A Model-driven approach to design and verify autonomic network behaviors

The domain of autonomic networking comes with its own set of architectural challenges and requirements that necessitates the knowledge of other domains like protocol design, system engineering and modern control theory for the design of autonomic behaviors. Thus, there is a need for an unified framework and methodology for designing the autonomic entities of such networks. A Model-driven framework or approach appears as a viable option, as it integrates and masks the differences between the domains through meta-models and model-to-model transformation services. In this paper, we focus on the instantiation of one such methodology and associated tool-chain for the design of the Auto-Configuration behavior in a network. We showcase how the application of the methodology helps in detecting and resolving conflicting and entangled control-loops during the design phase of autonomic behaviors

Formal methods for modeling, refining and verifying autonomic components of computer networks

The domain of autonomic and nature-inspired networking comes with its own set of design challenges and requirements for its architectures. This demands a tailored solution to model and design its components rather than a generic approach. In this paper, we provide a hybrid methodology consisting of formal methods to design, refine and verify the entities of autonomic networks. We focus our discussions on the methods for meta-modeling, structural modeling and behavior modeling and design of existing protocols and newly introduced autonomic components, that autonomically manage and adapt the behaviour of protocols to changing policy and network conditions. A case study, based on the recently introduced Hierarchical Autonomic Management and Control Architectural Framework called GANA, is used for highlighting the practical benefits and design choices available to modelers and autonomic components designers. The results of our case study are analyzed to explain the trade of fs that future designers would be forced to make in order to achieve their design objectives for an autonomic network. A tool-chain to realize the methodology is also briefly discussed

The diverse stakeholder roles to involve in standardization of emerging and future self-managing networks

This paper discusses some of the key points related to Standardization that need to be noted and discussed in the wide ICT community, to help understand the implication and impact of emerging and future network technologies on the various stakeholders of the global ICT ecosystems. The implication of emerging and future network technologies is that it is now the time to involve every key stakeholder in shaping, reviewing and contributing to the evolution of standards as well as the processes involved in making standards. The success to attaining quality and stability of emerging and future standards hinges on the engagements of the various key stakeholders and roles discussed in this paper. This paper is aimed at helping various stakeholders identify where they fit in the changing landscape of standardization, and promoting further discussions and debates along the topic, since the necessary discussions are not taking place at the pace expected by the global ICT communit y. We look at the key aspects requiring continued discussions and consideration so as to help accelerate standards development processes and adoption of standards, to help facilitate innovation and new technologies that dramatically bring about changes to the global economy and improve the lives of citizens across the globe. Therefore, it is very important to understand that Future Network Research directions must be aligned with newly launched activities in standardization of emerging and future network technologies

Standardizing a reference model and autonomic network architectures for the self-managing future internet

Research efforts at network design in the area of Autonomic Networking and Self-Managing Networks have reached a maturity level that forms a strong foundation toward standardization of architectural principles of the Self-Managing Future Internet. Therefore, an Industry Specification Group (ISG) on Autonomic network engineering for the self-managing Future Internet (AFI) has been established under the auspices of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). Upon its creation, the main stakeholders agreed to harmonize the previous developments and the most recent trends in the very vital field of autonomic and self-managing networks. Particularly, the life cycle of AFI is structured by Work Items providing the foundation for ETSI Group Specifications. So far AFI has been focusing on scenarios, use cases, and requirements for the autonomic/selfmanaging Future Internet, as well as on architectural reference model for autonomic networking and self-management. Most recently, AFI has continued with a new Work Item on requirements analysis and specification of implementation-oriented solutions for autonomics and self-management. At the same time, as a part of the global ecosystem, AFI is establishing strategic liaisons with the standards developing organizations and research community. © 2006 IEEE