转发数据包，从而消除了他们参与任何网络范围决策的要求。目的是促进引入新的和创新的服务，简化网络管理，允许更好/优化的资源使用，并降低提供通信服务的成本。该SDN范式与当今MWN中的分布式网络协议根本不同。但是，对于此类网络，SDN也很有希望。例如，WMN是严重的资源限制（带宽，能量等）。具有全球网络知识的中央控制器可以优化范围内的资源使用情况。然而，在高延迟，有损和带宽约束的无线链路上有效支持这种范式并不是微不足道的。在我们的研究中，我们正在探索如何最好地将SDN架构部署在多主无线网络中。关键思想是采用各种聚类方法来减少开销，提高响应能力并提供鲁棒性。我们将以多种方式证明我们提出的设计的优势。我们将应用和评估流行的SDN技术，例如交通工程或网络切片。我们还将设计和实施新的全球优化，以应对MWN的独特挑战。研究成果将简化部署并提高未来MWN的灵活性。它将使我们能够将有线SDN中的许多进步应用于MWN。结果，ISP更容易提供农村网络网络，这些网络在远程社区或供应商中提供互联网访问权限，以提供家庭网络中的新服务。此外，通过SDN管理MWN将使电信公司更容易将它们作为访问网络与下一代核心网络集成在一起，这些核心网络类似地基于SDN。