一种灵活控制服务功能链的新方法

A Novel Method of Flexibly Controlling Service Function Chaining

近年来,随着网络功能虚拟化(network function virtualization,NFV)技术的快速发展,虚拟化网络服务的种类及数量急剧增长。在NFV网络中,通常利用服务功能链(service function chaining,SFC)将一组有序的虚拟网络功能连接起来提供某种网络服务。该文研究了如何利用SFC更为灵活、细粒度地控制NFV网络服务。首先,定义了增强服务功能链(enhanced service function chaining,ESFC)的概念,给出了一种细粒度描述ESFC的方法;其次,设计了灵活控制ESFC的系统模型,能够根据用户需求及时、准确地调整ESFC,从而灵活、精细地控制NFV网络服务功能;最后,基于NFV技术实现了一个支持上述模型的原型系统。原型系统的试验结果表明,该模型可以在极短时间内响应大量用户请求,灵活、精细地调整ESFC,使得NFV网络服务呈现出多样化功能,验证了ESFC机制的可行性。

In recent years,with the rapid development of network function virtualization(NFV)technology,the variety and number of virtualized network services have grown dramatically.In NFV networks,service function chaining(SFC)is usually used to connect a set of ordered virtual network functions to provide certain network services.We study how to use SFC to control NFV network services more flexibly and finely.The concept of enhanced service function chaining(ESFC)is first defined,and a fine-grained description method of ESFC is given.Secondly,the system model for flexible control of ESFC is designed,which can adjust ESFC timely and accurately according to user needs,so as to flexibly and finely control NFV network services.Finally,a prototype system supporting the above model is implemented based on NFV technology.The test results show that this model can respond to a large number of user requests in a quite short time,and adjust the ESFC flexibly and finely,so that NFV network service presents diversified functions,which verifies the feasibility of ESFC mechanism.