A low-cost centralized network management method to reduce management workload instead of replacing software-defined networking-enabled network devices

Abstract

We propose a network management method using a novel adapter that translates OpenFlow-based commands and vendor-specific commands using a single-board computer to achieve a low-cost centralized management of heterogeneous network devices including various vendors. The adapter is implemented in wired and wireless network devices and its operation is verified. Moreover, we compare the cost in two scenarios, i.e., the management of a smart home network and a small- and medium-sized enterprise network. The results show that the proposed method works efficiently and is low-cost than the conventional method.