SD-WISE: A Software-Defined WIreless SEnsor network

In this paper we introduce SD-WISE, a Software-Defined WIreless SEnsor networking solution for Wireless Sensor (and actuator) Networks (WSNs). SD-WISE has several unique features making it a flexible and expandable solution that can be applied in heterogeneous application domains. Its fundamental feature is that it provides software abstractions of the nodes’ resources on both the controller and the nodes sides. By leveraging these abstractions, SD-WISE (i) extends the Software Defined Networking (SDN) approach to WSNs, introducing a more flexible way to define flows as well as the possibility to control the duty cycles of the node radios to increase energy efficiency; (ii) enables Network Function Virtualization (NFV) in WSNs; (iii) leverages the tight interplay between trusted hardware and software to support regulation compliant behavior of sensor nodes. In this paper SD-WISE is introduced, its major operations are described, and its features are demonstrated in three relevant scenarios, thus assessing the effectiveness of the approach.