Resource Allocation in NFV: A Comprehensive Survey

Network functions virtualization (NFV) is a new network architecture framework where network function that traditionally used dedicated hardware (middleboxes or network appliances) are now implemented in software that runs on top of general purpose hardware such as high volume server. NFV emerges as an initiative from the industry (network operators, carriers, and manufacturers) in order to increase the deployment flexibility and integration of new network services with increased agility within operator's networks and to obtain significant reductions in operating expenditures and capital expenditures. NFV promotes virtualizing network functions such as transcoders, firewalls, and load balancers, among others, which were carried out by specialized hardware devices and migrating them to software-based appliances. One of the main challenges for the deployment of NFV is the resource allocation of demanded network services in NFV-based network infrastructures. This challenge has been called the NFV resource allocation (NFV-RA) problem. This paper presents a comprehensive state of the art of NFV-RA by introducing a novel classification of the main approaches that pose solutions to solve it. This paper also presents the research challenges that are still subject of future investigation in the NFV-RA realm.

[1]  G. Nemhauser,et al.  Integer Programming , 2020 .

[2]  Minlan Yu,et al.  Rethinking virtual network embedding: substrate support for path splitting and migration , 2008, CCRV.

[3]  El-Ghazali Talbi,et al.  Metaheuristics - From Design to Implementation , 2009 .

[4]  Jianxin Li,et al.  Resilient Virtual Network Service Provision in Network Virtualization Environments , 2010, 2010 IEEE 16th International Conference on Parallel and Distributed Systems.

[5]  Minyi Guo,et al.  Mechanism Design for Stochastic Virtual Resource Allocation in Non-cooperative Cloud Systems , 2011, 2011 IEEE 4th International Conference on Cloud Computing.

[6]  Xavier Hesselbach,et al.  ALEVIN - A Framework to Develop, Compare, and Analyze Virtual Network Embedding Algorithms , 2011, Electron. Commun. Eur. Assoc. Softw. Sci. Technol..

[7]  Ahmed Karmouch,et al.  Resource Discovery and Allocation in Network Virtualization , 2012, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials.

[8]  Bin Wang,et al.  Reducing power consumption in embedding virtual infrastructures , 2012, 2012 IEEE Globecom Workshops.

[9]  Xavier Hesselbach,et al.  Energy Efficient Virtual Network Embedding , 2012, IEEE Communications Letters.

[10]  Sylvia Ratnasamy,et al.  A Survey of Enterprise Middlebox Deployments , 2012 .

[11]  Eiji Oki,et al.  GLPK (GNU Linear Programming Kit) , 2012 .

[12]  Vyas Sekar,et al.  Stratos: A Network-Aware Orchestration Layer for Middleboxes in the Cloud , 2013, ArXiv.

[13]  Fulvio Risso,et al.  Research Directions in Network Service Chaining , 2013, 2013 IEEE SDN for Future Networks and Services (SDN4FNS).

[14]  Lisandro Zambenedetti Granville,et al.  Data Center Network Virtualization: A Survey , 2013, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials.

[15]  Xavier Hesselbach,et al.  A novel paths algebra-based strategy to flexibly solve the link mapping stage of VNE problems , 2013, J. Netw. Comput. Appl..

[16]  Xavier Hesselbach,et al.  Greener networking in a network virtualization environment , 2013, Comput. Networks.

[17]  Xavier Hesselbach,et al.  Virtual Network Embedding: A Survey , 2013, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials.

[18]  Eduard Escalona,et al.  Virtual network function scheduling: Concept and challenges , 2014, 2014 International Conference on Smart Communications in Network Technologies (SaCoNeT).

[19]  Antonio Capone,et al.  Stochastic Planning for Content Delivery: Unveiling the Benefits of Network Functions Virtualization , 2014, 2014 IEEE 22nd International Conference on Network Protocols.

[20]  Fernando M. V. Ramos,et al.  Software-Defined Networking: A Comprehensive Survey , 2014, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[21]  TaeYeon Kim,et al.  Scalable CDN service PoC over distributed cloud management platform , 2014, 2014 International Conference on Information and Communication Technology Convergence (ICTC).

[22]  Tarik Taleb,et al.  Service-aware network function placement for efficient traffic handling in carrier cloud , 2014, 2014 IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference (WCNC).

[23]  Xavier Hesselbach,et al.  On the complex scheduling formulation of virtual network functions over optical networks , 2014, 2014 16th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (ICTON).

[24]  Makis Stamatelatos,et al.  Rethinking the mobile and wireless network architecture: The METIS research into 5G , 2014, 2014 European Conference on Networks and Communications (EuCNC).

[25]  Jim Guichard,et al.  Service Function Chaining: Creating a Service Plane via Network Service Headers , 2014, Computer.

[26]  Juan Felipe Botero,et al.  Coordinated Allocation of Service Function Chains , 2014, 2015 IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM).

[27]  Christian Jacquenet,et al.  Service Function Chaining: Framework & Architecture , 2014 .

[28]  Ming Xu,et al.  Security-aware virtual network embedding , 2014, 2014 IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC).

