A novel downlink semi-persistent packet scheduling scheme for VoLTE traffic over heterogeneous wireless networks

Long Term Evolution (LTE) is becoming the first choice of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) when constructing a wireless network infrastructure because of its high data rate, high throughput and low latency. These significant advancements are necessary for satisfying the delivery of a wide-range of mobile applications and managed network resources. However, deploying a new LTE network or a transition from current legacy cellular networks to LTE can take several years to roll out. In the meantime, working in a heterogeneous wireless communications network looks inevitable. This paper investigates Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Quality of Service (QoS) under a heterogeneous wireless communication scenario. The contributions of this paper are twofold. First, a novel Downlink (DL) semi-persistent scheduling scheme is proposed to reduce VoLTE end-to-end delay and increase system capacity. Second, an extensive network simulation model has been designed and implemented to evaluate the proposed scheme. The performance of the proposed scheme is compared with the performance of two relevant and well-known DL packet scheduling methods. The simulation results confirm that the proposed scheme is able to reduce VoLTE end-to-end delay and achieve a better system capacity than current methods, and maintain the desired VoLTE QoS

Route selection impacts on achieving enhanced IMS QoS

ArticleThe different planes in the IMS interact via specific reference points to deliver multimedia services to the user. QoS provisioning for IMS communications has been standardized for access networks only, with the assumption of an over provisioned IP core. Effective provisioning of multimedia services requires performance guarantee along the complete path of the sessions. End-to-end QoS in IP networks is affected by the route traversed by the user traffic. Moreover QoS guarantees in one ISP domain are not effective for transit traffic exiting the domain. QoS extensions to exterior gateway routing protocols have been proposed to transfer route QoS information beyond one autonomous system (domain). This paper explores options for mapping inter-domain QoS information learnt on the media plane into control plane session information for IMS QoS control. Through testbed evaluations we show the effect of routing on delays experienced in IMS communications.The different planes in the IMS interact via specific reference points to deliver multimedia services to the user. QoS provisioning for IMS communications has been standardized for access networks only, with the assumption of an over provisioned IP core. Effective provisioning of multimedia services requires performance guarantee along the complete path of the sessions. End-to-end QoS in IP networks is affected by the route traversed by the user traffic. Moreover QoS guarantees in one ISP domain are not effective for transit traffic exiting the domain. QoS extensions to exterior gateway routing protocols have been proposed to transfer route QoS information beyond one autonomous system (domain). This paper explores options for mapping inter-domain QoS information learnt on the media plane into control plane session information for IMS QoS control. Through testbed evaluations we show the effect of routing on delays experienced in IMS communications

Towards a scalable video interactivity solution over the IMS

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-76).Rapid increase in bandwidth and the interactive and scalability features of the Internet provide a precedent for a converged platform that will support interactive television. Next Generation Network platforms such as the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) support Quality of Service (QoS), fair charging and possible integration with other services for the deployment of IPTV services. IMS architecture supports the use of the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for session control and the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) for media control. This study aims to investigate video interactivity designs over the Internet using an evaluation framework to examine the performance of both SIP and RTSP protocols over the IMS over different access networks. It proposes a Three Layered Video Interactivity Framework (TLVIF) to reduce the video processing load on a server

Context-awareness for ubiquitous media service delivery in next generation networks

