Special issue on radio access network architectures and resource management for 5G

Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

In-band network monitoring technique to support SDN-based wireless networks

Most industrial applications demand determinism in terms of latency, reliability, and throughput. This goes hand in hand with the increased complexity of real-time network programability possibilities. To ensure network performance low-overhead, high-granularity, and timely network verification techniques need to be deployed. The first cornerstone of network verification ability is to enable end-to-end network monitoring, including end devices too. To achieve this, this article shows a novel and low overhead in-band network telemetry and monitoring technique for wireless networks focusing on IEEE 802.11 networks. A design of in-band network telemetry enabled node architecture is proposed and its proof of concept implementation is realized. The PoC realization is used to monitor a real-life SDN-based wireless network, enabling on-the-fly (re)configuration capabilities based on monitoring data. In addition, the proposed monitoring technique is validated in terms of monitoring accuracy, monitoring overhead, and network (re)configuration accuracy. It is shown that the proposed in-band monitoring technique has 6 times lower overhead than other active monitoring techniques on a single-hop link. Besides this, it is demonstrated that (re)configuration decisions taken based on monitored data fulfill targeted application requirements, validating the suitability of the proposed monitoring technique

Enabling virtual radio functions on software defined radio for future wireless networks

Today's wired networks have become highly flexible, thanks to the fact that an increasing number of functionalities are realized by software rather than dedicated hardware. This trend is still in its early stages for wireless networks, but it has the potential to improve the network's flexibility and resource utilization regarding both the abundant computational resources and the scarce radio spectrum resources. In this work we provide an overview of the enabling technologies for network reconfiguration, such as Network Function Virtualization, Software Defined Networking, and Software Defined Radio. We review frequently used terminology such as softwarization, virtualization, and orchestration, and how these concepts apply to wireless networks. We introduce the concept of Virtual Radio Function, and illustrate how softwarized/virtualized radio functions can be placed and initialized at runtime, allowing radio access technologies and spectrum allocation schemes to be formed dynamically. Finally we focus on embedded Software-Defined Radio as an end device, and illustrate how to realize the placement, initialization and configuration of virtual radio functions on such kind of devices

FORGE: Enhancing elearning and research in ICT through remote experimentation

This paper presents the Forging Online Education through FIRE (FORGE) initiative, which aims to transform the Future Internet Research and Experimentation (FIRE) testbed facilities, already vital for European research, into a learning resource for higher education. From an educational perspective this project aims at promoting the notion of Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) through the use of a federation of high- performance testbeds and at building unique learning paths based on the integration of a rich linked-data ontology. Through FORGE, traditional online courses will be complemented with interactive laboratory courses. It will also allow educators to efficiently create, use and re-use FIRE-based learning experiences through our tools and techniques. And, most importantly, FORGE will enable equity of access to the latest ICT systems and tools independent of location and at low cost, strengthening the culture of online experimentation tools and remote facilities

Deploying Learning Analytics for Awareness and Reflection in Online Scientific Experimentation

Recent trends in online learning, most notably Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Learning Analytics, are changing the landscape in the education sector by offering learners with access to free learning materials of high quality, as well as with the means to monitor their progress and reflect on their learning experiences. This part presents FORGE, a European initiative for online learning and experimentation via interactive learning resources. FORGE provides learners and educators with access to world-class experimentation facilities and high quality learning materials. Additionally, the deployment of Learning Analytics in the FORGE learning resources aims at supporting awareness and reflection both for learners and educators

Efficient Deployment of Small Cell Base Stations Mounted on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for the Internet of Things Infrastructure

In the Internet of Things networks deploying fixed infrastructure is not always the best and most economical solution. Advances in efficiency and durability of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) made flying small cell base stations (BS) a promising approach by providing coverage and capacity in environments where using fixed infrastructure is not economically justified. A key challenge in covering an area with UAV-based small cell BSs is optimal positioning the UAVs to maximize the coverage and minimize the number of required UAVs. In this paper, we propose an optimization problem that helps to determine the number and position of the UAVs. Moreover, to have efficient results in a reasonable time, we propose complementary heuristic methods that effectively reduce the search space. The simulation results show that our proposed method performs better than genetic algorithms