[29]  Zvika Bronstein,et al.  NFV virtualisation of the home environment , 2014, 2014 IEEE 11th Consumer Communications and Networking Conference (CCNC).

[30]  Biswanath Mukherjee,et al.  Optimal Network Function Virtualization Realizing End-to-End Requests , 2014, 2015 IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM).

[31]  Nicola Mazzocca,et al.  The dynamic placement of virtual network functions , 2014, 2014 IEEE Network Operations and Management Symposium (NOMS).

[32]  Holger Karl,et al.  Specifying and placing chains of virtual network functions , 2014, 2014 IEEE 3rd International Conference on Cloud Networking (CloudNet).

[33]  Giuseppe Carella,et al.  Cloudified IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) for Network Function Virtualization (NFV)-based architectures , 2014, 2014 IEEE Symposium on Computers and Communications (ISCC).

[34]  Wolfgang Kellerer,et al.  Applying NFV and SDN to LTE mobile core gateways, the functions placement problem , 2014, AllThingsCellular '14.

[35]  Abdallah Shami,et al.  NFV: state of the art, challenges, and implementation in next generation mobile networks (vEPC) , 2014, IEEE Network.

[36]  Filip De Turck,et al.  VNF-P: A model for efficient placement of virtualized network functions , 2014, 10th International Conference on Network and Service Management (CNSM) and Workshop.

[37]  Victor Bayon,et al.  An instrumentation and analytics framework for optimal and robust NFV deployment , 2015, IEEE Communications Magazine.

[38]  Ian F. Akyildiz,et al.  Wireless software-defined networks (W-SDNs) and network function virtualization (NFV) for 5G cellular systems: An overview and qualitative evaluation , 2015, Comput. Networks.

[39]  Raouf Boutaba,et al.  Elastic virtual network function placement , 2015, 2015 IEEE 4th International Conference on Cloud Networking (CloudNet).

[40]  Susana Sargento,et al.  Toward a telco cloud environment for service functions , 2015, IEEE Communications Magazine.

[41]  Jorge Lobo,et al.  Towards making network function virtualization a cloud computing service , 2015, 2015 IFIP/IEEE International Symposium on Integrated Network Management (IM).

[42]  Filip De Turck,et al.  Design and evaluation of algorithms for mapping and scheduling of virtual network functions , 2015, Proceedings of the 2015 1st IEEE Conference on Network Softwarization (NetSoft).

[43]  Luciana S. Buriol,et al.  Piecing together the NFV provisioning puzzle: Efficient placement and chaining of virtual network functions , 2015, 2015 IFIP/IEEE International Symposium on Integrated Network Management (IM).

[44]  Klaus Grobe,et al.  Functional and Structural Convergence of Fixed/Mobile Access Networks , 2015 .

[45]  Tamás Lukovszki,et al.  Online Admission Control and Embedding of Service Chains , 2015, SIROCCO.

[46]  Didier Colle,et al.  Network service chaining with optimized network function embedding supporting service decompositions , 2015, Comput. Networks.

[47]  Roberto Riggio,et al.  Virtual network functions orchestration in wireless networks , 2015, 2015 11th International Conference on Network and Service Management (CNSM).

[48]  Mathieu Bouet,et al.  Cost-based placement of vDPI functions in NFV infrastructures , 2015, Proceedings of the 2015 1st IEEE Conference on Network Softwarization (NetSoft).

[49]  Yonggang Wen,et al.  Cloud radio access network (C-RAN): a primer , 2015, IEEE Network.

[50]  Julio Montalvo,et al.  Fixed-mobile convergence and virtualization in 5G optical transport networks , 2015, 2015 17th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (ICTON).

[51]  Carlos Pignataro,et al.  Service Function Chaining (SFC) Architecture , 2015, RFC.

[52]  Xavier Hesselbach,et al.  Modelling the NFV forwarding graph for an optimal network service deployment , 2015, 2015 17th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (ICTON).

[53]  Joan Serrat,et al.  Server placement and assignment in virtualized radio access networks , 2015, 2015 11th International Conference on Network and Service Management (CNSM).

[54]  K. K. Ramakrishnan,et al.  Toward a software-based network: integrating software defined networking and network function virtualization , 2015, IEEE Network.

[55]  Juan Felipe Botero,et al.  Virtual Data Center Embedding: A Survey , 2015, IEEE Latin America Transactions.

[56]  Christian Esteve Rothenberg,et al.  VBaaS: VNF Benchmark-as-a-Service , 2015, 2015 Fourth European Workshop on Software Defined Networks.

[57]  Biswanath Mukherjee,et al.  On service chaining using Virtual Network Functions in Network-enabled Cloud systems , 2015, 2015 IEEE International Conference on Advanced Networks and Telecommuncations Systems (ANTS).

[58]  Joseph Naor,et al.  Near optimal placement of virtual network functions , 2015, 2015 IEEE Conference on Computer Communications (INFOCOM).

[59]  Ming Xu,et al.  Towards security-aware virtual network embedding , 2015, Comput. Networks.

[60]  Raouf Boutaba,et al.  On orchestrating virtual network functions , 2015, 2015 11th International Conference on Network and Service Management (CNSM).

