Grid Modernization Enabled by SDN Controllers: Leveraging Interoperability for Accessing Unlicensed Band

Network modernization facilitates reliable data transmissions and scalable electric grid communications to meet the increasing bandwidth demand. To monitor and control utility services efficiently, reliable communication infrastructure driven by new technologies is needed in order to transfer real-time information between the edge of the grid infrastructure and the utility control center. In this context, SDN is considered as an emerging technology to perform the modernization process for network monitoring and control to improve utility traffic routing, which is identified as one of the major challenges in utility operations. Moreover, SDN can restructure the interfaces between different network technologies to bring centralized policies from the application layer to the device layer. In this article, we propose a software-based utility architecture that can use an SDN controller to enhance resource provisioning and management to capture the aggregation of data flows between utility components. We provide new algorithms for a centralized SDN controller that governs transmissions of utility information over licensed/unlicensed bands through the Long Term Evolution-Licensed Assisted Access model infrastructure. The proposed mechanism allows a centralized SDN controller to provide superior monitoring for different network parameters and to make a decision on the best spectrum allocation with awareness of interference and capacity demands. Furthermore, we identify a framework for utility modernization infrastructure to facilitate required spectrum allocations and provide vital resources for the grid utility network. Finally, we provide some cases to simulate performance of the proposed algorithms to validate the system improvement for utility modernization.