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International Conference on Quantum Communications, Networking, and Computing (QCNC)

Analysis of SDN Control Protocols in Industrial-Grade QKD Networks

Rubén B. Méndez, Jesús Ballesta, Ramon Querol, Carmen Escribano, Luis Mengual, Juan Robles, Antonio Pastor, Rafael Canto, Jesús Folgueira, Diego Lopez, Vicente Martin, Juan P. Brito

Published Apr 6, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Quantum Key Distribution is emerging as a promising technology to increase the robustness of current communications. Quantum Computing promises substantial benefits for society, particularly through its ability to solve complex mathematical problems far more efficiently than classical systems. However, these emerging computational capabilities also introduce significant security risks that must be mitigated to preserve the integrity of worldwide communication infrastructures. A primary concern is the potential for quantum algorithms to break widely deployed cryptographic schemes within operationally feasible timeframes. To counter this threat, industry and academia are investing considerable effort and resources into advancing quantum communication technologies and accelerating their adoption across world wide networks. Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is increasingly becoming the de-facto architectural paradigm for enabling the deployment and operation of QKD networks. Also the adoption of emerging standards that build upon this new network model, such as ETSI GS QKD 015, plays a crucial role in the adoption of this new technology. In this paper, we present a qualitative analysis of key SDN communication protocols, including NETCONF, RESTCONF, and gNMI/gRPC, evaluated within a real, industrial-grade QKD network. This assessment provides a realistic comparison of their capabilities, limitations, and practical suitability for managing quantum-safe communication infrastructures.

DOI
10.1109/qcnc69040.2026.00059

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Quantum Key Distribution is emerging as a promising technology to increase the robustness of current communications. Quantum Computing promises substantial benefits for society, particularly through its ability to solve complex mathematical problems far more efficiently than classical systems. However, these emerging computational capabilities also introduce significant security risks that must be mitigated to preserve the integrity of worldwide communication infrastructures. A primary concern is the potential for quantum algorithms to break widely deployed cryptographic schemes within operationally feasible timeframes. To counter this threat, industry and academia are investing considerable effort and resources into advancing quantum communication technologies and accelerating their adoption across world wide networks. Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is increasingly becoming the de-facto architectural paradigm for enabling the deployment and operation of QKD networks. Also the adoption of emerging standards that build upon this new network model, such as ETSI GS QKD 015, plays a crucial role in the adoption of this new technology. In this paper, we present a qualitative analysis of key SDN communication protocols, including NETCONF, RESTCONF, and gNMI/gRPC, evaluated within a real, industrial-grade QKD network. This assessment provides a realistic comparison of their capabilities, limitations, and practical suitability for managing quantum-safe communication infrastructures.
Quantum Key Distribution is emerging as a promising technology to strength the robustness of the current communications. Quantum Computing offers different advantages that the society could use in the future, high computation capabilities, simulation environments that take into account a big quantity of variables, nevertheless, this high computational capabilities introduce threads that the society must be protected also. In this sense, the high computation capabilities can break the security of the current communications in a reasonable amount of time. To avoid this, QKD vendors and Telecommunication operators are investing resources in push Quantum Communications technology into the society. This paper presents how the QKD technology can be use according to well-known protocols and interfaces following the traditional SDN approach. Presenting the interoperability across the three prominent network management protocols: NETCONF, RESTCONF and gNMI/gRPC, enabling efficient orchestration and control while maintaining vendor and protocol independence. Facilitating robust network designs capable of supporting the diverse requirements of modern quantum secure communication infrastructures.
The growing dependence on digital communications underscores the need to protect data as it travels through the network. Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) plays a central role, providing a robust framework to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of transmitted data. However, advances in Quantum Computing pose a significant threat to current public-key cryptographic schemes by enabling efficient solutions to factoring and discrete logarithm problems. A promising solution also arises from the quantum domain. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) provides a security layer immune to any computational attacks, whether quantum or classical. While the rapid adoption of quantum-safe technologies is highly desirable, it is equally important to ensure the resilience of existing trusted infrastructures, as the introduction of novel technologies may also entail unforeseen challenges. Enabling an evolutionary path that brings our current security infrastructure to a quantum-safe one, protected against both present and future threats, is thus very important. This work proposes a solution that integrates emerging quantum technologies into the existing security and communications infrastructure to ensure long-term protection. We focus on IPsec —one of the most widely deployed security protocols— and combine it with Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and QKD to construct a novel network security infrastructure that is resilient against both classical and quantum computational threats. Building upon recent standardization initiatives and operational tools for QKD integration, we demonstrate advanced capabilities -including rekeying and secure key transport- on a field deployed QKD network operating within a shared quantum-classical production infrastructure.
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.
Software-defined networking (SDN) has emerged as a promising paradigm for managing and controlling network resources efficiently. However, ensuring the security of data packets transmitted within an SDN environment remains a critical challenge. Traditional networking relies on static configurations, while SDN offers dynamic control and programmability, revolutionizing network management. In SDN, the application layer employs tools like OpenDaylight and Mininet for network management and testing. The control layer, managed by controllers such as Floodlight or ONOS, orchestrates traffic flow among switches. In the infrastructure layer, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) with the BB84 protocol ensures secure communication. Together, these layers enable agile, programmable, and secure networking paradigms. This paper proposes integrating quantum key distribution (QKD) into SDN architectures to bolster packet-level security. By leveraging quantum entanglement and uncertainty, a secure communication channel between SDN controllers and switches is established, resilient to quantum attacks. Evaluation through simulations and real-world experiments demonstrates efficacy in mitigating security threats while minimizing overhead and latency, advancing SDN security IEEE 802.1X capabilities and leveraging quantum technologies for cybersecurity.
Quantum Key Distribution is an emerging technology. On real production networks is starting to be installed due to it can strength robustness in communications and face next threat that Quantum Computing could be in next years if communications are not ready. As a new technology, it is difficult to integrate or interoperate with it without the necessary standards or interfaces, Software Defined Networking is presented as a solution to integrate QKD in real environments thanks to an approach based on standards, models, and interfaces. NETCONF and RESTCONF are protocols well known by the community oriented to manage devices remotely based on models that are integrated on SDN environments, in this sense, a Trusted Node can be configurable and manageable if we consider it as a device instead of a set of elements. In this paper we propose a method for the integration and management of Trusted Nodes on SDN independently of the transport protocol between the SDN logically centralized Controller and each QKD Node to provide end to end symmetric key for final application services
The importance of quantum-key-distribution (QKD) networks is growing rapidly, not only because the underlying QKD protocol is immune against any (known or unknown) attacks but also as these infrastructures can be operated in a hybrid mode, together with emerging quantum safe, or post quantum cryptography (PQC), public key protocols. Hybrid solutions appear to be the most promising remedy against real-world security risks, posed by prospective quantum computers. Simultaneously, telecommunication operators are embracing novel network paradigms, such as software-defined networking (SDN), due to distinct advantages over traditional approaches. SDN-inspired architectures can also be used for QKD and hybrid QKD-PQC networks. These architectures allow a seamless integration of QKD and hybrid QKD-PQC into production networks, significantly increasing the security of the latter. However, there has only been very limited research on optimal strategies for establishing hybrid connectivity across different organizational domains. The present contribution introduces two methods on interconnecting different technological and administrative domains for such networks. The proposed scheme is QKD-vendor independent and relies heavily on standard and open interfaces. It enables a complete end-to-end communication between applications running on nodes in different domains. It can be used for the secure interconnection of different SDN-based telecommunication domains with additional QKD / hybrid protection and has been tested within the Madrid Quantum-Communication Infrastructure.