Integration of Internet and Telecommunications- An Architecture for Hybrid Services

In this article, we propose an architecture for hybrid services, i.e., services that span many network technologies, such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), cellular networks and networks based on the Internet Protocol (IP). These services will play an important role in the future because they leverage on the existing infrastructures, rather than requiring new and sophisticated mechanisms to be deployed. We explore a few issues related to hybrid services and propose a platform, as well as a set of components, to facilitate their creation and deployment. The existing infrastructure is only required to generate specific events when requests for hybrid services are detected. We present the design of a service layer, based on Java, that handles the treatment of these special requests. Our service layer is provided with a set of generic components realized according to the JavaBeans model. We illustrate the strength of our architecture by discussing two hybrid-service examples: a calendar service and a call forwarding service

Active networks: an evolution of the internet

Active Networks can be seen as an evolution of the classical model of packet-switched networks. The traditional and ”passive” network model is based on a static definition of the network node behaviour. Active Networks propose an “active” model where the intermediate nodes (switches and routers) can load and execute user code contained in the data units (packets). Active Networks are a programmable network model, where bandwidth and computation are both considered shared network resources. This approach opens up new interesting research fields. This paper gives a short introduction of Active Networks, discusses the advantages they introduce and presents the research advances in this field

Realizing mobile multimedia systems over emerging fourth-generation wireless technologies

Thesis (M.Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2001.Includes bibliographical references (p. [161]-167) and index.by Pei-Jeng Kuo.M.Eng

PROPOSED MIDDLEWARE SOLUTION FOR RESOURCE-CONSTRAINED DISTRIBUTED EMBEDDED NETWORKS

The explosion in processing power of embedded systems has enabled distributed embedded networks to perform more complicated tasks. Middleware are sets of encapsulations of common and network/operating system-specific functionality into generic, reusable frameworks to manage such distributed networks. This thesis will survey and categorize popular middleware implementations into three adapted layers: host-infrastructure, distribution, and common services. This thesis will then apply a quantitative approach to grading and proposing a single middleware solution from all layers for two target platforms: CubeSats and autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). CubeSats are 10x10x10cm nanosatellites that are popular university-level space missions, and impose power and volume constraints. Autonomous UAVs are similarly-popular hobbyist-level vehicles that exhibit similar power and volume constraints. The MAVLink middleware from the host-infrastructure layer is proposed as the middleware to manage the distributed embedded networks powering these platforms in future projects. Finally, this thesis presents a performance analysis on MAVLink managing the ARM Cortex-M 32-bit processors that power the target platforms

Embedded System Design

A unique feature of this open access textbook is to provide a comprehensive introduction to the fundamental knowledge in embedded systems, with applications in cyber-physical systems and the Internet of things. It starts with an introduction to the field and a survey of specification models and languages for embedded and cyber-physical systems. It provides a brief overview of hardware devices used for such systems and presents the essentials of system software for embedded systems, including real-time operating systems. The author also discusses evaluation and validation techniques for embedded systems and provides an overview of techniques for mapping applications to execution platforms, including multi-core platforms. Embedded systems have to operate under tight constraints and, hence, the book also contains a selected set of optimization techniques, including software optimization techniques. The book closes with a brief survey on testing. This fourth edition has been updated and revised to reflect new trends and technologies, such as the importance of cyber-physical systems (CPS) and the Internet of things (IoT), the evolution of single-core processors to multi-core processors, and the increased importance of energy efficiency and thermal issues

Operational support systems for satellite communications

The role of satellite communications is changing from providing bandwidth linking network operators interconnections towards providing IP enabled communications to end users. This migration from few high-value routes towards many low-value routes means that integration and automation of processes with terrestrial networks becomes critical in driving down unit costs. Integration and automation is necessary on all planes: user, control and management. In satellite communications, management aspects, underpinned by Operational Support Systems (OSS) have received the least research attention, making this a valuable topic for study. In most areas, OSS for satellite systems are similar to other domains. However there are some notable areas of difference which have been the focus of this research. The eTOM business framework, developed by the TMF, has been used to highlight aspects of OSS unique to satellite. Since satellite capacity represents the highest operational cost of a satellite route, effective management while minimising the overhead traffic is critical. The transmission of IP packets is assumed and the real-time measurement of QoS parameters such as packet delay and loss emerged as the most important differences. A number of approaches to QoS measurement are feasible, however the use of trace packets is most promising especially for high network loads. An experiment compares the results from simulations, mathematical models and from a test network, using Poisson and self-similar traffic flows. The relationship between measurement accuracy and trace packet intensity is explored and the measurement response time to steps in traffic load is estimated. It is discovered that measurement accuracy improves as the queue load increases, in contrast to alternative approaches such as sampling of user packets. The response time to steps depends upon the degree of self-similarity and is generally longer than the times recommended by standards. A pragmatic approach to management of different modes is proposed where the measurement method is changed depending on the load

