Exploiting flexible functional split in converged software defined access networks

5G targets to offer a huge network capacity to support the expected unprecedented traffic growth due mainly to mobile and machine-type services. Thus, the 5G access network has to comply with very challenging architectural requirements. Mobile network scalability is achieved by playing appropriately with the centralization of network functions and by applying the functional split introducing the fronthaul. Although more advantageous in terms of network management and performance optimization, low-layer functional split options require larger bandwidth and lower latency to be guaranteed by the fronthaul in the access network, while preserving other concurrent fiber-to-the-x services. Thus, advanced mechanisms for the efficient management of available resources in the access network are required to control jointly both radio and optical domains. Softwarized mobile and optical segments facilitate the introduction of dedicated protocols to enable the inter-working of the two control planes. This paper proposes a new cooperation scheme to manage the adaptive flexible functional split in 5G networks conditioned to the resource availability in the optical access network. Techniques for the accurate estimation of available bandwidth and the associated real-time selection of the best suitable functional split option are investigated. Results show that the proposed software defined converged approach to wavelength and bandwidth management guarantees the optimal allocation of optical resources. The triple exponential smoothing forecasting technique enables efficient coexistence of mobile fronthaul and fixed connectivity traffic in the network, reducing traffic impairments with respect to other well-known forecasting techniques, while keeping the same level of centralization.This work was partially supported by the Italian Government under CIPE resolution no. 135 (December 21, 2012), project INnovating City Planning through Information and Communication Technologies (INCIPICT) and by the EC through the H2020 5G-TRANSFORMER project (Project ID 761536)

MaxHadoop: An Efficient Scalable Emulation Tool to Test SDN Protocols in Emulated Hadoop Environments

AbstractThis paper presents MaxHadoop, a flexible and scalable emulation tool, which allows the efficient and accurate emulation of Hadoop environments over Software Defined Networks (SDNs). Hadoop has been designed to manage endless data-streams over networks, making it a tailored candidate to support the new class of network services belonging to Big Data. The development of Hadoop is contemporary with the evolution of networks towards the new architectures "Software Defined." To create our emulation environment, tailored to SDNs, we employ MaxiNet, given its capability of emulating large-scale SDNs. We make it possible to emulate realistic Hadoop scenarios on large-scale SDNs using low-cost commodity hardware, by resolving a few key limitations of MaxiNet through appropriate configuration settings. We validate the MaxHadoop emulator by executing two benchmarks, namely WordCount and TeraSort, to evaluate a set of Key Performance Indicators. The tests' outcomes evidence that MaxHadoop outperforms other existing emulation tools running over commodity hardware. Finally, we show the potentiality of MaxHadoop by utilizing it to perform a comparison of SDN-based network protocols

Efficient Management of Flexible Functional Split through Software Defined 5G Converged Access

Softwarization of mobile and optical networks facilitates the inter-working between control planes of the two domains, allowing a more efficient management of available resources. Radio resource utilization benefits from the centralization of mobile network functionalities with the application of high-order functional split options by fronthauling. However, higher-order options require larger bandwidth and lower latency in the fronthaul. Advanced mechanisms for the joint control of the access network represent the sole solution to support such fronthaul requirements. This paper proposes a new cooperation scheme to manage the adaptive flexible functional split in 5G networks conditioned to the resource availability in the optical access network. Results show that the proposed converged approach guarantees the optimal allocation of optical resources through a software defined wavelength and bandwidth allocation. The proposed scheme adapts to current traffic demand and simultaneously allows the mobile network to take advantage of the highest possible centralization of mobile network functions by leveraging flexible functional split adaptively compliant to the current optical traffic demand.This work was partially supported by the Italian Government under CIPE resolution no. 135 (December 21, 2012), project INnovating City Planning through Information and Communication Technologies (INCIPICT) and by the EC through the H2020 5G-TRANSFORMER project (Project ID 761536

Impact of CoMP VNF Placement on 5G Coordinated Scheduling Performance

To address demanding requirements in terms of expected throughput, latency and scalability, 5G networks will offer high capacity to support huge volumes of traffic generated by heterogeneous services. Dense deployment of small cells can provide a valid solution but are prone to high levels of interference especially at the cell-edge. However, to reduce inter-cell interference and improve cell-edge throughput, a set of techniques known as Coordinated Multipoint (CoMP) has been introduced. Coordinated Scheduling (CS) is a CoMP technique that assigns resources to mobile users to avoid interference between users that are assigned within the same Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs). On the other hand, Software Defined Mobile Networking (SDMN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) represent two key technologies to enhance flexibility and efficiency of resource usage within the Radio Access Network (RAN). However, the implementation of CoMP CS techniques on NFV architecture in a dense small cell scenario have not been analyzed yet. In this paper, we propose the joint use of CoMP CS and NFV by studying the implications of different deployment strategies, as constrained by the physical topology of the underlying RAN. The performance of both distributed and centralized CoMP CS are compared in terms of convergence delay and traffic overhead. Guidelines for the optimal design are provided.This work was partially supported by the Italian Government under CIPE resolution no. 135 (December 21, 2012), project INnovating City Planning through Information and Communication Technologies (INCIPICT) and by the EC through the H2020 5G-TRANSFORMER project (Project ID 761536)

