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An SDN Framework with Software-Defined Pricing (SDP)
draft-zhuge-sdnrg-sdn-sdp-02

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This is an older version of an Internet-Draft whose latest revision state is "Expired".
Authors Bin Zhuge , Yining Wang , Hua Zhu , Weiming Wang
Last updated 2016-05-04
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draft-zhuge-sdnrg-sdn-sdp-02
Internet Engineering Task Force                                 B. Zhuge
Internet-Draft                             Zhejiang Gongshang University
Intended status: Standards Track                                 Y. Wang
Expires: November 4, 2016                        Simon Fraser University
                                                                  H. Zhu
                                                                 W. Wang
                                           Zhejiang Gongshang University
                                                             May 3, 2016

          An SDN Framework with Software-Defined Pricing (SDP)
                      draft-zhuge-sdnrg-sdn-sdp-02

Abstract

   This document defines a notion called Software-Defined Pricing (SDP)
   and introduces it into a Software-Defined Networks (SDN) framework.
   The SDN system with SDP inside is expected to promote the efficiency
   on SDN resources usage and ease management for service providers.

Status of This Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
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   This Internet-Draft will expire on November 4, 2016.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2016 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
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   include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of
   the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as
   described in the Simplified BSD License.

Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Software-Defined Pricing (SDP)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   3.  SDN with SDP  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     3.1.  Adopting SDP in SDN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     3.2.  Framework of SDN with SDP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
   4.  The Trading between the Layers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9
   5.  Security  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
   6.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
   7.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
   Authors' Addresses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12

1.  Introduction

   Software-Defined Networks(SDN) is in the research process.  With the
   idea of SDN, networking resources like switches, routers and types of
   Network Elements (NEs)are managed as kinds of virtual resources,
   forming virtual networks so as to provide rather flexible services to
   network users.  In this research process, we noticed that how to
   price the services and the use of virtual network resources in an SDN
   is as critical as how the SDN is defined.  We consider that it seems
   a precious idea to treat a service pricing mechanism as part of the
   SDN framework and to manage it in a software-defined way.

   Network service prices are traditionally determined by service
   providers in a rather rigid way, which lacks of flexibility and
   sometimes even fairness to resources users.  By means of the idea of
   SDP, it is able to treat service pricing as a part of SDN, forming a
   service pricing model flexible to time, traffic and other network
   factors and status.  In this way, it is expected to promote the
   efficiency of SDN resources usage and ease the management for service
   providers.

2.  Software-Defined Pricing (SDP)

   Software-Defined Pricing (SDP) is an idea specific to network
   management, whose core is that the service prices of network
   resources are determined by means of software-defined algorithms and/
   or mechanisms, which figure the prices according to various factors
   and status of the network resources.  In contrast to SDP, service
   prices may be pre-determined rigidly by service providers.

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   An SDP Protocol is an instance of SDP implementation shown in a way
   of protocol, which specifically defines algorithms and/or mechanisms
   to price specific services and use of network resources.  An SDP
   protocol may be a private protocol if it is defined by a service
   provider personally, or a public protocol if defined publicly by
   standardization organizations.

   By use of the software-defined mechanism, SDP essentially supports
   automatic negotiations of prices in a pricing process.  Automatic
   resource and price negotiation features a Guaranteed Service (GS).
   As a result, SDN with SDP essentially supports GS services.

   Network users must accept and abide by the network SDP protocol when
   they use the network resources and the services.

   An SDP protocol usually includes trading partners, trading content,
   obligations and other transaction costs.  Service providers can make
   provisions for users in terms of workload and resource use.

   As an example, we present a typical process for an SDP protocol.
   When users expect to use resources from a virtual network by a
   service provider, users first query prices of various resources and
   services by means of the SDP protocol.  The service provider returns
   the resource prices to users.  Then, users will start up a price
   negotiation process with the service provider by use of the SDP
   protocol.  Both the user and the service provider will proceed the
   price negotiation process based on their specific price negotiation
   algorithms.  The negotiation process will be ended only from the user
   with the SDP protocol.  It will end with an agreement is either met
   or not.  The SDP protocol process is shown in Figure 1.  Usually, in
   a negotiation algorithm, the user or the service provider are able to
   take into consideration of current network status and other network
   factors, which make the price negotiation process much more efficient
   and flexible than traditional pricing methods.

