Symmetric Agency Graphs Facilitate and Improve the Quality of Virtual Network Embedding

• Main Authors: Chenggui Zhao, Behrooz Parhami
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-03-01
• Series: Symmetry
• Subjects: resource provisioning; network assignment; graph algorithms; network optimization; network simulations; overlay and other logical network structures
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/10/3/63

Virtual network embedding (VNE) is a key technology in network virtualization. Advantages of network symmetry are well known in the design of load-balanced routing algorithms and in network performance analysis. Our work in this paper shows that benefits of graph symmetry also extend to the domain of network embedding. Specifically, we propose an efficient VNE method based on modular and structured agency guidance, a regular graph function. The proposed method, which is based on symmetric intermediate graphs, offers two main advantages. Firstly, characteristics of the intermediate structures enhance the computational efficiency of the VNE process. Secondly, the static agency network modeled with such intermediate structures improves the quality of the resulting embedding. These two advantages of our method are elaborated upon and verified by examples and simulations, respectively. In addition, we present a theoretical analysis explaining the reasons behind the benefits offered by such middleware.