Meta-Reinforced Graph-Aware Secure SDN Framework Using Hybrid GWCC-Chaos Cryptography and Energy-Aware Routing
Received: 12 July 2025 | Revised: 2 August 2025 | Accepted: 15 August 2025 | Online: 6 October 2025
Corresponding author: Nagaraju Tumakuru Andanaiah
Abstract
The rapid growth of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, 5G connectivity, and data-driven services has increased the demand for intelligent, secure, and energy-efficient network infrastructures. Static routing choices, inflexible behavior, and high processing requirements of security schemes pose challenges in traditional Software-Defined Networking (SDN) models. In this paper, we present a new SDN framework in which Meta-Reinforcement Learning (Meta-RL) and Graph Attention Networks (GATs) are combined to support dynamic, topology-aware, and energy-efficient routing. Meta-RL enables the SDN controller to quickly adapt to changes in network conditions through prior knowledge, and GAT improves the learning process by focusing on the most relevant topological characteristics. The framework employs a hybrid cryptographic model based on Genus Weierstrass Curve Cryptography (GWCC), combined with chaotic map encryption to provide secure data transmission without adversely affecting real-time performance. The combined architecture enhances entropy and reduces processing latency. The proposed system is implemented and tested on a Mininet-based platform with a multi-hop structure using an OpenFlow topology. The results show significant improvements in throughput, latency, packet delivery ratio, energy efficiency, and Area Under the Curve (AUC) compared with current models, including Deep Q-Network (DQN), Q-learning-based Routing (QLR), and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC)-based routing.
Keywords:
Meta-Reinforcement Learning (Meta-RL), Graph Attention Networks (GATs), energy-efficient routing, hybrid cryptography, chaotic map encryptionDownloads
References
D. A. Zainaddin, Z. M. Hanapi, M. Othman, Z. Ahmad Zukarnain, and M. D. H. Abdullah, "Recent trends and future directions of congestion management strategies for routing in IoT-based wireless sensor network: a thematic review," Wireless Networks, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 1939–1983, Apr. 2024.
Z. Zheng, Z. Wang, S. Liu, and W. Ma, "Exploring the spatial effects on the level of congestion caused by traffic accidents in urban road networks: A case study of Beijing," Travel Behaviour and Society, vol. 35, Apr. 2024, Art. no. 100728.
A. H. Abdi et al., "Security Control and Data Planes of SDN: A Comprehensive Review of Traditional, AI, and MTD Approaches to Security Solutions," IEEE Access, vol. 12, pp. 69941–69980, 2024.
R. Wazirali, R. Ahmad, and S. Alhiyari, "SDN-OpenFlow Topology Discovery: An Overview of Performance Issues," Applied Sciences, vol. 11, no. 15, Aug. 2021, Art. no. 6999.
Md. S. Rahman, T. Ghosh, N. F. Aurna, M. S. Kaiser, M. Anannya, and A. S. M. S. Hosen, "Machine learning and internet of things in industry 4.0: A review," Measurement: Sensors, vol. 28, Aug. 2023, Art. no. 100822.
A. Narwaria and A. P. Mazumdar, "Software-Defined Wireless Sensor Network: A Comprehensive Survey," Journal of Network and Computer Applications, vol. 215, Jun. 2023, Art. no. 103636.
S. Jagadeesan, C. N. Ravi, M. Sujatha, S. S. Southry, J. Sundararajan, and Ch. V. K. Reddy, "Machine Learning and IoT based Performance Improvement of Energy Efficiency in Smart Buildings," in 2023 International Conference on Sustainable Computing and Data Communication Systems, Erode, India, 2023, pp. 375–380.
H. Tan, T. Ye, S. ur Rehman, O. ur Rehman, S. Tu, and J. Ahmad, "A novel routing optimization strategy based on reinforcement learning in perception layer networks," Computer Networks, vol. 237, Dec. 2023, Art. no. 110105.
B. Sellami, A. Hakiri, S. B. Yahia, and P. Berthou, "Energy-aware task scheduling and offloading using deep reinforcement learning in SDN-enabled IoT network," Computer Networks, vol. 210, Jun. 2022, Art. no. 108957.
S. Xu et al., "RJCC: Reinforcement-Learning-Based Joint Communicational-and-Computational Resource Allocation Mechanism for Smart City IoT," IEEE Internet of Things Journal, vol. 7, no. 9, pp. 8059–8076, Sep. 2020.
P. Prasada, Sathisha, and K. Shreya Prabhu, "Novel Approach in IoT-Based Smart Road with Traffic Decongestion Strategy for Smart Cities," in Advances in Communication, Signal Processing, VLSI, and Embedded Systems: Select Proceedings of VSPICE 2019, Nitte, Karnataka, India, 2020, pp. 195–202.
