Resilient Integration of Distributed High-Performance Zones into the BelWue Network Using OpenFlow

BelWue is the Internet service provider for higher education and research institutions in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. Recently, high-performance zones (HPZs) have been established on major university campuses and interconnected with a high-speed network for innovation and research (NeIF). This work presents the SDN-NeIF architecture, a resilient integration of the HPZs into the NeIF and the legacy infrastructure of BelWue and its connected universities, leveraging OpenFlow and BGP. The concept is validated by a prototype, results from a field trial are provided, and additional benefits of using SDN are discussed.