Software-Defined Wireless Networking
Recent mobile cloud applications require guaranteed network performance more than conventional client-server applications as such mobile applications incur tight and real-time interactions with cloud and sometimes offload network-intensive workloads to cloud. The emergence of software-defined networking (SDN) [1][2], whose key features include separation between the data-plane and the control-plane and logically centralized network control, has potential to completely reshape the field of computer networking. Going beyond conceptual models, the existing deployment of SDN in major data centers (e.g., Google and Microsoft data centers) has demonstrated the substantial gain and flexibility of SDN. However, the existing initiatives of SDN focus mostly on wireline networks such as data center networks, service provider networks, and enterprise networks. Given the substantial potential of SDN, it is imperative that we develop a better understanding of the potential benefits and issues of applying SDN to wireless networks, including networks such as cellular networks, mobile ad hoc networks, and cyber-physical networks.
In the world of wireless networks, the quickly growing demand for wireless networks and the numerous application-specific requirements stand in stark contrast to today's inflexible management and operation of WiFi networks. This thesis targets at bring the SDN concept to wireless networks, such as WiFi network. We will explore the potential and benefits of introducing programmability and virtualization in wireless networks. Wireless networks are very different from wired netrworks: the domain where SDN has been studied mostly so far, as wireless communication happens over a shared wireless medium whose characteristics constantly change over time an in an unpredictable manner. Many WiFi specific features influence the probability of successful data transmission, such as transmission rates, power, interference, congestion, etc.
In this thesis, we will propose, validate, and evaluate a software-defined wireless networking architecture [3], which is based on a unified, programmable control plane that allows to manage both the datapath as well sa the virtualized middleboxes. We will focus on wireless traffic offloading [4][5][6] experiments with our proposed architecture.
Drop me (Zhongliang Zhao) an email in case you’re interested.
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