ElasticSFC: Auto-scaling techniques for elastic service function chaining in network functions virtualization-based clouds

Abstract

It is anticipated that future networks support network functions, such as firewalls, load balancers and intrusion prevention systems in a fully automated, flexible, and efficient manner. In cloud computing environments, network functions virtualization (NFV) aims to reduce cost and simplify operations of such network services through the virtualization technologies. To enforce network policies in NFV-based cloud environments, network services are composed of virtualized network functions (VNFs) that are chained together as service function chains (SFCs). All network traffic matching a policy must traverse network functions in the chain in a sequence to comply with it. While SFC has drawn con..