RoutingChain: A Proof-of-Concept Model for a Blockchain-Enabled QoS-Based Inter-AS Routing in SDN

A Software-Defined Networking (SDN) architecture and OpenFlow can help network administrators to provide end-to-end (E2E) Quality of Service (QoS)-guaranteed paths for flows among networks while providing finer-granular flow management along with global network view. In this context, we introduce a proof-of-concept for a blockchain-enabled QoS-based inter-Autonomous System (AS) routing framework, RoutingChain, that blends a QoS-concerned routing model and blockchain technology. This study’s contributions can mainly be stated in five-fold: (i) Competitors-tailored routing coordination framework, (ii) eliminating centralized mediators while coordinating QoS-based inter-AS routing, (iii) an emerging use-case for blockchain technology in networking, (iv) reducing the number of QoS signaling-based message overhead, and (v) mitigating privacy/security concerns in inter-AS routing. Experimental results indicate that the blockchain technology can be applied on E2E QoS-based routing among networks. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study exploiting the merits of blockchain technology to establish a novel coordination framework for QoS-enabled inter-AS routing in SDN.