P4-KBR: A Key-Based Routing System for P4-Programmable Networks

Software-defined networking (SDN) architecture has provided well-known advantages in terms of network programmability, initially offering a standard, open, and vendor-agnostic interface (e.g., OpenFlow) to instruct the forwarding behavior devices from different vendors. However, last few years, data plane programmability emerged as promising approach extend management allowing definition programming customized non-standardized protocols, well specific packet processing pipelines. In this paper, we propose an in-network key-based routing protocol called P4-KBR, which end-points (hosts, contents or services) are identified by virtual identifiers (keys) instead IP addresses, where P4 elements programmed be able route packets adequately. The proposal was implemented evaluated using bmv2 switches, verifying how offers powerful tool overcome continuing challenges that appear SDN networks.