M. U. Younus, M. K. Khan, and A. R. Bhatti, "Improving the Software-Defined Wireless Sensor Networks Routing Performance Using Reinforcement Learning," IEEE Internet of Things Journal, vol. 9, no. 5, pp. 3495–3508, Mar. 2022.
L. R. S. Campos, R. D. Oliveira, J. D. Melo, and A. D. D. Neto, "Overhead-Controlled Routing in WSNs with Reinforcement Learning," in Intelligent Data Engineering and Automated Learning - IDEAL 2012: 13th International Conference, Natal, Brazil, 2012, pp. 622–629.
V. Singh, S.-S. Chen, M. Singhania, B. Nanavati, A. kumar kar, and A. Gupta, "How are reinforcement learning and deep learning algorithms used for big data based decision making in financial industries–A review and research agenda," International Journal of Information Management Data Insights, vol. 2, no. 2, Nov. 2022, Art. no. 100094.
H. Ju, S. Kim, Y. Kim, and B. Shim, "Energy-Efficient Ultra-Dense Network With Deep Reinforcement Learning," IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, vol. 21, no. 8, pp. 6539–6552, Aug. 2022.
J. Singh and S. Behal, "Detection and mitigation of DDoS attacks in SDN: A comprehensive review, research challenges and future directions," Computer Science Review, vol. 37, Aug. 2020, Art. no. 100279.
G. Logeswari, S. Bose, and T. Anitha, "An Intrusion Detection System for SDN Using Machine Learning," Intelligent Automation & Soft Computing, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 867–880, Jun. 2022.
G. S. Quirino, A. R. L. Ribeiro, and E. D. Moreno, "Asymmetric Encryption in Wireless Sensor Networks," in Wireless Sensor Networks - Technology and Protocols, M. A. Matin, Ed. London, United Kingdom: IntechOpen, 2012, ch. 10.
A. M. Awaludin, H. T. Larasati, and H. Kim, "High-Speed and Unified ECC Processor for Generic Weierstrass Curves over GF(p) on FPGA," Sensors, vol. 21, no. 4, Feb. 2021, Art. no. 1451.
R. Swami, M. Dave, and V. Ranga, "Software-defined Networking-based DDoS Defense Mechanisms," ACM Computing Surveys, vol. 52, no. 2, Apr. 2019, Art. no. 28.
L. Zhang, "Research on Control Algorithm Theory and Visual Recognition Algorithm of Network Devices," in 2023 IEEE 6th International Conference on Information Systems and Computer Aided Education, Dalian, China, 2023, pp. 956–961.
T. E. Ali, Y.-W. Chong, and S. Manickam, "Machine Learning Techniques to Detect a DDoS Attack in SDN: A Systematic Review," Applied Sciences, vol. 13, no. 5, Mar. 2023, Art. no. 3183.
S. Ennaji, F. D. Gaspari, D. Hitaj, A. Kbidi, and L. V. Mancini, "Adversarial Challenges in Network Intrusion Detection Systems: Research Insights and Future Prospects." arXiv, Oct. 22, 2024.
Q. Liu, H. Ruan, H. Li, X. Li, and X. Wang, "REAL-GUARD: A Machine Learning based Real-time Mechanism for Combining Packet and Flow Features to Mitigating Network Attacks in SDN," in Proceedings of the 2020 International Conference on Cyberspace Innovation of Advanced Technologies, Guangzhou, China, 2021, pp. 451–458.
D. S. Ahmed, A. A. Abdulhameed, and M. T. Gaata, "A Systematic Literature Review on Cyber Attack Detection in Software-Define Networking (SDN)," Mesopotamian Journal of CyberSecurity, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 86–135, Nov. 2024.
P. Almasan, J. Suárez-Varela, B. Wu, S. Xiao, P. Barlet-Ros, and A. Cabellos-Aparicio, "Towards Real-Time Routing Optimization with Deep Reinforcement Learning: Open Challenges," in 2021 IEEE 22nd International Conference on High Performance Switching and Routing, Paris, France, 2021, pp. 1–6.
M. H. Alanazi, "G-GANS for Adaptive Learning in Dynamic Network Slices," Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 14327–14341, Jun. 2024.
X. Mai, Q. Fu, and Y. Chen, "Packet Routing with Graph Attention Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning," in 2021 IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM), Madrid, Spain, 2021, pp. 1–6.
Downloads
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Nagaraju Tumakuru Andanaiah, Malode Vishwanatha Panduranga Rao

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain the copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) after its publication in ETASR with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.