Artificial intelligence control logic in next-generation programmable networks

Abstract

The new generation of programmable networks allow mechanisms to be deployed for the efficient control of dynamic bandwidth allocation and ensure Quality of Service (QoS) in terms of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for delay or loss sensitive Internet of Things (IoT) services. To achieve flexible, dynamic and automated network resource management in Software-Defined Networking (SDN), Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms can provide an effective solution. In the paper, we propose the solution for network resources allocation, where the AI algorithm is responsible for controlling intent-based routing in SDN. The paper focuses on the problem of optimal switching of intents between two designated paths using the Deep-Q-Learning approach based on an artificial neural network. The proposed algorithm is the main novelty of this paper. The Developed Networked Application Emulation System (NAPES) allows the AI solution to be tested with different patterns to evaluate the performance of the proposed solution. The AI algorithm was trained to maximize the total throughput in the network and effective network utilization. The results presented confirm the validity of applied AI approach to the problem of improving network performance in next-generation networks and the usefulness of the NAPES traffic generator for efficient economical and technical deployment in IoT networking systems evaluation.