Routing Optimization of AVB Streams in TSN Networks

In this paper we are interested in safety-critical real-time applications implemented on distributed architectures using the Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) standard. The ongoing standardization of TSN is an IEEE effort to bring deterministic real-time capabilities into the IEEE 802.1 Ethernet standard supporting safety-critical systems and guaranteed Quality-of-Service. TSN will support Time-Triggered (TT) communication based on schedule tables, Audio-Video-Bridging (AVB) streams with bounded end-to-end latency as well as Best-Effort messages. We consider that we know the topology of the network as well as the routes and schedules of the TT streams. We are interested to determine the routing of the AVB streams such that all frames are schedulable and their worst-case end-to-end delay is minimized. We have proposed a search-space reduction technique and a Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure (GRASP)-based heuristic for this routing optimization problem. The proposed approaches has been evaluated using several test cases. </jats:p

Traffic class assignment for mixed-criticality frames in TTEthernet

In this paper we are interested in mixed-criticality applications, which have functions with different timing requirements, i.e., hard real-time (HRT), soft real-time (SRT) and functions that are not time-critical (NC). The applications are implemented on distributed architectures that use the TTEthernet protocol for communication. TTEthernet supports three traffic classes: Time-Triggered (TT), where frames are transmitted based on static schedule tables; Rate Constrained (RC), for dynamic frames with a guaranteed bandwidth and bounded delays; and Best Effort (BE), for which no timing guarantees are provided. HRT messages have deadlines, whereas for SRT messages we capture the quality-of-service using "utility functions". Given the network topology, the set of application messages and their routing, we are interested to determine the traffic class of each message, such that all HRT messages are schedulable and the total utility for SRT messages is maximized. For the TT frames we decide their schedule tables, and for the RC frames we decide their bandwidth allocation. We propose aTabu Search-based metaheuristic to solve this optimization problem. The proposed approach has been evaluated using several benchmarks, including two realistic test cases.</jats:p

Simulation-Based Fault Injection as a Verification Oracle for the Engineering of Time-Triggered Ethernet networks

TTEthernet (TTE) is considered for use as high-speed backbone in the avionics of next-generation orbital space launchers. Given the key role of communication in launchers, the OEM must acquire a precise understanding of TTE’s functioning and its performances in nominal and error conditions. This holds especially true for the clock synchronization algorithm, the cornerstone of time-triggered communication in TTE, which involves complex distributed algorithms. In this study, we use both an experimental platform and fault-injection on a simulation model to gain quantified insights in these questions. We first describe a fine-grained simulation model of TTE model and discuss how it has been validated against communication traces recorded on the TTE platform. We then present experiments that evaluate the accuracy of the clock synchronization in TTE in the fault-free case as well as considering permanent link failure and transient transmission errors. Finally, we discuss what we have learned during the project in terms of development process and programming language support for complex simulation models used in the design of critical systems

Latency Analysis of Multiple Classes of AVB Traffic in TSN with Standard Credit Behavior using Network Calculus

Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) is a set of amendments that extend Ethernet to support distributed safety-critical and real-time applications in the industrial automation, aerospace and automotive areas. TSN integrates multiple traffic types and supports interactions in several combinations. In this paper we consider the configuration supporting Scheduled Traffic (ST) traffic scheduled based on Gate-Control-Lists (GCLs), Audio-Video-Bridging (AVB) traffic according to IEEE 802.1BA that has bounded latencies, and Best-Effort (BE) traffic, for which no guarantees are provided. The paper extends the timing analysis method to multiple AVB classes and proofs the credit bounds for multiple classes of AVB traffic, respectively under frozen and non-frozen behaviors of credit during guard band (GB). They are prerequisites for non-overflow credits of Credit-Based Shaper (CBS) and preventing starvation of AVB traffic. Moreover, this paper proposes an improved timing analysis method reducing the pessimism for the worst-case end-to-end delays of AVB traffic by considering the limitations from the physical link rate and the output of CBS. Finally, we evaluate the improved analysis method on both synthetic and real-world test cases, showing the significant reduction of pessimism on latency bounds compared to related work, and presenting the correctness validation compared with simulation results. We also compare the AVB latency bounds in the case of frozen and non-frozen credit during GB. Additionally, we evaluate the scalability of our method with variation of the load of ST flows and of the bandwidth reservation for AVB traffic

