Network operation simulation platform for network virtualization environment

Network virtualization has been considered as an enabling technology for future network, through which multiple heterogeneous virtual networks can run on a shared infrastructure. In order to study and test the network management mechanism of future network, we develop and implement a network operation simulation platform of the network virtualization environment. The platform mainly simulates the double-layer network topology and the virtual network embedding in the network virtualization environment. In addition, the running status and the fault of networks can also be simulated. The validation results show that our platform can effectively emulate the network virtualization environment. It has three advantages: (i) Simulating Double-layer network model. (ii) Running virtual network embedding experiments graphically and supporting comparison among different embedding algorithms. (iii) Simulating the faults of both substrate and virtual networks and emulating the detection results based on the simulated faults.

I. Introduction

Network virtualization has been regarded as a promising solution to deal with current network ossification[1 2], which allows multiple heterogeneous network architectures to coexist on a common substrate network. To help the researchers to study, develop and test their network management methods in network virtualization environment (NVE), there should be a target network environment. However, the current popular network operation simulation is based on the IP network and NVE is not supported. It is necessary to develop a network operation simulation platform to support the study of NVE.