Abstract: An interface device (100) for interfacing between a network device (170-240) and a software-defined networking (SDN) controller (150), the interface device (100) comprising: a first interface (140) for connecting the interface device (100) to the SDN controller (150); a second interface (160) for connecting the interface device (100) to the network device (170-240); a vendor and technology specific layer module (110), which is operative to transmit control and message data to, and to receive control and message data from, the network device (170-240) in a native control and message data protocol of the network device; a device abstraction layer module (120), which is operative to generate a device abstraction model (400) representing capabilities of the network device (170-240); and a protocol mapping layer module (130), which is operative to map control and message data used by the network device (170-240) onto the device abstraction model (400), such that messages issued by the SDN controller (150) in its n

Abstract: A virtualization device for composing a virtual network for implementation using physical network infrastructure, the virtualization device comprising; a node functionality and constraints module, configured to identify functionality and constraints of one or more nodes of the physical network infrastructure; a link constraints module, configured to identify constraints of one or more links of the physical network infrastructure; a network modeller module, configured to generate a model of the physical network infrastructure, based on the identified functionality and constraints of the nodes and on the identified constraints of the links; a virtual network composer module configured to receive a request for composition of a desired virtual network and to map the desired virtual network onto the physical network infrastructure based on the model generated by the network modelling module; and one or more node and link mapping modules for simultaneously mapping a virtual node of the desired virtual network onto

Abstract: An interface device (100) for interfacing between a network device (170-240) and a software-defined networking (SDN) controller (150), the interface device (100) comprising: a first interface (140) for connecting the interface device (100) to the SDN controller (150); a second interface (160) for connecting the interface device (100) to the network device (170-240); a vendor and technology specific layer module (110), which is operative to transmit control and message data to, and to receive control and message data from, the network device (170-240) in a native control and message data protocol of the network device; a device abstraction layer module (120), which is operative to generate a device abstraction model (400) representing capabilities of the network device (170-240); and a protocol mapping layer module (130), which is operative to map control and message data used by the network device (170-240) onto the device abstraction model (400), such that messages issued by the SDN controller (150) in its n

Abstract: A virtualization device for composing a virtual network for implementation using physical network infrastructure, the virtualization device comprising; a node functionality and constraints module, configured to identify functionality and constraints of one or more nodes of the physical network infrastructure; a link constraints module, configured to identify constraints of one or more links of the physical network infrastructure; a network modeller module, configured to generate a model of the physical network infrastructure, based on the identified functionality and constraints of the nodes and on the identified constraints of the links; a virtual network composer module configured to receive a request for composition of a desired virtual network and to map the desired virtual network onto the physical network infrastructure based on the model generated by the network modelling module; and one or more node and link mapping modules for simultaneously mapping a virtual node of the desired virtual network onto