Performance Modeling of Softwarized Network Services Based on Queuing Theory with Experimental Validation

Network Functions Virtualization facilitates the automation of the scaling of softwarized network services (SNSs). However, the realization of such a scenario requires a way to determine the needed amount of resources so that the SNSs performance requisites are met for a given workload. This problem is known as resource dimensioning, and it can be efficiently tackled by performance modeling. In this vein, this paper describes an analytical model based on an open queuing network of G/G/m queues to evaluate the response time of SNSs. We validate our model experimentally for a virtualized Mobility Management Entity (vMME) with a three-tiered architecture running on a testbed that resembles a typical data center virtualization environment. We detail the description of our experimental setup and procedures. We solve our resulting queueing network by using the Queueing Networks Analyzer (QNA), Jackson’s networks, and Mean Value Analysis methodologies, and compare them in terms of estimation error. Results show that, for medium and high workloads, the QNA method achieves less than half of error compared to the standard techniques. For low workloads, the three methods produce an error lower than 10%. Finally, we show the usefulness of the model for performing the dynamic provisioning of the vMME experimentally.This work has been partially funded by the H2020 research and innovation project 5G-CLARITY (Grant No. 871428)National research project 5G-City: TEC2016-76795-C6-4-RSpanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (FPU Grant 13/04833). We would also like to thank the reviewers for their valuable feedback to enhance the quality and contribution of this wor

Issues and Challenges for Network Virtualisation

In recent years, network virtualisation has been of great interest to researchers, being a relatively new and major paradigm in networking. This has been reflected in the IT industry where many virtualisation solutions are being marketed as revolutionary and purchased by enterprises to exploit these promised performances. Adversely, there are certain drawbacks like security, isolation and others that have conceded the network virtualisation. In this study, an investigation of the different state-of-the-art virtualisation technologies, their issues and challenges are addressed and besides, a guideline for a quintessential Network Virtualisation Environment (NVE) is been proposed. A systematic review was effectuated on selectively picked research papers and technical reports. Moreover a comparative study is performed on different Network Virtualisation technologies which include features like security, isolation, stability, convergence, outlay, scalability, robustness, manageability, resource management, programmability, flexibility, heterogeneity, legacy Support, and ease of deployment. The virtualisation technologies comprise Virtual Private Network (VPN), Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN), Virtual Extensible Local Area Network (VXLAN), Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualisation (NFV). Conclusively the results exhibited the disparity as to the gaps of creating an ideal network virtualisation model which can be circumvented using these as a benchmark

Scalable and responsive SDN monitoring and remediation for the Cloud-to-Fog continuum

Since the inception of the digital era the sharing of information has been revolutionary to the way we live, inspiring the continuous evolution of computer networks. Year by year, humankind becomes increasingly dependent on the use of connected services as new technologies evolve and become more widely accessible. As the widespread deployment of the Internet of Things, 5G, and connected cars rapidly approaches, with tens of billions of new devices connect- ing to the Internet, there will be a plethora of new faults and attacks that will require the need to be tracked and managed. This enormous increase on Internet reliance which is stretching the limits of current solutions to network monitoring introduces security concerns, as well as challenges of scale in operation and management. Todays conventional network monitoring and management lacks the flexibility, visibility, and intelligence required to effectively operate the next generation of the Internet. The advent of network softwarisation provides new methods for network management and operation, opening new solutions to net- work monitoring and remediation. In parallel, the increase in maturity of Edge computing lends itself to new solutions for scaling network softwarisation, by deploying services throughout the network. In this thesis, two proof-of-concept systems are presented which together harness the use of Software Defined Networking, Network Functions Virtualisation, and Cloud-to-Fog computing to address challenges of scale and network security: Siren is an open platform which manages the resources within the Internet, bridging network and infrastructure management and orchestration. Tennison is a network monitoring and remediation framework which tackles monitoring scalability through adapting to network context and providing a suitable architecture to the network topology, including the use of centralised, distributed, and hierarchical deployments

SDN based security solutions for multi-tenancy NFV

The Internet continues to expand drastically as a result of explosion of mobile devices, content, server virtualization, and advancement of cloud services. This increase has significantly changed traffic patterns within the enterprise data centres. Therefore, advanced technologies are needed to improve traditional network deployments to enable them to handle the changing network patterns. Software defined networks (SDN) and network function virtualisation (NFV) are innovative technologies that enable network flexibility, increase network and service agility, and support service-driven virtual networks using concepts of virtualisation and softwarisation. Collaboration of these two concepts enable cloud operator to offer network-as-a-service (NaaS) to multiple tenants in a data-centre deployment. Despite the benefits brought by these technologies, they also bring along security challenges that need to be addressed and managed to ensure successful deployment and encourage faster adoption in industry. This dissertation proposes security solution based on tenant isolation, network access control (NAC) and network reconfiguration that can be implemented in NFV multi-tenant deployment to guarantee privacy and security of tenant functions. The evaluation of the proof-of-concept framework proves that SDN based tenant isolation solution provides a high level of isolation in a multi-tenant NFV cloud. It also shows that the proposed network reconfiguration greatly reduces chances of an attacker correctly identifying location and IP addresses of tenant functions within the cloud environment. Because of resource limitation, the proposed NAC solution was not evaluated. The efficiency of this solution for multitenancy NFV has been added as part of future work

Formal assurance of security policies in automated network orchestration (SDN/NFV)

1noL'abstract è presente nell'allegato / the abstract is in the attachmentopen677. INGEGNERIA INFORMATInoopenYusupov, Jalolliddi

5G-PPP Software Network Working Group:Network Applications: Opening up 5G and beyond networks 5G-PPP projects analysis, Version 2

It is expected that the communication fabric and the way network services are consumed will evolve towards 6G, building on and extending capabilities of 5G and Beyond networks. Service APIs, Operation APIs, Network APIs are different aspects of the network exposure, which provides the communication service providers a way to monetize the network capabilities. Allowing the developer community to use network capabilities via APIs is an emerging area for network monetization. Thus, it is important that network exposure caters for the needs of developers serving different markets, e.g., different vertical industry segments. The concept of “Network Applications” is introduced following this idea. It is defined as a set of services that provides certain functionalities to verticals and their associated use cases. The Network Applications is more than the introduction of new vertical applications that have interaction capabilities. It refers to the need for a separate middleware layer to simplify the implementation and deployment of vertical systems on a large scale. Specifically, third parties or network operators can contribute to Network Applications, depending on the level of interaction and trust. In practice, a Network Application uses the exposed APIs from the network and can either be integrated with (part of) a vertical application or expose its APIs (e.g., service APIs) for further consumption by vertical applications. This paper builds on the findings of the white paper released in 2022. It targets to go into details about the implementations of the two major Network Applications class: “aaS” and hybrid models. It introduces the Network Applications marketplace and put the light on technological solution like CAMARA project, as part of the standard landscape. <br/