Deployment of Blockchain Technology in Software Defined Networks: A Survey

Abstract

With the exponential increase in the complexity of network management and configuration, Software Defined Networking (SDN) has emerged as a promising network paradigm. SDN aims to efficiently transform network architecture and operations to be agile, and effectively enrich the functionality of underlying network elements, such as routers and switches, by decoupling the control plane from the data plane. In SDN, the network intelligence is centralized in a software entity so-called SDN controller, which enables network administrators to dynamically manage, secure, and optimize network resources and programmatically shape all entire network traffic pattern. Despite the impressive benefits SDN has brought to network architecture, it introduces new security challenges and prompts different implementation strategies to spread attack vectors. This paper comprehensively describes the utilization of Blockchain technology to secure and protect SDN architecture and discusses the feasibility of integrating the revolutionary technologies of SDN and Blockchain to provide confidentiality, integrity, and availability to network infrastructure.

Keywords

• Blockchain
• Bitcoin
• SDN
• OpenFlow
• cybersecurity
• network security