eWV: An evolvable platform for versatile control in software-defined wireless networks

The proliferation of smart mobile devices and their increasing traffic demands has resulted in the density of 802.11/WiFi networks being pushed to the limit. As such, WiFi virtualization has been positioned as a solution to accommodate and improve future communications, with many frameworks, protocols and algorithms being developed for virtualized networks. This work develops an experimental platform (testbed) for virtualized WiFi networks - namely the evolvable WiFi virtualization (eWV) platform - which researchers may use to transition from simulation to real-world development. Compared to related testbeds, eWV enables a richer and more versatile control over resources by exploiting reprogrammable software-defined radios. The design and performance of eWV's split-MAC architecture are presented and details of ongoing research are discussed as a demonstration of the wide range of research and development activities facilitated by eWV.