[Paper Review] SDN Enabled and OpenFlow Compatible Network Performance Monitoring System

S. H. Warraich, Z. Aziz+4 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|May 15, 2020

Software-Defined Networks and 5G15 references4 citations

TL;DR

This paper proposes SDX-Manager, an SDN-enabled, OpenFlow-compatible network performance monitoring system for Internet eXchange Points (IXPs) that enhances usability and programmability. By integrating an SDN controller with Grafana for real-time visualization and enabling rule-based traffic management (e.g., port blocking, redirection), the system improves network analysis through metrics like packets/second, bits/second, and query count, with validated performance in both virtual and physical deployments using OpenFlow-enabled switches.

ABSTRACT

Network performance monitoring holds a pivotal role in improving the overall network performance. It is essential to monitor the traffic statistics at Internet eXchange Points (IXPs) to optimize the traffic flows. The existing monitoring system either lacks usability or programmability. We present a Software Defined Networking (SDN) enabled and OpenFlow (OF) compatible network performance monitoring system (SDX-Manager) to improve the usability or programmability of IXP simultaneously. The proposed system integrates traditional IXP-Manager with the SDN controller and Grafana to better visualize the traffic. It provides a dashboard to the network administrator for defining rules over IXP, such as port blocking and traffic redirection. Furthermore, it facilitates the administrative tasks that include adding, modifying, and deleting the users and IXP objects (Ports, Switches). The proposed SDX-Manager is deployed and tested in a virtual and physical environment using OF enabled Allied Telesis Switch. Results indicate that SDX-Manager has improved network analysis using different statistics such as packets in/out per second, bits in/out per second, scrape duration, and query count.

Motivation & Objective

• To address the limitations in usability and programmability of existing network performance monitoring systems at IXPs.
• To design a system that enables dynamic, rule-based traffic management at IXPs through SDN and OpenFlow integration.
• To provide network administrators with a centralized dashboard for managing users, ports, switches, and traffic policies.
• To improve network visibility and analysis using real-time statistics such as packet and bit rates, query counts, and scrape durations.

Proposed method

• Integration of a traditional IXP-Manager with an SDN controller to enable centralized, programmatic control over IXP infrastructure.
• Utilization of OpenFlow protocol to communicate with OF-enabled switches (e.g., Allied Telesis) for flow table management and traffic monitoring.
• Deployment of Grafana for real-time, interactive visualization of network statistics including in/out packets/second, bits/second, and query counts.
• Implementation of a rule-based interface allowing administrators to define traffic policies such as port blocking and redirection.
• Support for dynamic administrative operations including user and IXP object (port/switch) creation, modification, and deletion.
• Testing and validation of the system in both virtual and physical environments using a real OF-compatible switch.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How can SDN and OpenFlow be leveraged to improve the programmability and usability of network performance monitoring at IXPs?
• RQ2 What specific network statistics can be effectively collected and visualized using an SDN-based monitoring architecture?
• RQ3 To what extent does the integration of an SDN controller and Grafana enhance real-time network visibility and administrative control?
• RQ4 How does the proposed system perform in both virtual and physical deployment scenarios with real OF-enabled hardware?
• RQ5 Can the system support dynamic, rule-based traffic management (e.g., port blocking, redirection) in a scalable and manageable way?

Key findings

• The SDX-Manager system successfully improved network analysis by enabling real-time monitoring of key performance metrics such as packets in/out per second and bits in/out per second.
• The system demonstrated effective visualization of network statistics through Grafana, providing administrators with an intuitive dashboard for monitoring and management.
• Scrape duration and query count metrics were successfully collected and used to assess system responsiveness and monitoring efficiency.
• The system was validated in both virtual and physical environments, confirming its operational stability and compatibility with OF-enabled switches.
• Administrative tasks such as user and IXP object (port/switch) management were successfully implemented and tested, supporting dynamic configuration changes.