Novel methods for virtual network composition

Network virtualization has been proposed as a technology that aims to solve the Internet ossification. Central to the network virtualization is a virtual network composition mechanism providing an efficient mapping of virtual nodes and links onto appropriate physical resources in the network infrastructure. This paper proposes a novel backtracking heuristic algorithm for virtual network composition. Based on this algorithm, two approaches with two different objectives are presented. The first approach (Backtracking-CR) aims to compose a virtual network using the least amount of network resources, while the second (Backtracking-LB) applies load balancing for virtual network composition. Furthermore, a linear programming approach that optimizes the virtual network composition with an objective of using the least amount of network resources is presented and used to bench mark the heuristic algorithm. Simulation results show that using less network resources by applying linear programming or Backtracking-CR does not produce higher number of successfully mapped virtual networks when is compared to load balancing approach. Results also show that the proposed heuristic algorithm is scalable to large physical and virtual networks with respect to the computation time.