A non-cooperative game-theoretic framework for resource allocation in network virtualization

Abstract

International audienceNetwork virtualization is a new technology thataimsatallowingmultiplevirtualnetworks(VNs)tocoexistinthe same equipment and to hide the heterogeneity of networkinfrastructure. The critical issue for a given infrastructureprovider (InP), is how to provide customized and on demandresources for multiple service providers (SPs) with differentQualityofService(QoS)requirements.Theshouldalsofairlydistribute the network physical resources, such as bandwidthof each physical link, buffer spaces, and processing cycles ateach node. In this paper, we propose a new framework basedon game theory, for both link and node dynamic allocationbetween multiple infrastructure providers (InPs) and serviceproviders (SPs). Our approach focuses on provisioning andmanaging the physical resources in a virtualized networkinfrastructure. We propose a two-stage approach based onnon-cooperative games. The first one is the resource negotiation game where the SP requests link and node resourcesfrom multiple InPs. The InP may reject the SP’s requestwhen it can potentially cause network congestion. The second stage of the proposal concerns dynamic resource provisioning and consists of two non cooperative games; the node allocation game and the link allocation game. Theobjective of both games is to allocate physical resources fordifferent isolated VNs that are sharing the same physicalsubstrate network. In the node allocation game, the proportional share mechanism is used. Every SP assigns a weightand submits a bid to each physical node and thereafter itreceives a share proportional to its bid. In the link allocation game we investigate the case when multiple SPs compete for a portion of the available physical network capacity.Simulation results show that the proposed approach achieveshigh resource utilization, improves the network performance,and fairly distributes the link and node resources betweenmultiple SPs

A Game for Energy-Aware Allocation of Virtualized Network Functions

“…Indeed, GT, which has been applied at the beginning in economics and related domains, is gaining much interest today as a powerful tool to analyze and design communication networks [24]. Therefore, the problems can be formulated in the GT framework, and a stable solution for the components is obtained using the concept of equilibrium [25]. In this regard, GT has been used extensively to develop understanding of stable operating points for autonomous networks.…”

“…The models and papers discussed in this reference mostly deal with noncooperative GT, the only exception being a short section focused on bargaining games. Finally, Seddiki et al [25] presented an approach based on two-stage noncooperative games for bandwidth allocation, which aims at reducing the complexity of network management and avoiding bandwidth performance problems in a virtualized network environment. The first stage of the game is the bandwidth negotiation, where the SP requests bandwidth from multiple Infrastructure Providers (InPs).…”