Bounding Reliability in Service Function Chaining

In Network Function Virtualization (NFV), the reliability of Service Function Chain (SFC) is one of the most critical performance parameters. Since each SFC has different composition, placement, configuration and deployment requirements, the exact analysis of SFC reliability is a challenge. In this paper, we address this challenge by analyzing the end-to-end service reliability as a combined function of SFC placement strategy over Inter- and Intra-DCNs and failures of hardware and software components. The analysis introduces a novel reliability benchmark, the so-called Affordable Component Failure which can take into account the interdependency of different component failures, i.e., failure of data centers, racks, servers and virtual network function as well as their impact on availability of other SFC components and the overall SFC reliability.