Multi-domain service orchestration over networks and clouds: a unified approach

End-to-end service delivery often includes transparently inserted Network Functions (NFs) in the path. Flexible service chaining will require dynamic instantiation of both NFs and traffic forwarding overlays. Virtualization techniques in compute and networking, like cloud and Software Defined Networking (SDN), promise such flexibility for service providers. However, patching together existing cloud and network control mechanisms necessarily puts one over the above, e.g., OpenDaylight under an OpenStack controller. We designed and implemented a joint cloud and network resource virtualization and programming API. In this demonstration, we show that our abstraction is capable for flexible service chaining control over any technology domain

On the experimentation of the novel GCMR multicast routing in a large-scale testbed

Originally defined in the 90s, multicast is nowadays (re)gaining interest given the increasing popularity of multimedia streaming/content traffic and the explosion of cloud services. In fact, multicast yields bandwidth savings complementing cached content distribution techniques and its potential benefits have been verified by studies several times since then (see e.g. [1]). By multicast routing, we refer to a distributed algorithm that, given a group identifier, allows any node to route multicast traffic to a group of destination nodes, usually called multicast group. To enable one-to-many traffic distribution, the multicast routing protocol configures the involved routers to build a (logical) delivery tree between the source and the multicast group, commonly referred to as the Multicast Distribution Tree (MDT). Nevertheless, the scaling problems faced in the 90s still remain mostly unaddressed and worst-case projections predict indeed that routing engines could have to process and maintain in the order of 1 million active routes within the next 5 years [2].This work has been partially funded by the EULER FP7-258307 and DOMINO (TEC2010-18522) projects.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

852-856 Evaluation of the appropriateness of hospital stay in gynecological wards in Tabriz Teaching Hospitals

ABSTRACT Objective: The increasing demand for health care services together with the increasing cost of providing them supports the need for a reconsideration of the existing structures. This study evaluated the appropriateness of hospital stay in gynecological wards. Methodology: This is a descriptive-analytic study which was conducted in 2006-2007 by using modified appropriateness evaluation protocol. Results: The average duration of hospital stay for 402 patients was 55.18±45.03 hours. The length of hospital stay was inappropriate in 61.2%.The main reasons for unnecessary stay before surgery included: no prior outpatient preparation of patients for operation, inadequate diagnostic procedures and the problems resulting from urgent admission (OR=2.91, CI=1. 53-5.28, OR=1.56, CI=1.10-2.99 and OR=1.01, CI=0.08-2.58 respectively).The most important factors for inappropriate stay after surgery included: patient's home-hospital distance and delayed physician's order for discharge (OR=4.18, CI=2.57-13.20 and OR=2.06, CI=1.02-4.43). Conclusions: Inappropriate hospital stay was 61.2%, and it could be decreased to 28.10% by using appropriate approaches