Abstract: An implementation is developed to dynamically change the topology of a mesh network connectivity comprised of many mesh nodes and route IP packets across the network in a wireless network, wherein an IP tunnel and a control connection are established between a pair of mesh nodes using a mesh application (called, Mesh App). The Mesh App has several key functions such as collecting local wireless user equipment IP addresses from the local Core Network, and remote IP addresses and routing information from its neighbor Mesh Apps, enabling routing of data traffic hop by hop across the network. Furthermore, it changes the UEs in the ‘reject list’ forcing the disconnection of certain UEs and backhaul modems so as to alter the topology or the network, and distributing the topology change information to its neighbors.

Abstract: Self-Organizing Network (SON) technology has been developed to make the planning, configuration, management, and self-healing of mobile networks easier and faster, where such planning, configuration and management of the mobile networks are targeted to optimize the value offered to a group of subscribers using criteria such as (a) subscriber type (consumer, corporate, IOT, etc.), (b) service type (mission critical, public safety, VoIP, etc.), (b) subscriber usage volume (high, medium, low), (c) subscriber's requested/subscribed QoS, and (d) subscriber's paying value (i.e., revenue). The same teachings can be extended to also optimize a single subscriber's service or a service type.

Abstract: When network function virtualization (NFV) is overlaid on top of a SDN, a convergence gateway mediates between the orchestrator and the SDN controller. The convergence gateway collects from the orchestrator the information on the location, capacity, status, and usage information of all virtualized functions that run on SDN's physical platforms, and passes that information to the controller. The controller decides to optimally route a data flow for service chaining by obeying traffic engineering and quality of service policies of that data flow, choosing from available virtualized functions along that route. An information model based approach is also presented for information sharing across the orchestrator, convergence gateway and controller.

Abstract: A novel technique is shown for throttling control traffic in a Software Defined Network (SDN) between a controller and network switches when the controller and/or one or more control channels are congested. In this technique, the controller's processing power and the limited control channel bandwidth are more efficiently managed by drastically cutting down the control traffic during times of congestion.

Abstract: A special data splitter and data combiner is shown for low latency emergency and data intensive services so that multiple broadband and wireless networks can be utilized along with public safety networks. Any data session, multimedia or non-multimedia, is split into multiple packet streams with each stream having an identifier wherein some packet streams are sent via the secure public safety network and other streams are sent via other networks of varying characteristics and performance, and a combiner at the other end receiving multiple streams from different networks combines them into a single session.

Abstract: Sensitive data is sent through insecure network regions across different software defined networks (SDNs) over an encrypted path without requiring encryption applications at the source or destination hosts. One or more special-purpose encryptors are strategically placed within each SDN, which can act as an encryptor or decryptor, of both the data packet content and the header. Using the controller and a special encryption service application, the encrypted IP packets are forwarded from an encryptor, closest to the source, towards a decryptor, closest to the destination, utilizing a tagging method. Each encryptor has a static and globally unique tag. Each controller advertises to other controllers its encryptor information: IP of the encryptor, the IP block of the users the encryptor is responsible for and the unique encryptor tag(s). Each forwarder along the flow path is instructed by its respective controller how to forward packets towards the destination according to the tag.

Abstract: In Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communications, the broadcast data towards the vehicles must use the network resources efficiently while the unicast data must arrive reliably with ultra-low-latency. Furthermore, the connections must remain network-attached while vehicles move rapidly. A system/method are described through which a vehicle with a special communications module and internal computer can connect to one or more 5G vehicular network slices (VNS) with multiple Radio Access Technologies (multi-RAT) in order to efficiently communicate with local or remote transportation information databases and applications, road safety and emergency infrastructures. The infrastructure of this disclosure uses the network-slicing feature of a 5G mobile network to carve out a vehicular data and control planes specialized to offer the vehicular service only.

Abstract: When network function virtualization (NFV) is overlaid on top of a SDN, a convergence gateway mediates between the NFV orchestrator and the SDN controller. The convergence gateway collects from the orchestrator the information on the workload and up/down status of virtualized network functions that run on SDN's physical resources, and passes such information to the controller. The controller then makes an intelligent decision regarding optimally routing data flows for service chaining, choosing from many available virtualized functions along the data path. Reciprocally, the convergence gateway collects, from the controller, the network congestion and available capacity information on all physical and virtualized network resources of the SDN, and feeds that information to the orchestrator. Accordingly, the orchestrator decides on where and when to activate/deactivate/capacitate virtual functions to best serve a service request.

Abstract: A system and method that rely on a centralized and trusted control mechanism for a software-defined network (SDN) to dynamically assign routes between two end points, and to simultaneously change their real IP addresses to fake IP addresses to establish short-lived obfuscated communications paths with a goal of preserving anonymity. The SDN controller determines the short-lived routes from a feasible route-set and new fake IP addresses from a reserved address pool for the source and destination hosts. It provisions only the switches along the route with rules so that a switch can forward packets of the data flow to another switch without needing to know the actual IP addresses of the communicating endpoints, and hence, providing strict anonymity even when the switches are compromised.

Abstract: An adaptive network-based approach for reducing congestion on certain select-group of flows within a programmable network wherein switches dynamically adjust the receive window size (rwnd) and/or the ACK pace of other TCP flows by interfering their ACK packets, those flows sharing network resources causing congestion on the select-group of flows. The TCP flow rate is reduced to make more network resources available to the group of select-flows. The system of invention further comprises a centralized controller detecting so called a ‘bad queue’ causing persistent traffic slow-down due to TCP behavior. The bad queue detection is performed by (i) monitoring switch ports' transmit and receive queues, (ii) calculating minimum packet sojourn times on queues, (iii) determining which flows to slow down to clear detected bad queues, and (iv) sending messages to certain switches to execute changes to a group of ACK packets.

