MSN: A Playground Framework for Design and Evaluation of MicroServices-Based sdN Controller

Abstract Software-defined networking decouples control and data plane in softwarized networks. This allows for centralized management of the network, but complete centralization controller functions raises potential issues related to failure, latency, scalability. Distributed deployment is adopted optimize scalability latency problems. However, existing controllers are monolithic, resulting code inefficiency distributed deployment. Some seminal ongoing efforts have been proposed with idea disaggregating SDN architecture into an assembly various subsystems, each which can be responsible a certain task. These subsystems typically implemented as microservices deployed virtual network functions, particular Docker Containers. enables flexible functions. these proposals (e.g., $$\mu$$ μ ONOS) still their early stage design development, so that full decomposition not available yet. To fill gap, this article derives some important guidelines decompose set microservices. Next, it also proposes microservices-based decomposed architecture, foreseeing communications between sub-functions. performance considerations proven via implementation solution, called Micro-Services based (MSN), on Ryu controller. Moreover, MSN includes different communication protocols, such gRPC, WebSocket, REST-API. Finally, we show experimental results highlight robustness system testbed. Collected prove main pros cons protocol evaluation our proposal terms resilience, latency.