SDN Node Benchmarking With Simulated Parallel Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Implementing an entire software-defined network (SDN) or its relevant portion for performance benchmarking is expensive and resource-intensive.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight method involving a simulator instance on a second SDN node to generate parallel threads simulating connections with other nodes, transmitting service messages to benchmark the performance of a first SDN node.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If an entire SDN or relevant portion is implemented for performance benchmarking, then benchmarking accuracy is improved, but cost and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a simulated copy of the SDN environment using a simulator instance deployed on a second SDN node. This copy reproduces the necessary network conditions and message flows without requiring physical deployment of the entire SDN infrastructure, thereby maintaining benchmarking accuracy while reducing resource consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the benchmarking function by implementing a dedicated simulator instance on a separate second SDN node. This segmentation allows the simulator to generate controlled message flows and parallel threads independently, enabling accurate benchmarking of the first SDN node without requiring the full SDN ecosystem to be operational
2Measurement precision
If an entire SDN or relevant portion is implemented for performance benchmarking, then benchmarking accuracy is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The simulator instance creates a virtual copy of network interactions, eliminating the need for expensive physical SDN deployment. The simulation reproduces message flows and network conditions through software-based modeling, significantly reducing deployment costs while maintaining benchmarking validity
Solution Approach 2:
The simulator instance acts as an intermediary between the first SDN node under test and the benchmarking process. It generates controlled service messages and parallel threads without requiring actual end-to-end SDN connections, thereby reducing deployment costs while enabling comprehensive performance evaluation
3Productivity
If parallel threads are generated to simulate multiple connections, then benchmarking comprehensiveness is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The simulator instance on the second SDN node performs multiple functions: it generates parallel threads, creates service messages, controls message flow timing, and manages connections to the first SDN node. This multi-functionality consolidates complex benchmarking operations into a single unified component, improving comprehensiveness without proportionally increasing overall system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Performance of a node-under-test in a software-defined network (SDN) is benchmarked by implementing a simulator instance in another SDN node that transmits series of messages over multiple, parallel threads to the node-under-test. When the node-under-test is an SDN network management block (NMB), the other SDN node may be an SDN controller (SDNC), where each thread simulates a real-world connection between the NMB and a different real-world SDNC. When the node-under-test is an SDNC, the other SDN node may be an SDN network service gateway (NSG), where each thread simulates a real-world connection between the SDNC and a different real-world NSG. When the node-under-test is an NSG, the other SDN node may be user equipment, where each thread simulates a real-world connection between the NSG and different real-world user equipment. The disclosure enables lightweight, explicit performance benchmarking of SDN nodes without having to implement an entire SDN in the testing environment.