Integrating WMN based mobile backhaul with SDN control

Abstract

Resilient high capacity and low delay millimeter wave wireless mesh networks (WMNs) can provide suitable backhaul connections for future broadband mobile networks. The WMN solution is best suited in cases where base stations are installed in locations without optical fiber connection to transport network, e.g., small-cell deployment to hot spots in dense urban areas. Recently software defined network (SDN) concept has become popular in many networking areas including mobile networks. One of the key promises is to provide an efficient way for network operators to extend and create new services. As the whole network is controlled by a single central entity that is based on software code, it would be easy to make large scale network upgrades without need to wait that updates are available for all network elements (NEs). There is, however, a clear conflict between SDN ideas and WMN operation. The performance and reliability of the latter one is heavily depended on fast local reactions to, e.g., link degradations. Centralized control would introduce longer delays in reactions. In this paper, we are proposing a concept which solves these problems and allows for combining the best features of both WMN and SDN.