SDN implementation of slicing and fast failover in 5G transport networks

Abstract

Software-defined networking is at the root of future 5G transport network design. Among others, it allows for automated network reconfiguration and network slicing support. In this paper we present an OpenFlow-based implementation of a control plane area in the transport network architecture envisioned by the 5G-XHaul project. We analyze the implementation of the slicing mechanism at the network edge. Furthermore, we propose a simple low-overhead fast proactive failover scheme for recovering from single link failures, without the delays and packet drops associated with reaching a remote controller entity.