BEBA · Project

Smart Network Switches That React to Threats and Traffic Changes Instantly

digitalTestedTRL 6

Imagine your network switches are like traffic lights that can only follow a fixed schedule — green for 30 seconds, red for 30 seconds — no matter how many cars are actually waiting. BEBA made those switches smart enough to watch the traffic and change their own rules on the fly, at full speed, without calling headquarters every time. This means they can spot suspicious activity, reroute congestion, or block attacks the instant they happen, right inside the switch hardware. The team built working prototypes and tested them in real network environments across Europe.

By the numbers

consortium partners

countries involved

EUR 2,545,976

EU contribution

total deliverables produced

industry partners in consortium

50%

industry ratio in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Network operators today rely on centralized controllers that create bottlenecks — every routing or security decision must travel back and forth to a central point, adding latency and overhead. Meanwhile, dedicated middlebox appliances for firewalls, load balancing, and monitoring are expensive to buy, maintain, and scale. When a network attack or congestion event happens, the delay in response can mean lost revenue and compromised security.

The solution

What was built

The team built programmable network switches using eXtended Finite State Machines that react to traffic patterns at wire speed. Concrete deliverables include a basic proof-of-concept prototype, an extended prototype, and a full trial assessment with network-scale demonstrations in both controlled and real-world environments. They also released an open-source virtual BEBA switch and proposed OpenFlow extensions for standardization.

Audience

Who needs this

Telecom operators managing large backbone or metro networksCloud and data center providers looking to reduce middlebox hardware costsManaged security service providers needing faster threat responseEnterprise network teams running SDN infrastructureNetwork equipment vendors seeking differentiated switch capabilities

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Telecommunications

enterprise

Target: Telecom operators and internet service providers managing large-scale networks

If you are a telecom operator dealing with network congestion and the high latency of centralized traffic management — this project developed programmable switches that react to traffic changes at wire speed without waiting for a central controller. The technology was demonstrated at network scale in both controlled and real-world deployments across a consortium of 6 partners in 5 countries. This means faster response to congestion events and reduced overhead on your control infrastructure.

Cybersecurity

mid-size

Target: Managed security service providers and enterprise SOCs

If you are a security provider struggling with the delay between detecting a network threat and actually blocking it — this project built switches that can enforce security rules dynamically in hardware, reacting to packet-level events in real time. With proof-of-concept prototypes specifically targeting monitoring and network security applications, the technology can identify and respond to attacks without routing decisions through a slow central controller.

Cloud & Data Centers

enterprise

Target: Cloud infrastructure providers and data center operators

If you are a data center operator dealing with unpredictable traffic spikes and the cost of dedicated middlebox appliances for firewalls, load balancing, and monitoring — this project developed a way to reprogram commodity switches to perform these functions directly in hardware. The open-source virtual BEBA switch was released for the Network Functions Virtualization community, meaning you can consolidate multiple network functions into fewer devices.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt this technology?

The project produced open-source software including a virtual BEBA switch, which reduces initial adoption costs. The approach was specifically designed to work on merchant-silicon chipsets found in commodity switches, so you would not need to invest in specialized hardware. Exact licensing terms for commercial deployment should be discussed with the consortium.

Can this work at industrial scale in a production network?

Yes — the project demonstrated BEBA at network scale in both controlled and real-world deployments, as documented in their trial assessment deliverable. The technology was designed for wire-speed operation on existing commodity switch hardware, which supports production-grade throughput.

What is the IP and licensing situation?

The project released an open-source virtual BEBA switch for the NFV community. Parts of the approach were designed as OpenFlow extensions for standardization. Specific IP terms for the hardware implementations should be clarified with the coordinator, CONSORZIO NAZIONALE INTERUNIVERSITARIO PER LE TELECOMUNICAZIONI in Italy.

How does this integrate with existing SDN infrastructure?

BEBA was explicitly designed as extensions to OpenFlow, the dominant SDN protocol. This means it can layer on top of existing OpenFlow-compatible switches and controllers. The platform-independent design ensures it works across different vendors' hardware.

What is the timeline from evaluation to deployment?

The project ran from 2015 to 2017 and produced 19 deliverables including working prototypes and real-world trials. The open-source virtual switch is available now for testing. Moving to hardware deployment depends on switch vendor adoption of the OpenFlow extensions.

Is this compliant with telecom regulations?

The project pursued standardization through the OpenFlow community, which aligns with industry-standard approaches to SDN. Based on available project data, specific regulatory certification was not a primary focus, but the technology operates within existing network infrastructure standards.

Consortium

Who built it

The BEBA consortium brings together 6 partners across 5 countries (Czech Republic, France, Italy, Sweden, UK), with a 50% industry ratio — 3 industry partners alongside 2 universities and 1 research organization, including 1 SME. This balanced mix of academic research and industry involvement signals that the technology was developed with real-world deployment in mind. The coordinator, CONSORZIO NAZIONALE INTERUNIVERSITARIO PER LE TELECOMUNICAZIONI, is an Italian inter-university telecommunications consortium well-positioned to bridge research and telecom industry needs. The geographic spread across major European telecom markets adds credibility for cross-border network deployments.

CONSORZIO NAZIONALE INTERUNIVERSITARIO PER LE TELECOMUNICAZIONICoordinator · IT
CESNET ZAJMOVE SDRUZENI PRAVNICKYCH OSOBparticipant · CZ
KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLANparticipant · SE
THALES SIX GTS FRANCE SASparticipant · FR
NEC EUROPE LTDparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

The coordinator is CONSORZIO NAZIONALE INTERUNIVERSITARIO PER LE TELECOMUNICAZIONI in Italy. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the research team.

Order a report on this consortium See CONSORZIO NAZIONALE INTERUNIVERSITARIO PER LE TELECOMUNICAZIONI profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how BEBA's programmable switch technology could reduce your network management costs or improve threat response times? Contact SciTransfer for a detailed briefing and introduction to the research team.

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