The Implementation of Real-Time Network Traffic Monitoring Service with Network Functions Virtualization

Software defined network (SDN) is a new network technology which has become popular in recent years. Since SDN is applied to control network traffic, the concept of network functions virtualization (NFV) is developed. OpenFlow, an essential technology in NFV implementation, enables SDN to develop from a simple concept and divides traditional switch into two parts: a data plane and a control plane. In this work, we describe virtualizing a basic switch and implementing a network traffic monitor system. The virtualized switch is used to replace a conventional managed switch and monitor traffic without the need for port mirroring hardware. Moreover, OpenFlow is incorporated to manage networking. Finally, the proposed system in this work can be implemented in any networking environment based on the increasingly prevalent Cloud computing.