Near real-time estimation of end-to-end performance in converged fixed-mobile networks

© Elsevier. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/The independent operation of mobile and fixed network segments is one of the main barriers that prevents improving network performance while reducing capital expenditures coming from overprovisioning. In particular, a coordinated dynamic network operation of both network segments is essential to guarantee end-to-end Key Performance Indicators (KPI), on which new network services rely on. To achieve such dynamic operation, accurate estimation of end-to-end KPIs is needed to trigger network reconfiguration before performance degrades. In this paper, we present a methodology to achieve an accurate, scalable, and predictive estimation of end-to-end KPIs with sub-second granularity near real-time in converged fixed-mobile networks. Specifically, we extend our CURSA-SQ methodology for mobile network traffic analysis, to enable converged fixed-mobile network operation. CURSA-SQ combines simulation and machine learning fueled with real network monitoring data. Numerical results validate the accuracy, robustness, and usability of the proposed CURSA-SQ methodology for converged fixed-mobile network scenarios.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Fluid flow queue models for fixed-mobile network evaluation

A methodology for fast and accurate end-to-end KPI, like throughput and delay, estimation is proposed based on the service-centric traffic flow analysis and the fluid flow queuing model named CURSA-SQ. Mobile network features, like shared medium and mobility, are considered defining the models to be taken into account such as the propagation models and the fluid flow scheduling model. The developed methodology provides accurate computation of these KPIs, while performing orders of magnitude faster than discrete event simulators like ns-3. Finally, this methodology combined to its capacity for performance estimation in MPLS networks enables its application for near real-time converged fixed-mobile networks operation as it is proven in three use case scenarios

End-to-end KPI analysis in converged fixed-mobile networks

©2020 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes,creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.The independent operation of mobile and fixed network segments is one of the main barriers that prevents improving network performance while reducing capital expenditures coming from overprovisioning. In particular, a coordinated dynamic network operation of both network segments is essential to guarantee end-to-end Key Performance Indicators (KPI), on which new network services rely on. To achieve such dynamic operation, accurate estimation of end-to-end KPIs is needed to trigger network reconfiguration before performance degrades. In this paper, we present a methodology to achieve an accurate, scalable, and predictive estimation of end-to-end KPIs with sub-second granularity near real-time in converged fixed-mobile networks. Specifically, we extend our CURSA-SQ methodology for mobile network traffic analysis, to enable converged fixed-mobile network operation. CURSA-SQ combines simulation and machine learning fueled with real network monitoring data. Numerical results validate the accuracy, robustness, and usability of the proposed CURSA-SQ methodology for converged fixed-mobile network scenarios.The research leading to these results has received funding from the Spanish MINECO TWINS project (TEC2017-90097-R), and from the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA).Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Multimedia delivery in the future internet

The term “Networked Media” implies that all kinds of media including text, image, 3D graphics, audio and video are produced, distributed, shared, managed and consumed on-line through various networks, like the Internet, Fiber, WiFi, WiMAX, GPRS, 3G and so on, in a convergent manner [1]. This white paper is the contribution of the Media Delivery Platform (MDP) cluster and aims to cover the Networked challenges of the Networked Media in the transition to the Future of the Internet. Internet has evolved and changed the way we work and live. End users of the Internet have been confronted with a bewildering range of media, services and applications and of technological innovations concerning media formats, wireless networks, terminal types and capabilities. And there is little evidence that the pace of this innovation is slowing. Today, over one billion of users access the Internet on regular basis, more than 100 million users have downloaded at least one (multi)media file and over 47 millions of them do so regularly, searching in more than 160 Exabytes1 of content. In the near future these numbers are expected to exponentially rise. It is expected that the Internet content will be increased by at least a factor of 6, rising to more than 990 Exabytes before 2012, fuelled mainly by the users themselves. Moreover, it is envisaged that in a near- to mid-term future, the Internet will provide the means to share and distribute (new) multimedia content and services with superior quality and striking flexibility, in a trusted and personalized way, improving citizens’ quality of life, working conditions, edutainment and safety. In this evolving environment, new transport protocols, new multimedia encoding schemes, cross-layer inthe network adaptation, machine-to-machine communication (including RFIDs), rich 3D content as well as community networks and the use of peer-to-peer (P2P) overlays are expected to generate new models of interaction and cooperation, and be able to support enhanced perceived quality-of-experience (PQoE) and innovative applications “on the move”, like virtual collaboration environments, personalised services/ media, virtual sport groups, on-line gaming, edutainment. In this context, the interaction with content combined with interactive/multimedia search capabilities across distributed repositories, opportunistic P2P networks and the dynamic adaptation to the characteristics of diverse mobile terminals are expected to contribute towards such a vision. Based on work that has taken place in a number of EC co-funded projects, in Framework Program 6 (FP6) and Framework Program 7 (FP7), a group of experts and technology visionaries have voluntarily contributed in this white paper aiming to describe the status, the state-of-the art, the challenges and the way ahead in the area of Content Aware media delivery platforms

CapEst: A Measurement-based Approach to Estimating Link Capacity in Wireless Networks

Estimating link capacity in a wireless network is a complex task because the available capacity at a link is a function of not only the current arrival rate at that link, but also of the arrival rate at links which interfere with that link as well as of the nature of interference between these links. Models which accurately characterize this dependence are either too computationally complex to be useful or lack accuracy. Further, they have a high implementation overhead and make restrictive assumptions, which makes them inapplicable to real networks. In this paper, we propose CapEst, a general, simple yet accurate, measurement-based approach to estimating link capacity in a wireless network. To be computationally light, CapEst allows inaccuracy in estimation; however, using measurements, it can correct this inaccuracy in an iterative fashion and converge to the correct estimate. Our evaluation shows that CapEst always converged to within 5% of the correct value in less than 18 iterations. CapEst is model-independent, hence, is applicable to any MAC/PHY layer and works with auto-rate adaptation. Moreover, it has a low implementation overhead, can be used with any application which requires an estimate of residual capacity on a wireless link and can be implemented completely at the network layer without any support from the underlying chipset