Les récentes avancées technologiques permettent désormais la fabrication de terminaux mobiles de plus en plus compacts et dotés de plusieurs interfaces réseaux. Le nouveau modèle de consommation de médias se résume par le concept "Anytime, Anywhere, Any Device" et impose donc de nouvelles exigences en termes de déploiement de services ubiquitaires. Cependant la conception et le developpement de réseaux ubiquitaires et convergents de nouvelles générations soulèvent un certain nombre de défis techniques. Les standards actuels ainsi que les solutions commerciales pourraient être affectés par le manque de considération du contexte utilisateur. Le ressenti de l'utilisateur concernant certains services multimédia tels que la VoIP et l'IPTV dépend fortement des capacités du terminal et des conditions du réseau d'accès. Cela incite les réseaux de nouvelles générations à fournir des services ubiquitaires adaptés à l'environnement de l'utilisateur optimisant par la même occasion ses resources. L'IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) est une architecture de nouvelle génération qui centralise l'accès aux services et permet la convergence des réseaux fixe/mobile. Néanmoins, l'évolution de l'IMS est nécessaire sur les points suivants :- l'introduction de la sensibilité au contexte utilisateur et de la PQoS (Perceived QoS) : L'architecture IMS ne prend pas en compte l'environnement de l'utilisateur, ses préférences et ne dispose pas d'un méchanisme de gestion de PQOS. Pour s'assurer de la qualité fournit à l'utilisateur final, des informations sur l'environnement de l'utilisateur ainsi que ses préférences doivent transiter en cœur de réseau afin d'y être analysés. Ce traitement aboutit au lancement du service qui sera adapté et optimisé aux conditions observées. De plus pour le service d'IPTV, les caractéristiques spatio-temporelles de la vidéo influent de manière importante sur la PQoS observée côté utilisateur. L'adaptation des services multimédias en fonction de l'évolution du contexte utilisateur et de la nature de la vidéo diffusée assure une qualité d'expérience à l'utilisateur et optimise par la même occasion l'utilisation des ressources en cœur de réseau.- une solution de mobilité efficace pour les services conversationnels tels que la VoIP : Les dernières publications 3GPP fournissent deux solutions de mobilité: le LTE proposeMIP comme solution de mobilité alors que l'IMS définit une mobilité basée sur le protocoleapplicatif SIP. Ces standards définissent le système de signalisation mais ne s'avancent pas sur la gestion du flux média lors du changement d'interface réseau. La deuxième section introduit une étude comparative détaillée des solutions de mobilité dans les NGNs.Notre première contribution est la spécification de l'architecture globale de notre plateforme IMS sensible au contexte utilisateur réalisée au sein du projet Européen ADAMANTIUM. Nous détaillons tout d'abord le serveur MCMS intelligent placé dans la couche application de l'IMS. Cet élément récolte les informations de qualité de services à différents équipements réseaux et prend la décision d'une action sur l'un de ces équipements. Ensuite nous définissons un profil utilisateur permettant de décrire son environnement et de le diffuser en coeur de réseau. Une étude sur la prédiction de satisfaction utilisateur en fonction des paramètres spatio-temporels de la vidéo a été réalisée afin de connaître le débit idéal pour une PQoS désirée.Notre deuxième contribution est l'introduction d'une solution de mobilité adaptée aux services conversationnels (VoIP) tenant compte du contexte utilisateur. Notre solution s'intègre à l'architecture IMS existante de façon transparente et permet de réduire le temps de latence du handover. Notre solution duplique les paquets de VoIP sur les deux interfaces actives pendant le temps de la transition. Parallèlement, un nouvel algorithme de gestion de mémoire tampon améliore la qualité d'expérience pour le service de VoIP.The latest advances in technology have already defied Moore s law. Thanks to research and industry, hand-held devices are composed of high processing embedded systems enabling the consumption of high quality services. Furthermore, recent trends in communication drive users to consume media Anytime, Anywhere on Any Device via multiple wired and wireless network interfaces. This creates new demands for ubiquitous and high quality service provision management. However, defining and developing the next generation of ubiquitous and converged networks raise a number of challenges. Currently, telecommunication standards do not consider context-awareness aspects for network management and service provisioning. The experience felt by the end-user consuming for instance Voice over IP (VoIP) or Internet Protocol TeleVision (IPTV) services varies depending mainly on user preferences, device context and network resources. It is commonly held that Next Generation Network (NGN) should deliver personalized and effective ubiquitous services to the end user s Mobile Node (MN) while optimizing the network resources at the network operator side. IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) is a standardized NGN framework that unifies service access and allows fixed/mobile network convergence. Nevertheless IMS technology still suffers from a number of confining factors that are addressed in this thesis; amongst them are two main issues :The lack of context-awareness and Perceived-QoS (PQoS):-The existing IMS infrastructure does not take into account the environment of the user ,his preferences , and does not provide any PQoS aware management mechanism within its service provisioning control system. In order to ensure that the service satisfies the consumer, this information need to be sent to the core network for analysis. In order to maximize the end-user satisfaction while optimizing network resources, the combination of a user-centric network management and adaptive services according to the user s environment and network conditions are considered. Moreover, video content dynamics are also considered as they significantly impact on the deduced perceptual quality of IPTV services. -The lack of efficient mobility mechanism for conversational services like VoIP :The latest releases of Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) provide two types of mobility solutions. Long-Term Evolution (LTE) uses Mobile IP (MIP) and IMS uses Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) mobility. These standards are focusing on signaling but none of them define how the media should be scheduled in multi-homed devices. The second section introduces a detailed study of existing mobility solutions in NGNs. Our first contribution is the specification of the global context-aware IMS architecture proposed within the European project ADAptative Management of mediA distributioN based on saTisfaction orIented User Modeling (ADAMANTIUM). We introduce the innovative Multimedia Content Management System (MCMS) located in the application layer of IMS. This server combines the collected monitoring information from different network equipments with the data of the user profile and takes adaptation actions if necessary. Then, we introduce the User Profile (UP) management within the User Equipment (UE) describing the end-user s context and facilitating the diffusion of the end-user environment towards the IMS core network. In order to optimize the network usage, a PQoS prediction mechanism gives the optimal video bit-rate according to the video content dynamics. Our second contribution in this thesis is an efficient mobility solution for VoIP service within IMS using and taking advantage of user context. Our solution uses packet duplication on both active interfaces during handover process. In order to leverage this mechanism, a new jitter buffer algorithm is proposed at MN side to improve the user s quality of experience. Furthermore, our mobility solution integrates easily to the existing IMS platform.BORDEAUX1-Bib.electronique (335229901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Interworking QOS Management Subsystem into IMS-Based Architecture Multi Providers: IMS-IQMSMP

