Toward a new SDN based approach for smart management and routing of VPN-MPLS networks

Abstract

— Software-Defined Network (SDN) is a paradigm for separating control and data layers. With this
separation, operators can continue the development of new protocols, ensuring security and Quality of
Service (QoS) for a client regardless of the type or location of the access network.The problem is currently
at the level of the equipment to orchestrate so that they are manageable by the controller, they must be new
generation supporting specific protocols. The immediate transition to an SDN network is not possible given
the huge investment that operators must make.However, migration can be done partially by leveraging
legacy equipment with standardized third-party protocols providing the same SDN privileges, so it's called
SDN-Hybrid.Among the major challenges currently encountered in NGN (Next-Generation Networks),
there is the management of MPLS VPN (Multi-Protocol Label Switching Virtual Private Networks)
tunnels.In this paper, we propose a new SDN-Hybrid architecture for managing MPLS VPN tunnels while
calculating the optimal path.The approach has been implemented and tested in a real environment consisting
of several routers of different manufacturers.The results obtained showed the effectiveness of our approach
in terms of reducing tunnel installation times, optimizing link utilization rates, and improving the quality of
transported applications.