QoS management and flexible traffic detection architecture for 5G mobile networks

The next generation of 5G networks is being developed to provide services with the highest Quality of Service (QoS) attributes, such as ultra-low latency, ultra-reliable communication, high data rates, and high user mobility experience. To this end, several new settings must be implemented in the mobile network architecture such as the incorporation of Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN), along with the shift of processes to the edge of the network. This work proposes an architecture combining the NFV and SDN concepts to provide the logic for Quality of Service (QoS) traffic detection and the logic for QoS management in next-generation mobile networks. It can be applied to the mobile backhaul and the mobile core network to work with both 5G mobile access networks or current 4G access networks, keeping backward compatibility with current mobile devices. In order to manage traffic without QoS and with QoS requirements, this work incorporates Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) in the mobile data plane. A new flexible and programmable method to detect traffic with QoS requirements is also proposed, along with an Evolved Packet System (EPS)-bearer/QoS-flow creation with QoS considering all elements in the path. These goals are achieved by using proactive and reactive path setup methods to route the traffic immediately and simultaneously process it in the search for QoS requirements. Finally, a prototype is presented to prove the benefits and the viability of the proposed concepts

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

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