Load Balancing Algorithms for Software-Defined Networks.

This paper proposes two different algorithms for load balancing in the data plane of the Software Defined Networking (SDN) framework. The first algorithm emphasizes the Flexible Connection Handoff (FCH) that considers the maximum load and the difference of loads between the Access Points. The load represents the number of connected stations to a particular Access Point. The proposed algorithm optimizes the load between Access Points by considering the fairness index. The second algorithm describes a Quality of Service Load Balancing approach (QLB) for a High-Density software-defined Wi-Fi network by designing a module at the Access Points side and another module at the controller side. The Access Points are the OpenFlow Access Points (OFAPs) that push the capacity and load information of the OFAPs toward the controller side. The OFAPs module controls the OFAPs connection and reconnection with minimum controller intervention. The OFAPs module dynamically sets the load level based on the network's current state. The destination Access Point for reconnection is selected based on three metrics, for instance, Throughput, Received Signal Strength Indicator, and Packet Loss Rate. After receiving the OFAPs reports, the controller module makes decisions about load balancing by getting a complete view of the network condition. The integration of SDN into Wireless networks allows the development of load-balancing algorithms for control and data planes.