Frontiers of Data and Computing ›› 2020, Vol. 2 ›› Issue (5): 41-51.

doi: 10.11871/jfdc.issn.2096-742X.2020.05.005

• Technology Applicaton of Blockchain • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Research and Design of SD-WAN System Based on Blockchain

Zhuang Liwan1(),Jin Tao1(),Zhang Chen2,*(),Huang Tao3()   

  1. 1. School of Cyber Science and Engineering Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210096, China
    2. Purple Mountain Laboratories, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211111, China
    3. Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876, China
  • Received:2020-04-22 Online:2020-10-20 Published:2020-10-30
  • Contact: Zhang Chen E-mail:zhuangliwan@seu.edu.cn;cat_jintao@seu.edu.cn;zhangchen@pmlabs.com.cn;zhangchen@pmlabs.com.cn;htao@bupt.edu.cn

Abstract:

[Background] Software defined wide area network (SD-WAN) can effectively solve the problems of expensive and difficult deployment of traditional enterprise-level WAN. However, the network provider lock-in problem restricts SD-WAN to a certain extent for user development. [Objective] The purpose of the research is to provide a platform-based access scheduling and automated settlement solution for SD-WAN, and to release the lock-in problem faced by users. [Methods] This paper proposes a blockchain-based SD-WAN business system, which uses the alliance chain framework to design authentication, authorization, traffic scheduling, settlement supervision and other processes. Moreover, the throughput of the system can be enhanced through improved consensus algorithms. [Results] On this system, users can customize WAN services that shift between different operators automatically with non-tamperable traffic scheduling and settlement. [Conclusions] This system solves the lock-in problem of SD-WAN effectively, and the blockchain technology shows great application potential in network operation.

Key words: blockchain, SD-WAN, smart contract, automatic settlement