Ecological Model Based Virtual Network Resource Allocation

Network virtualization is the key technology to solve the problem of the current Internet. Network virtualization can reach the goal of supporting multiple heterogeneous networks which share underlying physical infrastructure. Among network virtualization technologies, how the underlying physical resource allocation is one of the most important problem. In virtual network environment, the reasonable and rational resources allocation can efficiently share physical network resources, and maximize the physical resource utilization.At present, most resource allocation algorithms assume that only a single infrastructure provider (physical network) and a single service provider (virtual network) situation in virtualized environment. However, for the competition of multiple infrastructure providers (physical networks) or multiple service providers (virtual networks), how to achieve better revenue or revenue cost ratio, and how to improve the utilization of physical resources, are the urgent further research area. This article invests the virtual network resource allocation problem with the condition of multiple service providers; we propose an innovative resource allocation algorithm which is based on the ecological model.Based on current network resource allocation researches, and combined with the existing network resource allocation related technology, this paper study of the network virtualization resource allocation issues. The main contribution of this paper:(1) The paper proposes the multiple service providers Lotka-Volterra model for competing virtual resource, and verifies the Lotka-Volterra model meet the needs of multiple service providers’ competition. First, we study the Lotka-Volterra model for multiple species competition in natural system. Then, we discuss the similarities between the multiple service providers’competition in network virtualization environment and species competition in natural system, we get that Lotka-Volterra model is suitable for multiple service providers’ competition. Most importantly, through the data and simulation, we verify resources competition among multiple service providers to meet the Lotka-Volterra models.(2) The paper proposes the Lotka-Volterra ecological model based virtual network resource allocation algorithm, and verifies the proposed algorithm is more efficient by simulation and comparison. By comparing with the basic two-step algorithm, the proposed algorithm gets the better revenue or revenue cost ratio. The results show that the Lotka-Volterra ecological model based virtual network resource allocation algorithm we proposed can significantly increase revenue, and effectively guarantee the stability of the system.