NoSQL stores for coreless mobile networks

The goals of 5G networks — low latency, high bandwidth, and support for fast mobility — are non-trivial and they demand improvements across all involved technology fields. Researchers are therefore exploring approaches that leverage on network function virtualization and software-defined networking for meeting the demands of verticals expected to use 5G networks. One approach which appears promising is the concept of a coreless mobile network where the key network functions are placed at the edge of the network. In this article we focus on management of the user-context state in a coreless mobile network, and posit that these network functions can use a NoSQL data store for maintaining the user-context and other state variables. We first present an overview of promising NoSQL data stores and evaluate their suitability. We then present the results of benchmarking the Apache Geode data store as an example of a state management solution which could serve a coreless mobile network. During our tests we observe that the Apache Geode data store is, subject to its configuration, capable of delivering the data model, consistency, and high availability required by a coreless mobile network.Peer reviewe

The 5D Approach to Control and Manage Smart Spaces

Peer reviewe

On Reconfiguring 5G Network Slices

The virtual resources of 5G networks are expected to scale and support migration to other locations within the substrate. In this context, a configuration for 5G network slices details the instantaneous mapping of the virtual resources across all slices on the substrate, and a feasible configuration satisfies the Service-Level Objectives (SLOs) without overloading the substrate. Reconfiguring a network from a given source configuration to the desired target configuration involves identifying an ordered sequence of feasible configurations from the source to the target. The proposed solutions for finding such a sequence are optimized for data centers and cannot be used as-is for reconfiguring 5G network slices. We present Matryoshka, our divide-and-conquer approach for finding a sequence of feasible configurations that can be used to reconfigure 5G network slices. Unlike previous approaches, Matryoshka also considers the bandwidth and latency constraints between the network functions of network slices. Evaluating Matryoshka required a dataset of pairs of source and target configurations. Because such a dataset is currently unavailable, we analyze proof of concept roll-outs, trends in standardization bodies, and research sources to compile an input dataset. On using Matryoshka on our dataset, we observe that it yields close-to-optimal reconfiguration sequences 10X faster than existing approaches.Peer reviewe

mMTC Deployment over Sliceable Infrastructure: The Megasense Scenario

Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) has long been identified as a major vertical sector and enabler of the industry 4.0 technological evolution that will seamlessly ease the dynamics of machine-to-machine communications while leveraging 5G technology. To advance this concept, we have developed and tested an mMTC network slice called Megasense. Megasense is a complete framework that consists of multiple software modules, which is used for collecting and analyzing air pollution data that emanates from a massive amount of air pollution sensors. Taking advantage of 5G networks, Megasense will significantly benefit from an underlying communication network that is traditionally elastic and can accommodate the on-demand changes in requirements of such a use case. As a result, deploying the sensor nodes over a sliceable 5G system is deemed the most appropriate in satisfying the resource requirements of such a use case scenario. In this light, in order to verify how 5G-ready our Megasense solution is, we deployed it over a network slice that is totally composed of virtual resources. We have also evaluated the impact of the network slicing platform on Megasense in terms of bandwidth and resource utilization. We further tested the performances of the Megasense system and come up with different deployment recommendations based on which the Megasense system would function optimally.Peer reviewe

Architecture landscape

The network architecture evolution journey will carry on in the years ahead, driving a large scale adoption of 5th Generation (5G) and 5G-Advanced use cases with significantly decreased deployment and operational costs, and enabling new and innovative use-case-driven solutions towards 6th Generation (6G) with higher economic and societal values. The goal of this chapter, thus, is to present the envisioned societal impact, use cases and the End-to-End (E2E) 6G architecture. The E2E 6G architecture includes summarization of the various technical enablers as well as the system and functional views of the architecture

Network-In-a-Box : A Survey about On-Demand Flexible Networks

One of the key features of next-generation mobile networks is the ability to satisfy the requirements coming from different verticals. For satisfying these requirements, 5G networks will need to dynamically reconfigure the deployment of the network functions. However, the current deployments of mobile networks are experiencing difficulties in exhibiting the required flexibility. At the same time, the research on connectivity provisioning in use cases such as after-disaster scenarios or battlefields has converged towards the idea of Network-In-a-Box. This idea revolves around fitting all software and hardware modules needed by a mobile network in a single or a handful of physical devices. A Network-In-a-Box inherently offers a high level of flexibility that makes it capable of providing connectivity services in a wide range of scenarios. Therefore, the Network-In-a-Box concept represents an alternative approach for satisfying the requirements of next-generation mobile networks. In this survey, we analyze the state-of-the-art of Network-In-a-Box solutions proposed by academia and industry in the time frame starting from 1998 up to early 2017. First, we present the main use cases around which the concept has been conceived. Then, we abstract the common features of the Network-In-a-Box implementations, and discuss how different proposals offer these features. We then draw our conclusions and discuss possible future research directions, including steps required to reach an even higher level of flexibility. The aim of our analysis is twofold. On one hand, we provide a comprehensive view of the idea of Network-In-a-Box. On the other hand, through the analysis we present the features that future mobile networks should exhibit to achieve their design goals. In particular, we show how the Network-In-a-Box fosters the transition towards the next-generation mobile networks.Peer reviewe