ImNet: An Imperative Network Programming Language

One of the most recent architectures of networks is Software-Defined Networks (SDNs) using a controller appliance to control the set of switches on the network. The controlling process includes installing or uninstalling packet-processing rules on flow tables of switches. This paper presents a high-level imperative network programming language, called ImNet, to facilitate writing efficient, yet simple, programs executed by controller to manage switches. ImNet is simply-structured, expressive, compositional, and imperative. This paper also introduces an operational semantics to ImNet. Detailed examples of programs (with their operational semantics) constructed in ImNet are illustrated in the paper as well. Key–Words: Network programming languages, controller-switch architecture, operational semantics, syntax, ImNet.