Side-Effects Causing Hidden Conflicts in Software-Defined Networks
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Side‑Effects Causing Hidden Conflicts in Software‑Defined Networks Vitalian Danciu1 · Cuong Ngoc Tran1 Received: 14 April 2020 / Accepted: 30 July 2020 © The Author(s) 2020
Abstract The Software-Defined Networking (SDN) architecture facilitates the flexible deployment of network functions by detaching them from network devices to a logically centralized point, the so-called SDN controller, and maintaining a common communication interface between them. While promoting innovation for each side, this architecture also induces a higher chance of conflicts between concurrent control applications compared to existing traditional networks. We have discovered a new type of anomalies that we call hidden conflicts. They appear to occur only due to side-effects of control application’s behaviour and to be independent of and distinct from the class of conflicts between rules present in the network devices. We analyse the SDN interaction primitives susceptible to such disruptions and present experiments supporting our analysis, the result of which indicates the necessity of the knowledge on the control mechanics in detecting hidden conflicts. We present a hidden conflict prediction approach that employs speculative provocation to determine the deployed applications’ behaviour. The observed behaviour can be leveraged to predict undesired network state. Evaluation of our prediction prototype suggests that prediction functions should be integrated into control applications. Keywords Hidden conflicts · Side-effects · Conflict detection · Conflict prediction · Software-defined networks · Speculative provocation
Introduction In Software-Defined networking (SDN) architecture, the network elements (SDN devices) forming the data plane lack a control plane of their own. The control functions are centralized in a logical component, the so-called SDN controller, that serves as a platform for control applications. These applications issue rules that govern the behaviour of the SDN devices in the data plane. The devices themselves retain only the essential functions for forwarding messages according to the rules stored in their flow tables and to process instructions from the controller. This article is part of the topical collection “Software Technology and Its Enabling Computing Platforms” guest edited by Lam-Son Lê and Michel Toulouse. * Cuong Ngoc Tran cuongtran@mnm‑team.org http://www.mnm-team.org/~cuongtran Vitalian Danciu http://www.mnm-team.org/~danciu 1
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Oettingenstr. 67, 80538 Munchen, Germany
SDN offers a higher degree of flexibility in the specification of network behaviour than is achievable in traditional networks composed of autonomous network elements. The need for control protocols facilitating the negotiation between autonomous elements in traditional networks is eliminated in SDN and replaced by a central specification of network behaviour. This architectural feature increases the flexibility in specifying network behaviour. In particular, new or experiment
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