OpenFlow is a leading standard for Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and has already played a significant role in reshaping network infrastructures. However, a wide range of existing provider domains is still not equipped with a framework that supports wider deployment of an OpenFlow-based control plane beyond Ethernetdominated networks. We address this gap by introducing a Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) which can transform legacy network elements into OpenFlow capable devices. This paper details the functional architecture of HAL, discusses the key design aspects and explains how HAL can support a number of network device classes. In addition, this paper presents the implementation details of HAL for hardware platforms such as DOCSIS (Data over Cable Service Interface Specification) and DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) which have so far received little attention by the OpenFlow research community despite their wide real-world deployment.
The dynamic development of multiservice cellular networks has resulted in significant changes in the system architecture, which, in turn, has led to a broad distribution of many mechanisms and functions responsible for traffic management. These mechanisms take advantage of appropriate algorithms and analytic dependencies to ensure optimal quality of service that can be tailored to the objectives of the network operator. This paper proposes a new analytical model of a cellular network that supports multicast connections in a distributed environment. It is assumed that, in the cells participating in multicast connections, it is possible to apply different and independent traffic management mechanisms such as, for example, threshold mechanisms and resource reservation mechanisms. The proposed method can be used in an evaluation and scientific methods of research in the traffic effectiveness of multicast connections in given load conditions of a cellular network. An application of the method can have a particular significance in designing high-bit-rate multicast services to users in 4G networks. The analytical model proposed in this paper is verified on the basis of simulation examinations of cellular networks with multicast connections. The investigations confirm high accuracy of the model and the correctness of all theoretical assumptions adopted in the study.
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