Overview / Usage

Network services (e.g., Firewalls, Network Address Translators (NATs), load balancers and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs )) are nowadays considered as a key component in keeping the network running at all times. The time and cost of deploying these services are recently considered as critical challenges for network providers. Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) is a promising solution to offer cost-efficient, scalable and more rapid deployment of such services. It allows the implementation of fine-grained services as a chain of Virtual Network Functions (VNFs). These chains need to be deployed and operated in the network. The chain placement is critical since it effects on both quality of service (QoS) and the provider cost. In order to provide cost efficiency, we proposed a Cost-efficient Centrality-based VNF Placement and chaining algorithm (CCVP) [1] as one of the recent solution for cost-efficient network service provisioning. The CCVP uses the Betweenness centrality and flow source modification (FSM) techniques. The objective of CCVP is to find the optimal number of VNFs along with their locations in such a manner that the provider cost is minimized. CCVP has been already simulated, evaluated and also compared with the integer linear program (ILP) proposed in [1]. However, we would like to evaluate CCVP in a real platform in order to further evaluate the algorithm. Implementing CCVP in SoftFIRE gives the great opportunity of evaluating the CCVP on a federated and distributed platform that suits the CCVP goals. In addition, such an experiment could benefit both CCVP (for the dynamicity, orchestration and distribution of the VNFs) and the SoftFIRE platform at the same time because CCVP could become a possible offering of the platform itself. In addition, by deploying the VNFs of the chain based on CCVP decision in different SoftFIRE testbeds, the ability of platform for inter testbeds communication will be examined. [1] S. Ahvar, H. Pann Phyu, S. M. Buddhacharya, E. Ahvar, N. Crespi, R. Glitho, “CCVP: Cost-efficient Centrality-based VNF Placement and Chaining algorithm for network service provisioning”, NetSoft 2017.

Methodology / Approach

Two Scenarios are designed to test CCVP behavior. In Scenario 1 one kind of VNF is deployed using 2 testbeds and Scenario 2 is showing deploying a chain of 2 VNFs using 3 testbeds.

Technologies Used

Regarding service chaining in CCVP, since the Service Function Chaining through SDN is not available in the _SoftFIRE _Platform inter testbeds and we do not have access to the OVSs in their Openstack, we used IP forwarding method.

Repository

https://github.com/mehmir/SET