International audienceThe third-generation partnership project 3GPP and 3GPP2 have standardized the IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) to provide ubiquitous and access network-independent IP-based services for next-generation networks via merging cellular networks and the Internet. The IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) seems to be the technology that will prevail in Next Generation Networks (NGNs). The users wish to communicate through collections of networks using different protocols; rendering service mapping from one network to another with the similar QoS is a complex issue thereby. The heterogeneous networks are collections of communication platforms using different protocols. This heterogeneity implies the need to offer many different services on the market within short time. In this paper we propose a heterogeneous network model based on the IMS that provides guaranteed QoS. Our method presents, in the first, an informational solution. Decisional information is added to the HSS basis to enrich the knowledge base, which is expressed under the form of "profile of QoS R", where the new information informs directly the decisions to be taken according to the user’s profile (preferences QoS and pricing, bandwidth, location ...). In the second, a solution for multi provider’s context which can allow a subscriber to register with one or more operator(s) according to QoS offered. Thirdly, a mechanism which can be deployed in heterogeneous networks to preserve the original QoS values of the user session and thus eliminate the cumulative effect of QoS rounding across the entire communication path. And it is feasible via the “Interworking QoS Management Sub-network” while adding the new interworking management components, namely: SICs, DIC, QPA AS and HSS-PQoSr

Investigation of an intelligent personalised service recommendation system in an IMS based cellular mobile network

Success or failure of future information and communication services in general and mobile communications in particular is greatly dependent on the level of personalisations they can offer. While the provision of anytime, anywhere, anyhow services has been the focus of wireless telecommunications in recent years, personalisation however has gained more and more attention as the unique selling point of mobile devices. Smart phones should be intelligent enough to match user’s unique needs and preferences to provide a truly personalised service tailored for the individual user. In the first part of this thesis, the importance and role of personalisation in future mobile networks is studied. This is followed, by an agent based futuristic user scenario that addresses the provision of rich data services independent of location. Scenario analysis identifies the requirements and challenges to be solved for the realisation of a personalised service. An architecture based on IP Multimedia Subsystem is proposed for mobility and to provide service continuity whilst roaming between two different access standards. Another aspect of personalisation, which is user preference modelling, is investigated in the context of service selection in a multi 3rd party service provider environment. A model is proposed for the automatic acquisition of user preferences to assist in service selection decision-making. User preferences are modelled based on a two-level Bayesian Metanetwork. Personal agents incorporating the proposed model provide answers to preference related queries such as cost, QoS and service provider reputation. This allows users to have their preferences considered automatically

