Towards an Integrated Framework for Managing Software-Defined Networking Models

The performance of computer networks affects an increasing number of domains. Network models are used to help analyze and understand the impact of network changes on performance. Software-defined networking (SDN) allows the quick adaptation to network conditions by moving control from local hardware to remote, software-based controllers. However, this increased adaptability means that there are more network parameters whose effect on models need to be analyzed and understood. Unfortunately, a cohesive framework that allows users to easily create, modify, explore, and manage multiple network models is lacking. This paper presents a novel framework and its implementation that addresses this shortcoming. Our system allows users to build or load SDN models with either a graphical user interface or an uploaded file, modify network topology, and experiment with network model parameters. Interactive visualization facilitates exploration of the network topology and the results from network experimentation. Our system also integrates a graph database management system to store created network models which can be queried for specific network characteristics. Finally, our system provides a flexible foundation on which more advanced functionality can be built.