Multi-objective Model and Genetic Algorithm for Multisource Multicast VNF Service Chain Deployment Problem.

Network function virtualization can increase the versatility of computing and network platforms, enabling them to provide more flexible services. In terms of a softwaredefined network and network function virtualization environment, this paper explores the joint virtual network function (VNF) deployment and traffic routing in multisource multicast for VNF service chain deployment to minimize the deployment overhead, transmission delay. Firstly, a multi-objective optimization model, which minimizes the deployment overhead and transmission delay, is established to tackle this challenge problem. Then, a highly efficient coding scheme, crossover, and mutation operators are designed. Based on these, an improved genetic algorithm in multi-objective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition (MOEA/D) framework (GA-MOEA/D) is proposed to solve this multi-objective problem. Finally, simulation experiments are conducted using two widely used network topologies in order to demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can obtain the smaller deployment overhead, transmission delay, load degree and energy consumption 5.2%-15.61%, 11.2%-26.4%, 8.3%-17.6% and 7.8%-14.4% than that of the compared algorithm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]