Skip to main content

Q-Routing Using Multiple QoS Metrics in SDN

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing ((AISC,volume 1409))

Abstract

As Internet usage increases, new, smarter, networking methods are required to enhance or maintain Quality of Service (QoS). One method, Software-Defined Networking (SDN) offers many advantages by separating the Forwarding and Control Planes. However, heuristic routing algorithms employed by SDN, such as Shortest Path, are not always suited for QoS-based pathfinding. This paper introduces a new Q-Routing algorithm that separates training and pathfinding, utilising two network metrics - latency and bandwidth - instead of latency alone. Two versions of this algorithm are employed, a static and a dynamic version where additional re-training is undertaken to allow Q-Routing to adapt to changing network environments. Both are tested on different size mesh topologies. The results show that static and dynamic Q-Routing are faster at pathfinding compared to K-Shortest Path and on average, find equally good routes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Cisco: VNI Complete Forecast Highlights (2021). https://www.cisco.com/c/m/en_us/solutions/service-provider/vni-forecast-highlights.html

  2. Teh, Y.-C.: Lockdown Leads to Surge in TV Screen Time and Streaming (2020). https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/features-and-news/lockdown-leads-to-surge-in-tv-screen-time-and-streaming

  3. Bellman, R.: On a Routing Problem. Q. Appl. Maths. 16, 87–90 (1958)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ford, L.: Network flow theory. Technical report. Santa Monica, USA (1956)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Dijkstra, E.: A note on two problems in connections with graphs. Numer. Math. (1959)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Watkins, C.J.C.H.: Learning from delayed rewards. Ph.D. thesis, Cambridge, UK (1989). http://www.cs.rhul.ac.uk/~chrisw/new_thesis.pdf

  7. While, R.: Artificial intelligence: reinforcement learning (2019). http://teaching.csse.uwa.edu.au/courses/CITS4211/Lectures/wk7.pdf

  8. Huang, Y., Tan, T., Wang, N., Chen, Y., Li, Y.: Resource allocation For D2D communications with a novel distributed Q-learning algorithm in heterogeneous networks. In: International Conference on Machine Learning and Cybernetics (ICMLC), pp. 533–537. IEEE (2018). https://doi.org/10.1109/ICMLC.2018.8526955

  9. Wen, S., Chen, J., Li, Z., Rad, A.B.: Fuzzy Q-learning obstacle avoidance algorithm of humanoid robot in unknown environment. In: 37th Chinese Control Conference (CCC), pp. 5186–5190. IEEE (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Boyan, J., Littman, M.: Packet routing in dynamically changing networks: a reinforcement learning approach. In: Proceedings of 6th International Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems, Denver, Colorado, USA, pp. 671–678 (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Kavalerov, A., Shilova, Y., Likhacheva, Y.: Adaptive Q-routing with random echo and route memory. In: 20th Conference of Open Innovations Association (FRUCT), pp. 138–145. IEEE (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Kumar, S., Miikkulainen, R.: Dual reinforcement Q-routing: an on-line adaptive routing algorithm. In: Smart Engineering Systems: Neural Networks, Fuzzy Logic, Data Mining, and Evolutionary Programming, USA (1997). http://nn.cs.utexas.edu/?kumar:annie97

  13. Chavula, J., Densmore, M., Suleman, H.: Using SDN and reinforcement learning for traffic engineering in UbuntuNet alliance. In: International Conference on Advances in Computing and Communication Engineering (ICACCE), pp. 349–355. IEEE, South Africa (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Jalil, S., Rehmani, M., Chalup, H.: DQR: deep Q-routing in software defined networks. In: International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN). IEEE (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Kreutz, D., Ramos, F., Veríssimo, P., Rothenberg, C.: Software-defined networking: a comprehensive survey. Proc. IEEE 103, 14–76 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Du, J., Huang, X., Wu, F., Leng, S.: Reinforcement learning empowered QoS-aware adaptive Q-routing in ad-hoc networks. In: 2020 International Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing (IWCMC), pp. 551–556. IEEE (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Harewood-Gill, D., Martin, T., Nejabati, R.: The performance of Q-learning within SDN controlled static and dynamic mesh networks. In: 2020 6th IEEE Conference on Network Softwarization (NetSoft), pp. 185–189 (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Ryu: Component-Based Software Defined Networking Framework (2021). https://ryu-sdn.org/

  19. Grotto Networking: SDN Fun (2019). https://www.grotto-networking.com/SDNfun.html

  20. Hong, C., et al.: Achieving high utilization with software-driven WAN. In: ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review, pp. 15–26. IEEE (2013)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Centre for Doctoral Training in Communications (EP/I028153/1 and EP/L016656/1) and Roke Manor for financial assistance and support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Douglas Harewood-Gill .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Harewood-Gill, D., Martin, T., Nejabati, R. (2022). Q-Routing Using Multiple QoS Metrics in SDN. In: Jansen, T., Jensen, R., Mac Parthaláin, N., Lin, CM. (eds) Advances in Computational Intelligence Systems. UKCI 2021. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 1409. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87094-2_28

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics