OpenFlow switch controller as a policy-based system

Abstract

In this paper we present the OpenFlow Switch that enables the software designed networks (SDN) as a policy-based system in which the Switch in the data plane is treated like the managed object and the Controller plays the role of a PDP (Policy Decision Point). Viewed as a PDP the Controller itself incorporates digital policies and can use some of the IETF protocols originally intended for the policy-based systems. This approach allows addressing some nagging problems in the SDN technology. Therefore, we also present a policy based SDN Controller architecture, and analyze it to illustrate how to address these problems.