Seamless integration of cloud and fog networks

Abstract

A way to merge cloud computing infrastructures with traditional or legacy network deployments, leveraging the best in both worlds and enabling a logically centralized control. A solution is proposed to extend existing cloud computing software stacks so they are able to manage networks outside the cloud computing infrastructure, the fog, by extending the internal, virtualized network segments. This is useful in a variety of use cases such as incremental legacy to cloud network migration, hybrid virtual/traditional networking, centralized control of existing networks, bare metal provisioning, and even offloading of advanced services from typical home gateways into the operator. Any organization can develop different drivers' to support new, specific networking equipment, not necessarily tied to a protocol or vendor, and leverage the fog network. Our conceptual solution is prototyped on top of OpenStack, including changes to the API, command-line interface (CLI), and other mechanisms. Test results indicate that there are low penalties on latency and throughput, and provisioning times are reduced in comparison with similar maintenance operations on traditional computer networks. Copyright (c) 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.