A Unified Mobility Management Architecture for Interworked Heterogeneous Mobile Networks

The buzzword of this decade has been convergence: the convergence of telecommunications, Internet, entertainment, and information technologies for the seamless provisioning of multimedia services across different network types. Thus the future Next Generation Mobile Network (NGMN) can be envisioned as a group of co-existing heterogeneous mobile data networking technologies sharing a common Internet Protocol (IP) based backbone. In such all-IP based heterogeneous networking environments, ongoing sessions from roaming users are subjected to frequent vertical handoffs across network boundaries. Therefore, ensuring uninterrupted service continuity during session handoffs requires successful mobility and session management mechanisms to be implemented in these participating access networks. Therefore, it is essential for a common interworking framework to be in place for ensuring seamless service continuity over dissimilar networks to enable a potential user to freely roam from one network to another. For the best of our knowledge, the need for a suitable unified mobility and session management framework for the NGMN has not been successfully addressed as yet. This can be seen as the primary motivation of this research. Therefore, the key objectives of this thesis can be stated as: To propose a mobility-aware novel architecture for interworking between heterogeneous mobile data networks To propose a framework for facilitating unified real-time session management (inclusive of session establishment and seamless session handoff) across these different networks. In order to achieve the above goals, an interworking architecture is designed by incorporating the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) as the coupling mediator between dissipate mobile data networking technologies. Subsequently, two different mobility management frameworks are proposed and implemented over the initial interworking architectural design. The first mobility management framework is fully handled by the IMS at the Application Layer. This framework is primarily dependant on the IMS’s default session management protocol, which is the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). The second framework is a combined method based on SIP and the Mobile IP (MIP) protocols, which is essentially operated at the Network Layer. An analytical model is derived for evaluating the proposed scheme for analyzing the network Quality of Service (QoS) metrics and measures involved in session mobility management for the proposed mobility management frameworks. More precisely, these analyzed QoS metrics include vertical handoff delay, transient packet loss, jitter, and signaling overhead/cost. The results of the QoS analysis indicates that a MIP-SIP based mobility management framework performs better than its predecessor, the Pure-SIP based mobility management method. Also, the analysis results indicate that the QoS performances for the investigated parameters are within acceptable levels for real-time VoIP conversations. An OPNET based simulation platform is also used for modeling the proposed mobility management frameworks. All simulated scenarios prove to be capable of performing successful VoIP session handoffs between dissimilar networks whilst maintaining acceptable QoS levels. Lastly, based on the findings, the contributions made by this thesis can be summarized as: The development of a novel framework for interworked heterogeneous mobile data networks in a NGMN environment. The final design conveniently enables 3G cellular technologies (such as the Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS) or Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000) type systems), Wireless Local Area Networking (WLAN) technologies, and Wireless Metropolitan Area Networking (WMAN) technologies (e.g., Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) systems such as WiMAX) to interwork under a common signaling platform. The introduction of a novel unified/centralized mobility and session management platform by exploiting the IMS as a universal coupling mediator for real-time session negotiation and management. This enables a roaming user to seamlessly handoff sessions between different heterogeneous networks. As secondary outcomes of this thesis, an analytical framework and an OPNET simulation framework are developed for analyzing vertical handoff performance. This OPNET simulation platform is suitable for commercial use

Creation of value with open source software in the telecommunications field

Tese de doutoramento. Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 200

A methodology for obtaining More Realistic Cross-Layer QoS Measurements in mobile networks: A VoIP over LTE Use Case

