Virtual network functions orchestration in enterprise WLANs

Network Function Virtualization (NFV) has recently been proposed as a tool to optimize the deployment of network functions by shifting the processing from dedicated middleboxes to general purpose and inexpensive hardware platforms. In this paper, we propose a novel NFV-based management and orchestration framework for enterprise WLANs. Our framework is compatible with the ETSI NFV architecture and leverages on hybrid nodes combining the forwarding capabilities of a programmable switch with the storage/computational capabilities of a server. We propose an algorithm for Virtual Network Function placement which optimizes the functions deployment according to application level constraints. A proof-of-concept implementation of the proposed framework and a preliminary performance evaluation of selected VNFs are also presented.