Abstract: An ingress forwarder receives the IP packet and strips off the entire packet header and replaces it with the simple flow header assigned by the controller, and looks up its flow-table to determine from which port to forward the packet. All other forwarders along the path up to the egress forwarder perform the forwarding action simply by inspecting the flow header. The egress forwarder, before forwarding to the egress port, replaces the flow header with the original layer-2/3/4 header. Doing so, the host behavior remains unchanged while the routing/forwarding within the cloud of SDN is performed based on only the flow header.

Abstract: Random route hopping in a Software Defined Network (SDN) allows traffic flows to change routes frequently to obfuscate data paths or to meet specific performance requirements. Using the route hopping method and additional capabilities built into an SDN controller according to this invention, the controller determines multiple feasible routes for specific flows, called jumper flows, so that the active flow can randomly be assigned to different routes after a switch-over time period expires, or by a special randomization logic within the switch managed by the controller, or manually programmed by a system administrator.

Abstract: Controller(s) in a software defined network (SDN) are able to determine a control path towards each network switch by performing a switch-originated discovery and using an in-band control network that is an overlay on the data network. A topology tree is maintained, where each controller being the root of the tree, and where messages from the root to any switch may pass through neighboring switches to reach that switch (and vice-versa). Each switch in the SDN attempts to connect to the controller when it does not have a readily configured control connection towards the controller. Once the controller learns about the presence of a new switch and at least one or more paths to reach that switch through a novel discovery process, it can select, adjust and even optimize the control path's route towards that switch.

Abstract: Controller(s) can determine a control path towards each network switch using a novel controller-originated discovery process based on an in-band control network that is an overlay on the data network. The controller attempts to connect to each switch when it does not have a readily configured control connection towards the switch. Once the controller learns about the presence of a new switch and at least one or more paths to reach that switch through aforementioned discovery process, it can select, adjust and even optimize the control path's route towards that switch. During the controller-originated control network discovery process, the controller also learns about the to connectivity between all switches. Thereby, as a by-product of the discovery process, it uncovers the entire data network topology in parallel.

Abstract: A special data splitter and data combiner is shown for low latency emergency and data intensive services so that multiple broadband and wireless networks can be utilized along with public safety networks. Any data session, multimedia or non-multimedia, is split into multiple packet streams with each stream having an identifier wherein some packet streams are sent via the secure public safety network and other streams are sent via other networks of varying characteristics and performance, and a combiner at the other end receiving multiple streams from different networks combines them into a single session.

Abstract: Sensitive data is sent through insecure network regions across different software defined networks (SDNs) over an encrypted path without requiring encryption applications at the source or destination hosts. One or more special-purpose encryptors are strategically placed within each SDN, which can act as an encryptor or decryptor, of both the data packet content and the header. Using the controller and a special encryption service application, the encrypted IP packets are forwarded from an encryptor, closest to the source, towards a decryptor, closest to the destination, utilizing a tagging method. Each encryptor has a static and globally unique tag. Each controller advertises to other controllers its encryptor information: IP of the encryptor, the IP block of the users the encryptor is responsible for and the unique encryptor tag(s). Each forwarder along the flow path is instructed by its respective controller how to forward packets towards the destination according to the tag.

Abstract: A novel (software defined network) SDN control plane is introduced having new system capabilities to activate and deactivate controllers in real-time upon automatic measurement of network control traffic and service requirements, and proper controller interactions with network switches as control plane topology changes. Also introduced is a control flow table, which defines the assignment of certain control flows (by originator, location, service type, etc.) to different controllers within the SDN.

Abstract: A novel system and a new data communication method are invented in a software-defined (SDN) network to provide delivery of certain types of critical data flows with certain QoS and/or extra security requirements in a congested network. The method of invention allows such critical data not to traverse the data plane, as it normally would, but instead to go from the ingress switch directly to the egress switch, thereby always in two hops using the control channels. By shortcutting all other switches along the traditional data path computed by normal routing, it potentially provides guaranteed throughput, lower latency/jitter or higher level of security.

Abstract: A system and method that rely on a centralized and trusted control mechanism for a software-defined network (SDN) to dynamically assign routes between two end points, and to simultaneously change their real IP addresses to fake IP addresses to establish short-lived obfuscated communications paths with a goal of preserving anonymity. The SDN controller determines the short-lived routes from a feasible route-set and new fake IP addresses from a reserved address pool for the source and destination hosts. It provisions only the switches along the route with rules so that a switch can forward packets of the data flow to another switch without needing to know the actual IP addresses of the communicating endpoints, and hence, providing strict anonymity even when the switches are compromised.

Abstract: A method to check health of automatically discovered controllers comprises the steps of: (a) a first controller generating a first Controller-Advertisement message carrying the information required to identify and access the first controller when a new switch port becomes active; (b) the first controller sending the generated first Controller-Advertisement to a first switch having the newly activated port; (c) the first controller receiving at least a second Controller-Advertisement message from at least a second controller; (d) the first controller generating a third unsolicited Controller-Advertisement message with its access information to check health of the second controller; (e) the first controller receiving at least a fourth Controller-Advertisement message from the second controller indicating health information of the second controller, wherein the health information is stored in first controller's Controller Information Base (CIB).