Action based proactive node failure protection mechanism for OpenFlow

Fast recovery is the key to ensure the reliability of the networks. However, the tangle of the controller and switches in the SDN/OF networks can be a damper to the fast recovery when failure happens under some circumstances. This paper proposed a proactive mechanism: ANFP, aiming at the node failure protection and fast recovery. When the failure happens, the extended OpenFlow action can eliminate the failure time while the packets are rerouted to alternative paths. In the meantime, the alternative paths will not partially overlap the working paths in the main flow table. Experiments indicate that the ANFP achieves none failure time and packet loss, and it can fulfill the demand of restoration in the carrier-grade networks.