[61]  Wouter Tavernier,et al.  Scalable Architecture for Service Function Chain Orchestration , 2015, 2015 Fourth European Workshop on Software Defined Networks.

[62]  Stefano Secci,et al.  Virtual network functions placement and routing optimization , 2015, 2015 IEEE 4th International Conference on Cloud Networking (CloudNet).

[63]  András Császár,et al.  Elastic network functions: opportunities and challenges , 2015, IEEE Network.

[64]  Liang Gong,et al.  Integrating network function virtualization with SDR and SDN for 4G/5G networks , 2015, IEEE Network.

[65]  Ajaypal Singh,et al.  High-performance evolved packet core signaling and bearer processing on general-purpose processors , 2015, IEEE Network.

[66]  Jinwei Xia,et al.  Uniform handling and abstraction of NFV hardware accelerators , 2015, IEEE Network.

[67]  Steven Izzo,et al.  How will NFV/SDN transform service provider opex? , 2015, IEEE Network.

[68]  Min Chen,et al.  Software-Defined Network Function Virtualization: A Survey , 2015, IEEE Access.

[69]  Meral Shirazipour,et al.  Network Function Placement for NFV Chaining in Packet/Optical Datacenters , 2015, Journal of Lightwave Technology.

[70]  Roberto Riggio,et al.  Virtual network functions orchestration in enterprise WLANs , 2015, 2015 IFIP/IEEE International Symposium on Integrated Network Management (IM).

[71]  Yong Li,et al.  System architecture and key technologies for 5G heterogeneous cloud radio access networks , 2015, IEEE Netw..

[72]  Rashid Mijumbi,et al.  On the Energy Efficiency Prospects of Network Function Virtualization , 2015, ArXiv.

[73]  Piero Castoldi,et al.  Latency-aware composition of Virtual Functions in 5G , 2015, Proceedings of the 2015 1st IEEE Conference on Network Softwarization (NetSoft).

[74]  Susana Sargento,et al.  Optimizing the embedding of virtualized cloud network infrastructures across multiple domains , 2015, 2015 IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC).

[75]  Seungjoon Lee,et al.  Network function virtualization: Challenges and opportunities for innovations , 2015, IEEE Communications Magazine.

[76]  K. K. Ramakrishnan,et al.  Virtual function placement and traffic steering in flexible and dynamic software defined networks , 2015, The 21st IEEE International Workshop on Local and Metropolitan Area Networks.

[77]  Thomas Bauschert,et al.  Combined Virtual Mobile Core Network Function Placement and Topology Optimization with Latency Bounds , 2015, 2015 Fourth European Workshop on Software Defined Networks.

[78]  Thomas D. Nadeau,et al.  Problem Statement for Service Function Chaining , 2015, RFC.

[79]  Paolo Bellavista,et al.  Virtual network function embedding in real cloud environments , 2015, Comput. Networks.

[80]  Thomas Bauschert,et al.  Mobile core network virtualization: A model for combined virtual core network function placement and topology optimization , 2015, Proceedings of the 2015 1st IEEE Conference on Network Softwarization (NetSoft).

[81]  Balázs Németh,et al.  Customizable real-time service graph mapping algorithm in carrier grade networks , 2015, 2015 IEEE Conference on Network Function Virtualization and Software Defined Network (NFV-SDN).

[82]  Filip De Turck,et al.  Network Function Virtualization: State-of-the-Art and Research Challenges , 2015, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials.

[83]  Juan Felipe Botero Vega,et al.  Network Functions Virtualization: A Survey , 2016, IEEE Latin America Transactions.

[84]  Edoardo Amaldi,et al.  On the computational complexity of the virtual network embedding problem , 2016, Electron. Notes Discret. Math..

[85]  Roberto Riggio,et al.  Scheduling Wireless Virtual Networks Functions , 2016, IEEE Transactions on Network and Service Management.

[86]  Alessandro Carrega,et al.  A Game for Energy-Aware Allocation of Virtualized Network Functions , 2016, J. Electr. Comput. Eng..

[87]  Kate Ching-Ju Lin,et al.  Deploying chains of virtual network functions: On the relation between link and server usage , 2016, IEEE INFOCOM 2016 - The 35th Annual IEEE International Conference on Computer Communications.

[88]  Myung-Ki Shin,et al.  Optimal network resource utilization in service function chaining , 2016, 2016 IEEE NetSoft Conference and Workshops (NetSoft).

[89]  Paparao Palacharla,et al.  Vertex-centric computation of service function chains in multi-domain networks , 2016, 2016 IEEE NetSoft Conference and Workshops (NetSoft).

[90]  Biswanath Mukherjee,et al.  Demand-Aware Network Function Placement , 2016, Journal of Lightwave Technology.

[91]  Juan Felipe Botero Vega,et al.  Network Functions Virtualization: A Survey , 2016 .

[92]  Raouf Boutaba,et al.  Service Function Chaining Simplified , 2016, ArXiv.

[93]  Jianping Wang,et al.  Efficient Orchestration Mechanisms for Congestion Mitigation in NFV: Models and Algorithms , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Services Computing.