  Software-Defined Networking enables the centralized orchestration of data
traffic within a network. However, proposed solutions require a high degree of
architectural penetration. The present study targets the orchestration of
network elements that do not wish to yield much of their internal operations to
an external controller. Backpressure routing principles are used for deriving
flow routing rules that optimally stabilize a network, while maximizing its
throughput. The elements can then accept in full, partially or reject the
proposed routing rule-set. The proposed scheme requires minimal, relatively
infrequent interaction with a controller, limiting its imposed workload,
promoting scalability. The proposed scheme exhibits attracting network
performance gains, as demonstrated by extensive simulations and proven via
mathematical analysis.
