HLA — A hierarchical layer application for OpenFlow management abstraction

This paper introduces a new approach for a hierarchical OpenFlow management layer. This concept proposes a controller application which hides the complexity of the underlying network for the next higher management instance in order to reduce the management overhead and present a domain specific encapsulated control level. It is focused on real world network infrastructures and takes the design of today multiple-layer-network-providers into account. Moreover, this approach covers the management in typical multi-tenant network provider environment and unifies the control concept by using an open software defined networking control standard as communication protocol.