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Projecte ofert

Títol: Multi-Objective Optimization of Controller Placement in SDN Networks: A Comprehensive Analysis


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Director: CERVELLÓ PASTOR, CRISTINA

Departament: ENTEL

Títol: Multi-Objective Optimization of Controller Placement in SDN Networks: A Comprehensive Analysis

Data inici oferta: 19-04-2023     Data finalització oferta: 19-12-2023



Estudis d'assignació del projecte:
    MU MASTEAM 2015
Tipus: Individual
 
Lloc de realització: Fora UPC    
 
        Supervisor extern: Kurdman Rasol
        Institució/Empresa: I2CAT Foundation
        Titulació del Director: PhD in Computer Architecture (UPC)
 
Paraules clau:
SDN, Optimization, reliability, placement, ML
 
Descripció del contingut i pla d'activitats:
This Master's Thesis offer is associated with an internship.
Please apply at:
https://borsapractiques.eetac.upc.edu/ca/ofertes/oferta/777

Software-defined networking (SDN) is an approach that separates
the control plane from the data plane, enabling network
intelligence
to be deployed in a centralized SDN controller for a global view
of the network. The initial SDN approach used a single
centralized
controller, but distributed controllers have emerged to address
scalability
issues. One of the challenges of distributed controller
architectures is managing controllers effectively, including
allocating them
to appropriate network locations [1]. The Hierarchical Controller
Placement Problem (HCPP) methodology uses a hierarchical
architecture with at least two controller levels, improving
network scalability and efficiency. This work is a continuation
of our
previous work done in [2]. The HCPP methodology solves the
problem of controller placement using K-means and K-center
algorithms,
with a Super Controller (SC) at the top, some Master Controllers
(MCs) in the middle, and Domain Controllers (DCs) at the bottom.
The optimization problem is known to be NP-hard, so it is
commonly formulated as a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP)
problem.
The metric that is optimized in this case is the latency between
controller-to-switch communication (CS) communications.

To summarize, the main task of this project includes but is not
limited to:

1. The plan is to expand the investigation of larger topologies,
such as the Full European NREN emulation model, which has 1157
routers. In previous work, controllers were only placed
vertically and oversaw a set of switches within their domain. The
goal is to
extend the hierarchical control plane among controllers to enable
communication between them and allow coordination and consensus
algorithms to keep them synchronized.
2. The study aims to enhance the reliability of SDN networks when
facing network failures, including single and multiple link
failures. It will analyze the impact of these failures on network
performance and propose a controller placement method that can
handle these failures effectively, ensuring efficient network
operation in a practical scenario.
3. Another factor that should be considered when solving this
problem is the controller's and the link's capacity.
4. The main tasks are to design and implement multi-level
hierarchical controller placement strategies for SDN networks
using a
machine learning approach (i.e., genetic algorithms). The purpose
is to solve the controller placement problem by considering all
relevant constraints, including latency, reliability, and
capacity, and comparing it to the exact solution.

References
----------
1. Brandon Heller, Rob Sherwood, and Nick Mckeown. The controller
placement problem. Computer Communication Review, 42(4):473-478,
2012. ISSN 01464833. doi:10.1145/2377677.2377767.
2. Kurdman Rasol and J. Domingo-Pascual 'Multi-level Hierarchical
Controller Placement in Software Defined Networking. In: Ghita
B.,
Shiaeles S. (eds) Selected Papers from the 12th International
Networking Conference. INC 2020. Lecture Notes in Networks and
Systems, vol 180. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-
030-64758-210

Additional comment:
-------------------

Contact Dr. Kurdman Rasol at kurdman.rasol@i2cat.net for any
questions related to the activities.
 
Orientació a l'estudiant:
The minimum skills required for the internship include a thorough
understanding of SDN architectures, protocols, and
technologies, practical experience using network simulation and
optimization tools like CPLEX, Gurobi, or Pyomo, and
strong proficiency in the Python programming language.

The main Expectations outcomes are as follows:
1. The program involves developing software tools and writing a
report on the Multi-Objective Optimization of
Controller Placement.
2. Additionally, the student is expected to produce written works
suitable for publication in academic journals or
conferences.

Desired requirements:
--------------------

Desired Skills for Internship Candidates (It is expected that the
student has the ability to share software tools
and submit the report). The following are some requirements for
prospective candidates:

1. Master's degree in computer science, Operations Research, or
related field.
2. At least 4 years of experience in software development and
network engineering.
3. Deep understanding of SDN architectures, protocols, and
technologies.
4. Experience with network simulation and optimization tools such
as CPLEX, Gurobi or Pyomo
5. Strong experience with Python programming languages.
6. Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work
independently or in a team environment.
7. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.


Other Information:
-----------------

- 20h/ Week

- The amount to be paid for undergraduate students is €8/h and
for master's students €10/h.

- This Master's Thesis offer is associated with an internship.
Please apply at
https://borsapractiques.eetac.upc.edu/ca/ofertes/oferta/777

- Contact Dr. Kurdman Rasol at kurdman.rasol@i2cat.net for any
questions related to the activities.
 
 
 
Horari d'atenció a estudiants per a l'assignació de projecte:

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