Service Migration Based on Software-Defined Networking

Mobile wireless networking is a definite trend for communication networks. Mobility support, such as mobile IP, at client side is well developed. However, there is limited effort paid for the server side. Quality of Service (QoS) degrades as a mobile client moves farther away from its original server. To this problem, a new service paradigm, named service migration, is proposed in this article. The idea is to migrate an ongoing service from distant server to a new server in proximity. Both individual user and the entire network environment will benefit from the service migration. Service migration can be implemented at different layers. In this study, we investigate the possibility of implementing service migration with Software-Defined Networking (SDN). SDN has been distinguished for its capability in traffic monitoring and flexibility in network administration. A fully functional prototype of service migration based on SDN for streaming service is implemented. Such a prototype validates the feasibility of the proposed service framework.