NeTS: Small: Collaborative Research: Software Defined Network Function Virtualization (SDNFV) - Flexible, High Performance Network and Data Center Virtualization

NeTS：小型：协作研究：软件定义网络功能虚拟化 (SDNFV) - 灵活、高性能的网络和数据中心虚拟化

• 批准号: 1422462
• 负责人: Kadangode Ramakrishnan
• 金额: $ 25万
• 依托单位: Rutgers University New Brunswick
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-10-01 至 2015-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1422462&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NeTS; Small; Collaborative; Research; Software

Traditional computer networks have been built from hardware appliances, such as routers, firewalls, and switches, to implement functionality. These devices can process network packets at high speed, but provide little flexibility since they are based on purpose-built hardware. Recent improvements in multi-core processors and high-speed network interface cards have enabled Network Function Virtualization (NFV), which allows these network components to run instead on commodity compute servers. NFV makes the network data processing elements run as software, allowing them to be deployed dynamically or easily modified and tuned with changes in network workloads. At the same time, Software Defined Networking (SDN) has grown in popularity as a way to manage more easily network services by centralizing control plane functions. This research investigates how the convergence of NFV and SDN can enable a new breed of highly dynamic network services for customers of Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and also grant cloud computing customers far greater control over data center resources. The work will explore both the software mechanisms needed to support network components running at speeds well beyond 10 Gbps inside of virtual machines, and the algorithms and control architectures required to coordinate these components with high performance and low cost. The project targets two application areas for Software Defined Network Function Virtualization (SDNFV). The first is dynamic services for network providers for which the principal investigators (PIs) are developing a SDNFV platform that enables line-rate packet processing within virtual machines by exploiting network interface controller (NIC) polling and shared memory for zero-copy communication. This flexible infrastructure will allow packets to be redirected based on complex policies, packet data, or service state, which is not currently possible in hardware-based solutions. The second focus area is on cloud computing data centers in which SDNFV will enable cloud data center operators to easily partition and multiplex network resources in the same way they currently virtualize servers and storage devices. In this application area the PIs are developing virtualization-layer trust boundaries that provide strict performance and data isolation, while still permitting the optimizations required for SDNFV?s fast packet processing. They will also study the new resource management and scheduling algorithms required to ensure a group of virtual machine-based network services can meet their strict latency requirements. Finally the PIs will evaluate their ideas by building prototypes and testing them using realistic benchmark workloads and traces.The proposed work has the potential to redefine how networks are built and managed, by transitioning away from single-purpose hardware to flexible software-based network components. This research could make the connected, digital world we rely on more efficient and more responsive to workload changes, attacks, and policy decisions. The research will be paired with an educational program to enhance the networking and distributed systems curriculum at the researchers' institutions. This will help prepare undergraduate, Masters, and Ph.D. students to enter the work force with highly sought-after experience in the latest networking technologies.

传统的计算机网络是由硬件设备（例如路由器，防火墙和开关）构建的，以实现功能。这些设备可以高速处理网络数据包，但由于它们基于专门构建的硬件，因此几乎没有灵活性。多核处理器和高速网络接口卡的最新改进已经启用了网络功能虚拟化（NFV），这使这些网络组件可以在商品计算服务器上运行。 NFV使网络数据处理元素作为软件运行，从而使它们通过网络工作负载的更改进行动态部署或易于修改和调整。 同时，软件定义的网络（SDN）已在流行中增长，作为一种通过集中控制平面功能来管理更轻松的网络服务的一种方式。 这项研究调查了NFV和SDN的融合如何为Internet服务提供商（ISP）的客户提供新的高度动态网络服务，并授予云计算客户对数据中心资源的控制更大。 这项工作将探索以速度超过10 Gbps运行的网络组件所需的两种软件机制，以及虚拟机内部的10 Gbps，以及将这些组件与高性能和低成本协调所需的算法和控制体系结构。该项目针对软件定义的网络功能虚拟化（SDNFV）的两个应用程序区域。首先是针对网络提供商的动态服务，主要研究人员（PIS）正在开发一个SDNFV平台，该平台通过利用网络接口控制器（NIC）轮询（NIC）对零副本通信来实现虚拟机内的线路速率数据包处理。这种灵活的基础架构将允许基于复杂的策略，数据包数据或服务状态重定向数据包，这目前在基于硬件的解决方案中是不可能的。 第二个焦点区域是云计算数据中心，在该数据中心中，SDNFV将以与当前虚拟化服务器和存储设备相同的方式来启用云数据中心运营商轻松划分和多重网络资源。在此应用领域，PI正在开发虚拟化层信任边界，这些边界可提供严格的性能和数据隔离，同时仍允许SDNFV快速数据包处理所需的优化。他们还将研究确保一组基于虚拟机器的网络服务所需的新资源管理和调度算法可以满足其严格的延迟要求。最终，PI将通过构建原型并使用逼真的基准工作负载和跟踪来评估他们的想法。拟议的工作有可能通过从单用途硬件转换为基于软件的网络组件来重新定义网络的构建和管理方式。这项研究可以使我们依赖于更有效，对工作负载的变化，攻击和政策决策更敏感的数字世界。 该研究将与一个教育计划配对，以增强研究人员机构的网络和分布式系统课程。这将有助于准备本科，硕士和博士学位。学生在最新的网络技术中以高度追捧的经验进入劳动力。