Embedded System Design

A unique feature of this open access textbook is to provide a comprehensive introduction to the fundamental knowledge in embedded systems, with applications in cyber-physical systems and the Internet of things. It starts with an introduction to the field and a survey of specification models and languages for embedded and cyber-physical systems. It provides a brief overview of hardware devices used for such systems and presents the essentials of system software for embedded systems, including real-time operating systems. The author also discusses evaluation and validation techniques for embedded systems and provides an overview of techniques for mapping applications to execution platforms, including multi-core platforms. Embedded systems have to operate under tight constraints and, hence, the book also contains a selected set of optimization techniques, including software optimization techniques. The book closes with a brief survey on testing. This fourth edition has been updated and revised to reflect new trends and technologies, such as the importance of cyber-physical systems (CPS) and the Internet of things (IoT), the evolution of single-core processors to multi-core processors, and the increased importance of energy efficiency and thermal issues

Management of Carrier Grade Intra-Domain Ethernet

Internet ei ole enää pelkkä tiedonlähde, vaan enenevässä määrin kriittisempi osa yhteiskunnan infrastruktuuria. Nykyiset Internet-palveluja tuottavat teknologiat - IPv4 osoitteistuksessa, MPLS siirtoalustana ja SDH fyysisenä välitysteknologiana - ovat alkaneet menettää valta-asemaansa samalla kun kaikille tuttu verkkoteknologia, Ethernet, on laajentunut lähiverkoista runkoverkkoihin. Maailmassa on miljoonia Ethernet-lähiverkkoja. Olisi kustannustehokaampaa toteuttaa myös näiden lähiverkkojen väliset siirtoyhteydet Ethernetillä. Halu kustannustehokkuuteen ja teknologian konsolidointiin on tuonut esille tarpeen ns. operaattorikestoisille Ethernet-palveluille. Koska Ethernetistä puuttuu määrättyjä ominaisuuksia joita ilman on mahdotonta toteuttaa siirtoverkkopalveluja, näitä operaattori-Ethernet-palveluja on tuotettu toistaiseksi olemassa olevilla tekniikoilla, kuten MPLS:llä. Tulevaisuudessa todellinen haaste on luoda operaattoritasoinen, Ethernet-pohjainen siirtoverkkoteknologia, joka kykenee tuottamaan Ethernet-palvelujen lisäksi mitä tahansa muita tietoliikennepalveluja. Tämä diplomityö käsittelee operaattoritasoisen Ethernetin hallintaa yhden runkoverkkoalueen sisällä. Työssä käydään läpi standardoidut operaattorikestoiset Ethernet-palvelut, teknologiat joilla palveluja tällä hetkellä tuotetaan, ehdokkaat tulevaisuuden Ethernet-siirtoverkkoteknologioiksi sekä keskeisimmät verkonhallintaan liittyvät standardit. Työn jälkimmäisessä puoliskossa esitellään Euroopan Unionin 7th Framework ETNA -projektia varten kehitetty verkonhallintajärjestelmä. Hallintajärjestelmä tarjoaa rajapinnan jonka kautta on mahdollista provisioida suojattuja Ethernet-palveluja kahden asiakasliityntäpisteen välillä, ja lisäksi lähetyspuita joissa kohteina on useampi asiakaspiste. Hallintajärjestelmältä tilatut palvelut viestitetään Ben Gurionin yliopiston toteuttaman, verkkoprosessoreilla toimivan välityskerroksen välitystauluihin.Internet is evolving from its role as a mere information provider to an ubiquitous infrastructure crucial to society. The current technologies running the majority of global Internet - IPv4 in addressing, MPLS as core transport and SDH as the physical transfer technology - have been long-lived. However, their dominance has started to diminish because a network technology common to all, Ethernet, has started to expand from local to metropolitan and wide area networks. Most enterprises and home users already use Ethernet in their LAN. Connecting these sites to MAN or WAN with the same technology is the logical next step in technology consolidation. This has raised the demand for Carrier Ethernet services. However, internally they are still mostly provided with non-Ethernet technologies such as MPLS or SDH, because currently Ethernet lacks the necessary service assurance components. The real challenge in future internetworking is creating a Carrier Ethernet Transport (CET). With CET, any imaginable telecommunication service is delivered with a purely Ethernet based technology. When we have Ethernet in transport networks, it is no more a long stretch to a global, routed end-to-end Ethernet. This thesis covers management of an intra-domain CET control plane. First, Carrier Ethernet services and technologies currently producing these services are analyzed. Second, requirements imposed to CET and current CET candidates are discussed. Third, network management standards and their alignment to carrier business is studied. After the background has been discussed, a control plane management system developed for the EU 7th framework ETNA project is introduced. The management system is capable of provisioning point-to-point and multipoint services and is controlled via a web-service -based northbound interface. The control plane is able to install the services as forwarding entries in a network processor -driven data plane developed at Ben Gurion University