SLAPv: A service level agreement enforcer for virtual networks

Abstract

In this paper we propose SLAPv, an efficient control system for service level agreements (SLAs) in virtual network environments. SLAPv fills a gap in the design of SLA enforcers by introducing the following set of control features: (i) verification of physical resource usage, (ii) retrieval of real-time profiles of virtual routers, and (iii) enforcement of the adequate usage of resources. Furthermore, SLAPv punishes virtual networks that do not respect their contracts. The control relies on fuzzy logic to enforce resource allocation according to usage profile of routers and the system load. The punishment depends on the exceeding violating value, and on the system load. Results obtained from a developed prototype show the efficiency of the proposed system under different conditions and strategic policies. Tests performed with RIPv2 running on virtual networks show that, for high load scenarios, misbehaving routers are forced to rapidly enter in conformity to their SLAs in less than five seconds.