+------+ +                             +                    +-----------+
|      | | --------SDP protocol------->| -----------------+ |           |
|      | |                             | search price     | |           |
|      | | <-------SDP protocol--------|<-----------------+ |           |
|      | | --------SDP protocol------->|------------------+ |  service  |
| user | |                             | price negotiation| | sprovider |
|      | | <-------SDP protocol--------|<-----------------+ |           |
|      | | --------SDP protocol------->|------------------+ |           |
|      | |                             | negotiation ends | |           |
|      | | <-------SDP protocol--------|<-----------------+ |           |
+------+ +                             +                    +-----------+

                   Figure 1: Process of an SDP Protocol

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   To fulfill above process, an SDP protocol header may usually include
   fields like shown in Figure 2, where:

   o  ID: the unique identifier of the protocol header.

   o  Level: service priorities identified.

   o  Expression: including one or more ITP(ID-Type-Properties) formats,
      where ID is the unique identifier of a resource, Type is the type
      of resource, Properties is the attributes of the resource.

   o  TimeSpec: a structure of service time, mainly refers to the
      selection of the service period.

   o  Price: the price of the transaction.

   o  ContractTime: trading hours.

   o  State: trading status with success or failure.

+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ID | Level | Expression | TimeSpec | Price | ContractTime |  State   |
+------------|------------|----------|---------------------------------+
                   |           |
                   |           +----------------------+
                   V                                  |
     +------------------------+                       |
     | ID | Type | Properties |                       |
     +-----------|------------+                       V
                       |         +-------------------------------------+
                       |         | Y/M/D | Mon-Fri/Weekend | 8:00-0:00 |
                       V         +-------------------------------------+
+-----------------------------------------+
|  rate  |  delay  |  shake   |  etc.     |
+-----------------------------------------+

                     Figure 2: An SDP Protocol Header

   (TBD)

3.  SDN with SDP

3.1.  Adopting SDP in SDN

   SDP can be applied to SDN architecture well because of its natural
   software-defined feature.

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   In SDN architecture, control plane and data plane are separated to
   achieve the segregation of the control and forwarding.  A typical SDN
   architecture usually includes: application layer, control layer, and
   infrastructure (forwarding) layer.  To adopt SDP in SDN, an SDP
   module is applied.  An SDP module implements the SDP protocol and
   corresponding negotiation algorithms/mechanisms.  An SDP module can
   be applied to any layer in the SDN, where resources need to be
   priced.  In this way, theoretically, all kinds of network resources
   and services can be programmed in terms of use prices as well as
   resources functions.  This makes SDN more complete regarding its
   software-defining characters.

   In SDN application market, resource providers and resource consumers
   actually hardly know each other fully for the value of resources and
   services.  Hence, the trade between them is an information asymmetry
   game.  To take this into consideration, an SDP module with its
   protocol and associated negotiation mechanisms applied to an SDN
   system is usually of the following features:

   o  1) An SDP module can be distributed across parts of SDN system, to
      get the optimal level of service quality under budget constraints
      of service consumers.  As a result, the SDP module usually further
      contains a pricing module and a trading module, used for pricing
      and trading of resources respectively.  With an SDP module, users
      can submit their requirements according to their budgets at the
      SDN application layer to SDN control layer.  Then, the SDN control
      layer can get results of optimal resource services based on user's
      budget.

   o  2) An SDP module usually includes an auto-negotiation mechanism.
      During the trading process, resource providers first get the price
      based on the price algorithm and/or mechanism, and present them to
      resources consumers.  If consumers are not satisfied with the
      prices, process of negotiation with auto-negotiation algorithm or
      mechanism will be triggered.

