Role of network virtualization in future Internet innovation

Today, experimentally driven research is central to future Internet research and innovation. A major challenge for this type of research is providing a mechanism for efficient sharing of the experimental infrastructure among several research experiments while ensuring experiments are run in complete separation without interfering with each other. This paper address these issues by proposing a cross-layer infrastructure virtualization solution based on OpenFlow technology. The proposed solution enables creation of multiple isolated virtual experimental infrastructures all sharing same physical infrastructure. Furthermore, it allows an experimenter to manipulate behavior of the network elements belonging to his/her virtual infrastructure without interfering with other virtual infrastructures.