ENHANCING AND OPTIMIZING THE SECURITY, RELIABILITY AND PATH COMPUTATION FOR SD-WAN USING SDN CONCEPTS

Abstract

This thesis investigates and addresses three key challenges in Software-Defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WAN) to enhance their overall performance and usability. The focus areas include Reliability, Path Computation, and Security. SD-WAN has emerged as a promising networking solution for enterprises, offering improved flexibility and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional WAN setups. However, certain critical aspects require attention to ensure its seamless adoption and efficient operation. The first challenge addressed is Reliability. Through in-depth analysis, a novel solution based on Reed Solomon Codes for Forward Error Correction (FEC) is proposed. By incorporating FEC into the SD-WAN architecture, the network gains the ability to recover from packet losses and errors, thereby ensuring a consistent and reliable data transmission, even in challenging network conditions. The second challenge centers on optimizing Path Computation, a crucial aspect influencing the efficiency of data routing in SD-WAN. In response, a new algorithm, named Source-Constrained Breadth-First (SCBF), is introduced for centralized path computation. The SCBF algorithm leverages Software-Defined Networking (SDN) principles to optimize load balancing, thereby enhancing the efficient utilization of network resources and overall performance. A thorough comparative analysis is presented, pitting SCBF against commonly used algorithms like Bellman-Ford and Dijkstra, demonstrating the superior space and time complexity of SCBF.