Network Solutions for CoMP Coordinated Scheduling

Demanding throughput, latency and scalability requirements of 5G networks may be addressed by relying on dense deployments of small cells. Coordinated Multipoint (CoMP) Coordinated Scheduling (CS) techniques are introduced to reduce inter-cell interference in case of dense deployment, given that local CoMP-CS information from the evolved NodeBs (eNodeBs) in the cluster are timely collected at the scheduling decision entity. This work studies how the distribution of CoMP-CS cell information is affected by the backhaul infrastructure in terms of both physical and logical topology. The differentiation between physical and logical infrastructure is justified in the context of new approaches like Software Defined Networking and Network Function Virtualization that enable the dynamic configuration of the network. We consider either a Packet Switched Network with three possible topologies (namely, ring, mesh and star) or a Time Division Multiplexing Passive Optical Network (TDM-PON), both carrying heterogeneous traffic. To improve the convergence time in the TDM-PON, we propose a novel bandwidth allocation scheme to prioritize the signaling traffic with respect to data traffic. Performance of both distributed and centralized CoMP-CS are compared in terms of convergence delay and traffic overhead. Finally, we analyze the impact of the periodicity of CS operations on mobile performance, in terms of average UEs throughput, in the presence of different cell loads

Wireless Communication Technologies for Safe Cooperative Cyber Physical Systems

Cooperative Cyber-Physical Systems (Co-CPSs) can be enabled using wireless communication technologies, which in principle should address reliability and safety challenges. Safety for Co-CPS enabled by wireless communication technologies is a crucial aspect and requires new dedicated design approaches. In this paper, we provide an overview of five Co-CPS use cases, as introduced in our SafeCOP EU project, and analyze their safety design requirements. Next, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the main existing wireless communication technologies giving details about the protocols developed within particular standardization bodies. We also investigate to what extent they address the non-functional requirements in terms of safety, security and real time, in the different application domains of each use case. Finally, we discuss general recommendations about the use of different wireless communication technologies showing their potentials in the selected real-world use cases. The discussion is provided under consideration in the 5G standardization process within 3GPP, whose current efforts are inline to current gaps in wireless communications protocols for Co-CPSs including many future use casesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

UWB Channel Model Report

An extensive measurement campaign has been carried out in the 4th floor of the Electronic Engineering Department of the University of Rome Tor Vergata. The measurement plan was described in the report numbered W03-02-0011-R03, available on the ULTRAWAVES private website. In this document we describe the first measurement campaign based on the use of the preliminary DVP purchased from Wisair. Such a campaign is based on time domain measurements. As stated in our original measurement plan, we tried two different techniques to sound the channel: - first by pulses - then by PN-sequences We compared the channel responses obtained by the two techniques. The PN-sequence channel sounding gave the best performance, and then we decided to base our measurement campaign on this channel sounding technique. We will show the channel impulse response by PN-sequence sounding (actually some post-processing must be applied to the raw data obtained by this technique to get the impulse response). The channel measurements were done in many rooms. The transmitter was moved in four different positions in the corridor. The receiver was moved in many different positions, so that the large scale and small-scale effects were evidenced. Also measurements in line-of-sight and nonline-of-sight conditions were made

The role of path loss on the selection of the operating bands of UWB systems

We performed a propagation experiment in a modern office building in Rome, Italy. The propagation measurements are based on the use of a vector network analyzer (VNA) over the band 2-12 GHz, with a frequency resolution of 5 MHz. We propose a novel analysis of the dependence of path loss laws on the carrier frequency and bandwidth. Our experimental results show that the path loss exponent strongly depends on the carrier frequency. The path loss exponents increase with the increasing carrier frequency for the line-of-sight (LOS) scenarios, while exhibit an opposite behavior for the non-line-of-sight (NLOS) data. We explain this behavior by the frequency dependence of the reflection coefficient of the walls surrounding the transmitter. Indeed, the lowest frequencies (2-5 GHz) are reflected, while the highest frequencies (up to 12 GHz) pass through the walls