Game Theoretic Approach for a Service Function Chain Routing in NFV with Coupled Constraints

In this brief, the service function chain (SFC) routing in network function virtualization (NFV) with server capacity limitation and user minimum target rate constraint is investigated simultaneously. After relaxing the constraints by the addition of extra cost terms, an extended NFV game incorporating the coupled constraints is formulated. By using semi-tensor product of matrices, we prove that the formulated game is a potential game which possesses at least one Nash equilibrium. We then present the equilibrium point algorithm for solving the SFC routes problem. The numerical simulation of two cases with constraints and without constraints illustrates the influence of coupled limitations on the SFC routing.