Los servicios de voz han sido durante mucho tiempo la primera fuente de ingresos para los operadores móviles. Incluso con el protagonismo creciente del tráfico de datos, los servicios de voz seguirán jugando un papel importante y no desaparecerán con la transición a redes basadas en el protocolo IP. Por otra parte, hace años que los principales actores en la industria móvil detectaron claramente que los usuarios no aceptarían una degradación en la calidad de los servicios de voz. Es por esto que resulta crítico garantizar la experiencia de usuario (QoE) en la transición a redes de nueva generación basadas en conmutación de paquetes. El trabajo realizado durante esta tesis ha buscado analizar el comportamiento y las dependencias de los diferentes servicios de Voz sobre IP (VoIP), así como identificar configuraciones óptimas, mejoras potenciales y metodologías que permitan asegurar niveles de calidad aceptables al mismo tiempo que se trate de minimizar los costes. La caracterización del rendimiento del tráfico de datos en redes móviles desde el punto de vista de los usuarios finales es un proceso costoso que implica la monitorización y análisis de un amplio rango de protocolos y parámetros con complejas dependencias. Para abordar desde la raíz este problema, se requiere realizar medidas que relacionen y correlen el comportamiento de las diferentes capas. La metodología de caracterización propuesta en esta tesis proporciona la posibilidad de recoger información clave para la resolución de problemas en las comunicaciones IP, relaciolándola con efectos asociados a la propagación radio, como cambios de celda o pérdida de enlaces, o con carga de la red y limitaciones de recursos en zonas geográficas específicas. Dicha metodología se sustenta en la utilización de herramientas nativas de monitorización y registro de información en smartphones, y la aplicación de cadenas de herramientas para la experimentación extensiva tanto en redes reales y como en entornos de prueba controlados. Con los resultados proporcionados por esta serie de herramientas, tanto operadores móviles y proveedores de servicio como desarrolladores móviles podrían ganar acceso a información sobre la experiencia real del usuario y sobre cómo mejorar la cobertura, optimizar los servicios y adaptar el funcionamiento de las aplicaciones y el uso de protocolos móviles basados en IP en este contexto. Las principales contribuciones de las herramientas y métodos introducidos en esta tesis son los siguientes: - Una herramienta de monitorización multicapa para smartphones Android, llamada TestelDroid, que permite la captura de indicadores clave de rendimiento desde el propio equipo de usuario. Asimismo proporciona la capacidad de generar tráfico de forma activa y de verificar el estado de alcanzabilidad del terminal, realizando pruebas de conectividad. - Una metodología de post-procesado para correlar la información presente en las diferentes capas de las medidas realizadas. De igual forma, se proporciona la opción a los usuarios de acceder directamente a la información sobre el tráfico IP y las medidas radio y de aplicar metodologías propias para la obtención de métricas. - Se ha realizado la aplicación de la metodología y de las herramientas usando como caso de uso el estudio y evaluación del rendimiento de las comunicaciones basadas en IP a bordo de trenes de alta velocidad. - Se ha contribuido a la creación de un entorno de prueba realista y altamente configurable para la realización de experimentos avanzados sobre LTE. - Se han detectado posibles sinergias en la utilización de instrumentación avanzada de I+D en el campo de las comunicaciones móviles, tanto para la enseñanza como para la investigación en un entorno universitario

Optimization of Elastic Cloud Brokerage Mechanisms for Future Telecommunication Service Environments

Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.Cloud computing mechanisms and cloud-based services are currently revolutionizing Web as well as telecommunication service platforms and service offerings. Apart from providing infrastructures, platforms and software as a service, mechanism for dynamic allocation of compute and storage resources on-demand, commonly termed as “elastic cloud computing” account for the most important cloud computing functionalities. Resource elasticity allows not only for efficient internal compute and storage resource consumption, but also, through so called hybrid cloud computing mechanisms, for dynamic utilization of external resources on-demand. This capability is especially useful in order to cost-efficiently cope with peakworkloads, allowing service providers to significantly reduce usually required over-provisioned service infrastructures, allowing for “pay-per-use” cost models. With a steadily growing number of cloud providers and with the proliferation of unified cloud computing interfaces, service providers are given free choice of flexibly selecting and utilizing cloud resources from different cloud providers. Cloud brokering systems allow for dynamic selection and utilization of cloud computing resources based on functional (e.g. QoS, SLA, energy consumption) as well as nonfunctional criteria (e.g. costs). The presented work focuses on enhanced cloud brokering mechanisms for telecommunication service platforms, enabling quality telecommunication service assurance, still optimizing cloud resources consumption, i.e. saving costs and energy. Furthermore this work shows that by combining cloud brokering mechanisms with standardized telecommunication service brokering mechanisms an even greater benefit for telecommunication service providers can be achieved as this enables an even better cost-efficiency since different user segments can seamlessly be served by allocating different cloud resources to them in a policy-driven manner