   o  3) With SDP, use of resources and their prices are not unique
      anymore.  Different resources providers may provide different
      prices even for the same resources.  SDP module may query
      different resources providers for optimal prices.  This process
      usually takes place at the SDP protocol stage of searching prices.

   o  4) In an SDP transaction, an SDN application usually act as a
      resource provider to end users.  Whereas, at the same time, it can
      also act as resource consumers to SDN control plane as well as SDN
      forwarding plane.  It sells resources to end users.  At the same
      time, it may buy or hire resources from SDN core systems.  All
      these can be done by use of SDP module.

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   o  5) With a time attribute, SDP can respectively support SDN
      applications well for temporary term users or long term users
      regarding optimal use prices.

3.2.  Framework of SDN with SDP

   As mentioned, a typical SDN framework usually includes Application
   Layer, Control Layer, and Infrastructure (forwarding) Layer.  In SDN
   Application Layer, things like virtual servers and other SDN
   personalized services will be presented as individual SDN
   Applications.  Based on the idea above on adopting SDP to SDN, a
   typical framework of an SDN system which adopts SDP module is as
   shown in Figure 3.In this framework, the SDP-App includes an SDP
   module inside and makes the module support software-defined pricing
   function.

   SDP-App may exist in each layer of the SDN framework.  Note that, SDN
   Application communicates with SDN controllers via the AD-SAL and
   Service Interface.Either should require that the AD-SAL and Service
   Interface must support SDP protocol to support the SDN with SDP.
   Also note that, SDN Control Layer includes the network service, SDP-
   App, and control abstraction Layer(CAL), it is defined to communicate
   with SDN forwarding layer by means of the resource abstraction
   layer(RAL) and the uniformly defined SDN southern interface protocols
   like ForCES ,OpenFlow, etc.  To support SDN with SDP, SDP protocol
   must be designed supportable by these protocols for messaging
   purpose.  This may become a key question for the design of an SDP
   protocol.  The SDN Forwarding Layer includes the network element, and
   SDP-App. It is exposed via the Resource Abstraction Layer (RAL),
   which may be expressed by one or more abstraction models.

   (TBD)

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                     o--------------------------------o
                     |                                |
                     | +-------------+   +----------+ |
                     | | Application |   |  SDP-App | |
                     | +-------------+   +----------+ |
                     |       Application Layer        |
                     o---------------Y----------------o
                                     |
       *-----------------------------Y---------------------------------*
       |     Application-Driven Services Abstraction Layer (AD-SAL)    |
       *-----------------------------Y---------------------------------*
                                     |
                                     |Service
                                     |Interface
                                     |
       o-----------------------------Y--------------------------------o
       |                   Control   |   Layer                        |
       |                  +----------Y--------+  +---------+          |
       |                  |  Network Service  |  | SDP-App |          |
       |                  +----------Y--------+  +----Y----+          |
       |                             |                |               |
       |                *------------Y----------------Y------*        |
       |                |  Control Abstraction Layer (CAL)   |        |
       |                *------------Y-----------------------*        |
       |                             |                                |
       o-----------------------------|--------------------------------o
                                     |
                                     | Southbound
                                     | Interface
                                     |
       *-----------------------------Y---------------------------------*
       |              Resource Abstraction Layer (RAL)                 |
       *-----------------------------Y---------------------------------*
       |                             |                                 |
       |                    o--------Y-----------o   +----------+      |
       |                    |   Network Element  |   | SDP-App  |      |
       |                    o--------------------o   +----------+      |
       |                           Forwarding Layer                    |
       +---------------------------------------------------------------+

                    Figure 3: An SDN Framework with SDP

   As another example, we try to present an SDN application which uses
   SDP to access network resources so as to get optimal resources use
   price.  We call the SDN application a 'Chat' App, which is to
   construct a social App platform to connect, communicate and share
   among people and things by means of Guaranteed-Service (GS) rather
   than Best-Efforts (BE) services to users.  Hence, the App needs to

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   hire network resources from cloud network service providers to
   provide virtual server and Guaranteed Service (GS) resources.

