On application of least-delay variation problem in ethernet networks using SDN concept

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to present an application idea of SDN in Smart Grids, particularly, in the area of L2 multicast as defined by IEC 61850-9-2. Authors propose an Integer Linear Formulation (ILP) dealing with a Least-Delay-Variation multicast forwarding problem that has a potential to utilize Ethernet networks in a new way. The proposed ILP formulation is numerically evaluated on random graph topologies and results are compared to a shortest path tree approach that is traditionally a product of Spanning Tree Protocols. Results confirm the correctness of the ILP formulation and illustrate dependency of a solution quality on the selected graph models, especially, in a case of scale-free topologies.