ABSTRACT
The development trends of networking and wireless communications technologies have evolved toward Open Networking (ON), Software Defined Networks (SDN), Network Function Virtualization (NFV), and Disaggregation. ON and SDN/NFV are playing the key roles for softwarization and virtualization (S&V) of next generation networks such as 5th Generation Communications and Networks (5G) and Internet of Things (IoT). This article explores the S&V of 5G & IoT and addresses the challenging issues related to applying SDN/NFV to 5G and IoT. These issues include system performance, end-to-end interoperability, software compatibility, global deployment, integration of SDN and NFV , and shortage of talents. In addition, we describe the research and development status of adapting ON architecture and applying SDN/NFV to 5G and IoT in Taiwan. Finally we report the collaboration between National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) and networking industry in the areas of programmable switches built on top of silicon with Programming Protocol-independent Packet Processor (P4) high-level script language and prototyping an OpenAirIntrface (OAI)-based M-CORD.
1 Introduction
There has been a paradigm shift in the networking industry, from a proprietary networking with vendordependent software/hardware to vendor-independent open source and white-box switches, as illustrated in Figure 1. The white box is the commodity hardware which is available from network equipment ODM vendors. On the other hand, the open source software executed on the commodity hardware in the control plane can be very complex, which consist of controller (with various OSs, ONOS, ODL, RYU) [17][19], Network Function Virtualization (NFV), and Cloud OS. Not surprisingly, the software engineers involved in the realization of this paradigm shift often encounter various challenges, issues, or difficulties.
7 Conclusion
This paper addresses the discovery of the challenges/issues of network softwarization and virtualization and to find out the possible solutions. The impacts of new open networking architectures and open source, ONOS, P4 and CORD of SDN/NFV to the software defined networking industry ecosystem includes high speed network vendor (P4 switch), Rack solution provider (M-CORD box) silicon provider (SoC/IC), commodity provider (white box switch, server, storage I/O, blade)
