Service cost in software defined networking (SDN)

Abstract

In communication networks such as ISPs, telcos, and mobile network operators (MNOs), determining a correct unit cost for a service with QoS is a crucial task for the future of companies. A well-defined and efficient cost model is an essential tool to analyze network dynamics and in decision-making processes in a network. Also, knowing the real unit cost for a service helps network administrators/operators in various tasks such as service pricing, profitability analysis, and planning for possible introductions of new services or technologies. In this paper, we study the determination of unit cost for a service with QoS parameters. We characterize the unit cost for a service with respect to CAPEX (Capital Expenditures), OPEX (Operational Expenditures), and workload of a network in a certain time period. In addition, we investigate the relationship between the unit cost of a service and scalability of a network. We apply the proposed scheme in Software Defined Network (SDN) based architectures: centralized single controller architecture, distributed controllers architecture, and hierarchic controllers architecture. Our experiments show that there is an inverse relation between unit cost of a service and control plane scalability of the architectures: more scalable architectures result in lower unit costs for services.