OMAR: OpenFlow-based Management and Authentication with Resilience

Abstract

Software-defined networking (SDN) enhances network management by centralizing control, but its reliance on a single controller introduces vulnerabilities such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and unauthorized access. Traditional SDN architectures lack authentication mechanisms for verifying network compliment, allowing malicious switches to disrupt operations. To mitigate these risks, blockchain technology provided a decentralized and tamper-proof authentication mechanism by recording the registration status of network devices using smart contracts. By integrating blockchain with the SDN controller (RYU) via Web3, switches are authenticated based on their Datapath Identifier (DPID), enabling secure enforcement of OpenFlow policies. This approach ensures that only registered switches can forward traffic, effectively isolating unauthorized devices and reducing the impact of DDoS attacks. The prototype implementation demonstrates improved security and trust in SDN environments. We combined blockchain’s immutability with SDN’s dynamic programmability.