Implementing dynamic chaining of Virtual Network Functions in OpenStack platform

Network Function Virtualization (NFV) is gaining a lot of interest as a flexible and cost-effective solution for replacing hardware-based, vendor-dependent middle-boxes with software-based appliances running in a cloud-like network environment. The NFV paradigm is then fundamental to bring the required programmatic capabilities to 5G transport networks. This paper discusses the practical issues of implementing dynamic chaining of virtual network functions running as virtual machines in the industry-standard OpenStack cloud platform. In particular, the focus is on the complexity of the underlying virtual network infrastructure and the design principles of a suitable SDN controller.