Virtual data planes for easy creation and operation of end-to-end virtual networks

Today, it seems more and more required to create network slices dynamically and on-demand due to the emergence of cloud services, 5G wireless and IoT technology. It becomes possible to create virtual networks over physical networks easily by using such technology as Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV). However, when creating end-to-end network slices over some infrastructures that are operated by different types of providers or companies, it is hard for system administrators who are not network experts to design such network slices, because those administrators have to understand virtual networks such as VPN and VXLAN for layer3 or layer2 tunnels between infrastructures. Therefore, we propose an architecture to create and operate network slices without awareness of complex virtual networks that are essential for inter- or intra-infrastructures, by creating abstraction layer (virtual network object), which intermediate between a logical network designed by a user and a virtual network overlaid on infrastructures.