   Fig 4 shown the process for 'Chat' to access the GS Resources by use
   of SDP.  'Chat' client and 'Chat' Server makes service agreement via
   SDP module.  'Chat' server may be implemented as a virtual server,
   whose pricing is also implemented by SDP module.  Further more,
   resources to support the virtual server and the 'chat' message
   forwarding are used based on SDP negotiations.  As shown inFigure 4 ,
   in this case, SDN controller inside the virtual server of 'chat' may
   send requests to multiple cloud platforms by SDP module(such as Sina
   cloud, Baidu cloud and Ali cloud in the figure).  All the cloud
   service providers return with resource prices, and SDN controller
   inside the 'chat' server select or negotiate with the cloud service
   providers.  SDN controller finally may select or get a successful or
   failed negotiation results and returns to the 'chat' client via SDP
   protocols.  As a result, a transaction for a GS service pricing ends.

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                           +---------------------+
                           |   'Chat' client     |
                           |     ( With SDP )    |
                           +---------------------+
                                      A
                                      |
                                      V
                           +---------------------+
                           |    'Chat' server    |
                           |     ( With SDP )    |
                           +---------------------+
                                      A
                                      |
                                      V
                           +---------------------+
                           |    virtual server   |
                           |     ( With SDP )    |
                           +---------------------+
                                      A
                                      |
                                      V
                           +---------------------+
                           |    SDN controller   |
                           |     ( With SDP )    |
                           +---------------------+
                                      A
                                      |
              +----------------------------------------------+
              |                       |                      |
              V                       V                      V
      +----------------+      +---------------+       +-------------+
      |   Sina cloud   |      |  Baidu cloud  |       |  Ali cloud  |
      |   (With SDP)   |      |  (With SDP )  |       |  (With SDP  |
      +----------------+      +---------------+       +-------------+

    Figure 4: The Process for 'Chat' Accessing Resources by Use of SDP

4.  The Trading between the Layers

   As shown in Figure 5A complete SDN environment is made up of
   application layer, control layer, data forwarding plane, if regard
   SDN environment as an economy market ,Then corresponding to the three
   layers structure of SDN environment, the economy market can be
   divided into: user layer, trading platform and provider layer.  But
   each layer is embedded with the pricing model and consumption pattern
   which is apply to this layer , the communication between each other
   is accomplished by special protocol, each of them is independent but
   closely linked.In application layer, there are many users, the users

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   were independent of each other, and they belonged to different
   platforms.In control layer there are multiple platforms, on the two
   ends of platform respectively connected to different users and
   providers, the existence of multiple platforms can solve the monopoly
   of a single platform and the problem that users and providers'choice
   unicity.In fowarding layer,there are many providers, they can offer
   different types of resources for each platform.

*------------------------------------------------------------------------*
|Application +--------------+  +---------------+      +---------------+  |
|  Layer     | Application 1|  | Application 2 |  ... | Application n |  |
|            +--------------+  +---------------+      +---------------+  |
*--------------Y-Y-Y---------------Y-Y--Y--------------------Y--Y--Y-----*
               | | | +-------------+ |  |    +---------------+  |  |
               | | | |   +-----------|--|----|------------------+  |
               | | +-|---|-----------|--|----|----------------+    |
               | +---|---|-------+   |  +----|-----------+    |    |
               |     |   |       |   |       |           |    |    |
*--------------V-----V---V-------V---V-------V-----------V----V----V-----*
|  Control   +--------------+  +---------------+      +---------------+  |
|  Layer     |Control Plane1|  |Control Plane2 |  ... |Control Plane n|  |
|            +--------------+  +---------------+      +---------------+  |
*--------------Y-Y-Y---------------Y-Y--Y--------------------Y--Y--Y-----*
               | | | +-------------+ |  |    +---------------+  |  |
               | | | |   +-----------|--|----|------------------+  |
               | | +-|---|-----------|--|----|----------------+    |
               | +---|---|-------+   |  +----|-----------+    |    |
               |     |   |       |   |       |           |    |    |
*--------------V-----V---V-------V---V-------V-----------V----V----V---------*
|Forwarding +-----------------+ +-----------------+     +------------------+ |
|  Layer    |Forwarding Plane1| |Forwarding Plane2| ... |Forwarding Plane n| |
|           +-----------------+ +-----------------+     +------------------+ |
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*

