Design and Implementation of a Plugin-Based IP Network Controller Based on Metropolitan Area Cloud Network

During the evolution of traditional Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) into Metropolitan Area Cloud network (MACN), IP network controllers play a crucial role in interfacing with operational support systems on the northbound side and MACN network elements on the southbound side. This article introduces an IP network controller based on model-driven and plugin design principles, focusing on the controller's modeling approach, plugin strategy, and deployment plan for the plugin-based IP network controller. The plugin-based IP network controller utilizes model-driven and plugin approaches to mask the differences between devices from multiple vendors and various models as well as enable zero-downtime system upgrades and maintenance, addressing the existing challenges of cross-vendor adaptation and scalability. This approach significantly improves the efficiency of developing and maintaining the controller's requirement expansion and multi-vendor, multi-device adaptation.