Multicast SFC Mapping Algorithm Based on Comprehensive Evaluation

In this paper, we study the multicast service function chain (SFC) mapping problem in software-defined networking and network function virtualization environments. In order to jointly optimize node computation, storage and bandwidth resource consumption, we propose a multicast SFC mapping heuristic algorithm based on comprehensive evaluation. The algorithm builds a multicast tree covering all destination nodes while deploying virtual network functions (VNFs). It first conducts a comprehensive evaluation of several best candidates at the current tree building and the impact of these candidates on the subsequent tree building. Then it selects the candidate paths to be added to the tree that can save the overhead of the multicast tree and contribute to the reduction of the number of VNFs to be deployed, optimizing simultaneously the multicast tree's overhead and the number of VNF placements in the tree building process and further reducing the consumption of transmission, computation and storage resources. The experimental simulation results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the MC-MSFT in terms of node computation, storage and bandwidth resource consumption as well as blocking ratio.