       Figure 5: Multi-Ownership Combinatorial Double Auction Model

   We summarize the differences of three kinds of trading pattern and
   the position of SDN architecture which applied them , as shown in
   Figure 6:

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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Trading |   Product  | Trading| Trading Risk  |  Trading price  | Location
   Pattern |   Pattern  | market |               |                 |  of SDN
-----------|------------|--------|---------------|-----------------|---------------
   spot    |   Retail   |    No  |Greater risk   | Negotiation     | Application
 trading   |   Commodity|        |               |non-standard     | layer
-----------|------------|--------|---------------|-----------------|---------------
  Futures  |  A kind of | Future | Has margin,   |Settlement based |
  trading  | products as|        | less risk     |on the price     |Data forwarding
           | a unit     |        |               |of the exchange  |layer
-----------|------------|--------|---------------|-----------------|---------------
  Planned  |Goods in any| Overall|PlannedSpending| Control price,  | Entire
  trading  | combination| market |almost no risk |according to     |architecture
           |            |        |               |supply and demand|
-----------|------------|--------|---------------|-----------------|---------------

          Figure 6: the Differences among Three Trading Patterns

   The commodities mode, trading market and other factors of planned
   trading decides it apply to the entire SDN market; the commodities
   mode of spot trading determines which is suitable for small number of
   resources trading, and it has some risks, therefore it works in the
   application layer of SDN architecture; the commodities mode of
   futures trading trade in a kind of resource as a unit, and the risk
   is small, possess the futures market, so it works in data forwarding
   layer of SDN architecture.

5.  Security

   TBD

6.  IANA Considerations

   This document has no actions for IANA.

7.  Informative References

   [China-Communications]
              Zhuge, B., Deng, L., Dai, G., Wan, L., Wang, W., and J.
              Lan, "Resource Scheduling Algorithm and Ecnomic Model in
              ForCES Networks.China Communications", 2014.

   [ONF-White-Paper]
              Fundation O N., "Software-defined networking: The new norm
              for networks", 2012.

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   [RFC7426]  Haleplidis, E., Ed., Pentikousis, K., Ed., Denazis, S.,
              Hadi Salim, J., Meyer, D., and O. Koufopavlou, "Software-
              Defined Networking (SDN): Layers and Architecture
              Terminology", RFC 7426, DOI 10.17487/RFC7426, January
              2015, <http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7426>.

   [Telecommunications-Science]
              Zhuge, B., Wang, B., and Y. Wang, "Architecture of SDN
              applications based on Software-Defined price", 2015.

Authors' Addresses

   Bin Zhuge
   Zhejiang Gongshang University
   18 Xuezheng Str., Xiasha University Town
   Hangzhou  310018
   P.R.China

   Phone: +86 571 28877723
   Email: zhugebin@zjsu.edu.cn

   Yining Wang
   Simon Fraser University
   8888 University Drive
   Burnaby
   Canada

   Phone: +1 (778) 885-0009
   Email: ywa165@sfu.ca

   Hua Zhu
   Zhejiang Gongshang University
   18 Xuezheng Str., Xiasha University Town
   Hangzhou  310018
   P.R.China

   Phone: +86 571 28877723
   Email: zhuhua9114@163.com

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   Weiming Wang
   Zhejiang Gongshang University
   18 Xuezheng Str., Xiasha University Town
   Hangzhou  310018
   P.R.China

   Phone: +86 571 28877761
   Email: wmwang@zjsu.edu.cn

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