Network Innovation through OpenFlow and SDN

Software-defined networking (SDN) technologies powered by the OpenFlow protocol provide viable options to address the bandwidth needs of next-generation computer networks. And, since many large corporations already produce network devices that support the OpenFlow standard, there are opportunities for those who can manage complex and large-scale networks using these technologies.

Network Innovation through OpenFlow and SDN: Principles and Design explains how you can use SDN and OpenFlow to build networks that are easy to design, less expensive to build and operate, and more agile and customizable. Among the first books to systematically address the design aspects in SDN/OpenFlow, it presents the insights of expert contributors from around the world. The book’s four sections break down basic concepts, engineering design, QoS (quality-of-service), and advanced topics.

• Introduces the basic principles of SDN/OpenFlow and its applications in network systems
• Illustrates the entire design process of a practical OpenFlow/SDN
• Addresses the design issues that can arise when applying OpenFlow to cloud computing platforms
• Compares various solutions in QoS support
• Provides an overview of efficient solutions to the integration of SDN with optical networks
• Identifies the types of network attacks that could occur with OpenFlow and outlines possible solutions for overcoming them

Supplying a cutting-edge look at SDN and OpenFlow, this book gives you the wide-ranging understanding required to build, deploy, and manage OpenFlow/SDN products and networks. The book’s comprehensive coverage includes system architectures, language and programming issues, switches, controllers, multimedia support, security, and network operating systems. After reading this book you will understand what it takes to make a smooth transition from conventional networks to SDN/OpenFlow networks.

Dr. Fei Hu is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Alabama (main campus), Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He obtained his PhD at Tongji University (Shanghai, People’s Republic of China) in the field of signal processing (in 1999) and at Clarkson University (New York) in the field of electrical and computer engineering (in 2002). He has published more than 150 journal/conference articles and book chapters.

Dr. Hu’s research has been supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Defense (DoD), Cisco, Sprint, and other sources. His research expertise can be summarized as 3S: Security, Signals, Sensors. (1) Security: This is about how to overcome different cyber attacks in a complex wireless or wired network. Recently, he focused on cyber-physical system security and medical security issues. (2) Signals: This mainly refers to intelligent signal processing, that is, using machine learning algorithms to process sensing signals in a smart way to extract patterns (i.e., achieve pattern recognition). (3) Sensors: This includes microsensor design and wireless sensor networking issues.