Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) takes a short time to process encryption and authentication messages as an advanced security key distribution. Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) routing used on existing QKD networks uses more security keys. Software-Defined Networking (SDN) exists to control the core network, make routes easier to find and reduce the use of security keys. One of the benefits of SDN is that the controller can customize the routing scheme and save the use of secure keys. Based on the topology and scenarios, the link state protocol test results show that using keys increased the number of hops traversed by five to fourteen keys. We can see the five keys constant when testing the distance vector protocol. The average test time difference between the two protocols is about 3.438 seconds for the link state protocol and 2.687 seconds for the distance vector algorithm.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) takes a short time to process encryption and authentication messages as an advanced security key distribution. Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) routing used on existing QKD networks uses more security keys. Software-Defined Networking (SDN) exists to control the core network, make routes easier to find and reduce the use of security keys. One of the benefits of SDN is that the controller can customize the routing scheme and save the use of secure keys. Based on the topology and scenarios, the link state protocol test results show that using keys increased the number of hops traversed by five to fourteen keys. We can see the five keys constant when testing the distance vector protocol. The average test time difference between the two protocols is about 3.438 seconds for the link state protocol and 2.687 seconds for the distance vector algorithm.
Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a network security technology that generates encryption keys in real time and randomly during information transmission. This research implements a QKD network based on a software-defined network (SDN) by taking advantage of its advantages, such as saving resources to search for alternative routes and monitoring links to determine whether the conditions in each router network meet the needs or not. Path selection is made using metrics, such as the hop count metric using the routing information protocol (RIP) and the cost using open shortest path first (OSPF). Based on the results of routing performance testing on the QKD network based on SDN, tested ten times to get an average value, OSPF routing is faster at finding alternative routes than RIP routing. The test results for RIP routing throughput of 9.22 ms, delay of 0.76 ms, packet loss of 0.0044%, and convergence time of 10.64 ms. The results for OSPF routing throughput of 9.32 ms, delay of 0.75 ms, packet loss of 0.0039%, and convergence time of 10.51 ms.
With the advent of powerful quantum computers, an emerging quantum-resilient security mechanism within existing networks is crucial. Thus, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), which generates symmetric secret keys with Information-Theoretical Security (ITS) for secure point-to-point communication, is present as a solution. Despite QKD’s potential, its deployment is challenging due to significant investment and infrastructure requirements. Using state-of-the-art technology, the maximum distance between nodes is limited to hundreds of kilometers, necessitating multiple nodes to relay keys. For now, QKD Network (QKDN) relies on software-defined networking (SDN) and a central orchestrator, but this centralized approach has limitations. Hence, the main challenge is to select an efficient path between key relays to avoid communication failure. To address these challenges, a more distributed approach could be envisioned. In this paper, we propose to leverage one of the distributed routing protocols, OSPF, to redefine and improve the current architecture. We propose a novel QKDN-based OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) architecture for efficient key relay routing, offering a completely different dimension to the overall network management: we modify QKDN architecture to exploit the OSPF networks and present a QKD-enabled OSPF version capable of computing the best path for key relay, offering a cost-effective and scalable solution for widespread QKD adoption.
Recent developments in quantum key distribution (QKD) demonstrate the maturity of securing sensitive data against the emerging quantum computing threat. For QKD-secured long-haul and meshed optical transport networks (OTNs), quantum key management systems (QKMSs) are essential to overcome current distance limitations of available QKD devices. In this work, we present and compare two implementations of QKMSs, analyzing their scalability with an emulated QKD network (QKDN) utilizing recorded performance metrics from deployed QKD devices. First, we use a state-of-the-art Internet routing scheme, i.e., open shortest path first (OSPF), demonstrating that key management entities (KMEs) can solve the key routing problem utilizing distributed routing. Second, we apply software-defined networking (SDN) to implement centralized routing with a SDN controller. This paper compares distributed with centralized key routing regarding scalability, throughput, and latency. Both schemes facilitate up to six key relays between any pair of nodes in parallel with average key relay durations per hop below 300 ms given the Nobel-Germany topology and any-to-any demand matrix. With a network-wide joint key routing optimization in the SDN controller, up to 16.7% higher demands can be served compared to distributed key routing. Within the inherent compatibility of our study to network-function virtualization (NFV), we guideline future integration of QKMSs into deployed OTNs.
With the development of the Internet, information security has attracted great attention in today’s society, and quantum cryptography communication network based on quantum key distribution (QKD) is a very important part of this field, since the quantum key distribution combined with one-time-pad encryption scheme can guarantee the unconditional security of the information. The secret key generated by quantum key distribution protocols is a very valuable resource, so making full use of key resources is particularly important. Software definition network (SDN) is a new type of network architecture, and it separates the control plane and the data plane of network devices through OpenFlow technology, thus it realizes the flexible control of the network resources. In this paper, a quantum cryptography communication network model based on SDN is proposed to realize the flexible control of quantum key resources in the whole cryptography communication network. Moreover, we propose a routing algorithm which takes into account both the hops and the end-to-end availible keys, so that the secret key generated by QKD can be used effectively. We also simulate this quantum cryptography communication network, and the result shows that based on SDN and the proposed routing algorithm the performance of this network is improved since the effective use of the quantum key resources.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is one of the major cryptographic solutions to tackle the security threats associated to future computational advances, in particular those coming from quantum computing. At the most simple level, QKD can be seen as a highly secure source of symmetric secret keys in two separated places. Nonetheless, the lack of standardization and the strong requirements from the physical layer makes this technology very difficult to integrate in existing infrastructure.However, the success of QKD networks radically depends on the degree in which they can be adopted in the existing infrastructure, and it is a must that it happens via standard protocols and interfaces. The flexibility of novel network paradigms, like Software-Defined Networking (SDN), allows for a faster adoption of new concepts, hardware and services in telecommunications networks. This paradigm can be used for quantum communications, allowing for a fast and scalable deployment of quantum technologies and services in the telecommunications network to a degree that was simply impossible in previous schemes, where the different network devices and their connections should be modified, one by one, to create a quantum communications channel.This tutorial provides an introduction to existing QKD technologies and networks, followed by a descriptive explanation on how SDN principles can be utilized to abstract and integrate QKD systems as part of the network management. This will help to reduce the time-to-market for quantum technologies, and also will make quantum cryptography available as a service to be capitalized by the network operators.
Quantum-key-distribution (QKD) networks can theoretically generate quantum secret keys that are completely secure for an entire communication system. The rate of key distribution is low and decreases exponentially with increasing distance. A classic trusted relay (CTR) uses additional keys to enhance security distance in QKD networks. In practice, the assurance of security for certain relay nodes is still lacking, despite the fact that CTR requires that all nodes be trusted. Owing to channel unreliability, system faults accumulate during the key relay, thereby increasing the probability of CTR failing to distribute the secret key. The failure of a successful key relay would then result in the subsequent destruction of all the keys involved in the process, which leads to the wasting of the quantum secret key and reduction system encryption. Accordingly, reducing the impact of CTR failures and realising the key security distribution of remote quantum networks have become new challenges that require the development of a new survivability scheme. In this study, a software-defined networking (SDN) technique is introduced to circumvent this drawback by utilising the flexibility provided by the SDN paradigm for better QKD network management efficiency. In particular, a novel survivability model called software-defined quantum key relay failure (SDQKRF) is proposed in this paper in which a new function is developed and added to the SDN controller. According to the simulation results, SDN over a QKD network using the SDQKRF model is more reliable and performs better in terms of the key generation ratio, key utilisation rate, recovery after failure, avalanche effect, and service blocking rate than a regular QKD network without the SDQTRF model.