Adaptive ILP Formulation for Disaster-Resilient Service Function Chains in Beyond 5G Networks

Within the framework of 5G networks, Network Function Virtualization (NFV) occupies a central position. It offers dynamic provisioning of resources that can flexibly adjust in response to overarching network needs. Service Function Chain (SFC) stands out as a notable application of NFV, as it sequences Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) systematically to yield a specific service. Yet, ensuring resilience in the face of disasters remains a formidable challenge in NFV and SFC deployments. Such disasters, be they natural or due to hardware malfunctions, can throw a wrench in the network’s operations, causing service disruptions or diminished performance across disaster zones (DZ). This research introduces an innovative approach to safeguard SFCs through multi-path routing. This strategy divides an SFC across multiple DZ-disjoit working paths, while also utilizing a communal backup path. The Multi-path Protection (MP) technique aims to reduce the drain on network resources, taking into account both the bandwidth needed for directing requests and the computing resources required for executing VNFs. To find the optimal SFC MP solution, we develop an adaptive integer linear program (ILP). Through simulations, it is evident that the introduced MP approach surpasses the conventional Dedicated Protection (DP), showcasing up to a 20% advantage in terms of resource efficiency.