Stability-Aware Integrated Routing and Scheduling for Control Applications in Ethernet Networks

Real-time communication over Ethernet is becoming important in various application areas of cyber-physical systems such as industrial automation and control, avionics, and automotive networking. Since such applications are typically time critical, Ethernet technology has been enhanced to support time-driven communication through the IEEE 802.1 TSN standards. The performance and stability of control applications is strongly impacted by the timing of the network communication. Thus, in order to guarantee stability requirements, when synthesizing the communication schedule and routing, it is needed to consider the degree to which control applications can tolerate message delays and jitters. In this paper we jointly solve the message scheduling and routing problem for networked cyber-physical systems based on the time-triggered Ethernet TSN standards. Moreover, we consider this communication synthesis problem in the context of control applications and guarantee their worst-case stability, taking explicitly into consideration the impact of communication delay and jitter on control quality. Considering the inherent complexity of the network communication synthesis problem, we also propose new heuristics to improve synthesis efficiency without any major loss of quality. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solutions

Design of Time-Sensitive Networks For Safety-Critical Cyber-Physical Systems

A new era of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) is emerging due to the vast growth in computation and communication technologies. A fault-tolerant and timely communication is the backbone of any CPS to interconnect the distributed controllers to the physical processes. Such reliability and timing requirements become more stringent in safety-critical applications, such as avionics and automotive. Future networks have to meet increasing bandwidth and coverage demands without compromising their reliability and timing. Ethernet technology is efficient in providing a low-cost scalable networking solution. However, the non-deterministic queuing delay and the packet collisions deny low latency communication in Ethernet. In this context, IEEE 802.1 Time Sensitive Network (TSN) standard has been introduced as an extension of the Ethernet technology to realize switched network architecture with real-time capabilities. TSN offers Time-Triggered (TT) traffic deterministic communication. Bounded Worst-Case end-to-end Delay (WCD) delivery is yielded by Audio Video Bridging (AVB) traffic. In this thesis, we are interested in the TSN design and verification. TSN design and verification are challenging tasks, especially for realistic safety-critical applications. The increasing complexity of CPSs widens the gap between the underlying networks' scale and the design techniques' capabilities. The existing TSN's scheduling techniques, which are limited to small and medium networks, are good examples of such a gap. On the other hand, the TSN has to handle dynamic traffic in some applications, e.g., Fog computing applications. Other challenges are related to satisfying the fault-tolerance constraints of mixed-criticality traffic in resource-efficient manners. Furthermore, in space and avionics applications, the harsh radiation environment implies verifying the TSN's availability under Single Event Upset (SEU)-induced failures. In other words, TSN design has to manage a large variety of constraints regarding the cost, redundancy, and delivery latency where no single design approach fits all applications. Therefore, TSN's efficient employment demands a flexible design framework that offers several design approaches to meet the broad range of timing, reliability, and cost constraints. This thesis aims to develop a TSN design framework that enables TSN deployment in a broad spectrum of CPSs. The framework introduces a set of methods to address the reliability, timing, and scalability aspects. Topology synthesis, traffic planning, and early-stage modeling and analysis are considered in this framework. The proposed methods work together to meet a large variety of constraints in CPSs. This thesis proposes a scalable heuristic-based method for topology synthesis and ILP formulations for reliability-aware AVB traffic routing to address the fault-tolerance transmission. A novel method for scalable scheduling of TT traffic to attain real-time transmission. To optimize the TSN for dynamic traffic, we propose a new priority assignment technique based on reinforcement learning. Regarding the TSN verification in harsh radiation environments, we introduce formal models to investigate the impact of the SEU-induced switches failures on the TSN availability. The proposed analysis adopts the model checking and statistical model checking techniques to discover and characterize the vulnerable design candidates