Content Project: Considerations Towards a Cloud-Based Internetworking Paradigm

Although cloud computing and the Software Defined Network (SDN) framework are fundamentally changing the way we think about network services, multi-domain and multi-technology problems are not sufficiently investigated. These multi-domain, end-to-end problems concern communication paths that span from the wireless access and the wireless backhaul networks to the IT resources through optical networks. In this paper we present the CONTENT project approach to network and infrastructure virtualization over heterogeneous, wireless and metro optical networks, that can be used to provide end-to-end cloud services. The project goal is to drive innovation across multi-technology infrastructures and allow ICT to be delivered and consumed as a service by Virtual Network Operators. The communication mechanics between wireless and optical domains and the physical layer abstractions of a CONTENT Virtual Network are presented and the relation of the proposed approach with the SDN framework is investigated.