Service-aware virtual network function placement in software defined networks

Current mobile units have multiple network interfaces and can connect to multiple access points simultaneously. This represents new opportunities. Choosing the right network, and the optimal route through that network, requires knowledge about the state of the network. With Software Defined Networking where control plane and data plane are separated, SDN controllers can have a good overview over a wide variety of network parameters. Thus, traffic from a service with specific service parameter requirements can be routed so that these requirements are likely to be met. In this paper we have investigated how the optimal placement of a network function in SDN varies based on service parameters such as latency, price, packet loss and throughput. We present a method to choose the best placement based on a service profile according to the current network state. The results are validated by implementing the methods in an emulated SDN network.