Redes Heterogéneas en el entorno vehicular

En la actualidad, los elementos de la infraestructura existentes para el despligue de redes vehiculares han sido desplegados en su totalidad por las operadoras de telefonía. Sin embargo, los fuertes requisitos de comunicaciones necesarios por parte de los vehículos y especialmente los vehículos autónomos, va a hacer necesario el uso combinado de las redes de telefonía (basadas en Macrocells) con otro tipo de paradigmas de red. En este artículo, presentamos un esquema para mejorar las comunicaciones vehiculares denominado DSM (\textit{Dynamic Small Cell Management}, o gestión dinámica de celdas pequeñas). La propuesta se centra en la activación dinámica de Small Cells cuando las Macrocells no son capaces de gestionar toda la información enviada por los vehículos. Para la validación de la propuesta se ha simulado un despligue real de Estaciones Base en Dublín. Los resultados de la simulación muestran mejoras en cuanto a la capacidad de comunicación y la reducción en la sobrecarga de las Estaciones Base

Utilizando o testbed Smart City para treinar alunos de engenharia em tópicos de gerenciamento de rede durante a pandemia de COVID-19

Com as imensas oportunidades para tornar uma rede de comunicação programável, a virtualização de funções de rede e redes definidas por software estão ganhando força tanto na indústria quanto nos círculos de pesquisa, sendo um conjunto de habilidades fundamentais para engenheiros elétricos e cientistas da computação. Portanto, neste artigo, apresentamos e avaliamos a estrutura educacional para o ensino prático de Service Function Chaining (SFC) para alunos de graduação com o objetivo de prepará-los para o futuro mercado de Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (TIC) e redes de comunicação que demandará profissionais habilidosos na área. A estrutura educacional foi projetada para o curso de Gerenciamento de Rede da Universidade de Antuérpia, com o objetivo de preencher a lacuna entre os conceitos de programabilidade de rede aplicados na indústria e os ensinados na Universidade. Avaliamos a estrutura educacional com duas extensas pesquisas como feedback dos alunos que nos deram a oportunidade de medir e quantificar a experiência e satisfação dos alunos com a estrutura. Em particular, com base no ambiente desafiador imposto pelo COVID-19, identificamos as lacunas neste quadro educativo e abordar melhorias nas componentes teórica e prática de acordo com as necessidades dos alunos. Nossa estrutura educacional e a avaliação minuciosa servem como uma orientação útil sobre como modernizar os cursos de engenharia e acompanhar o ritmo da tecnologia

Vehicular communication management framework : a flexible hybrid connectivity platform for CCAM services

In the upcoming decade and beyond, the Cooperative, Connected and Automated Mobility (CCAM) initiative will play a huge role in increasing road safety, traffic efficiency and comfort of driving in Europe. While several individual vehicular wireless communication technologies exist, there is still a lack of real flexible and modular platforms that can support the need for hybrid communication. In this paper, we propose a novel vehicular communication management framework (CAMINO), which incorporates flexible support for both short-range direct and long-range cellular technologies and offers built-in Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems' (C-ITS) services for experimental validation in real-life settings. Moreover, integration with vehicle and infrastructure sensors/actuators and external services is enabled using a Distributed Uniform Streaming (DUST) framework. The framework is implemented and evaluated in the Smart Highway test site for two targeted use cases, proofing the functional operation in realistic environments. The flexibility and the modular architecture of the hybrid CAMINO framework offers valuable research potential in the field of vehicular communications and CCAM services and can enable cross-technology vehicular connectivity

FORGE Toolkit: Leveraging Distributed Systems in eLearning Platforms

While more and more services become virtualised and always accessible in our society, laboratories supporting Computer Science (CS) lectures have mainly remained offline and class-based. This apparent abnormality is due to several limiting factors, discussed in the literature, such as the high cost of deploying and maintaining computer network testbeds and the lack of standardisation for the presentation of eLearning platforms. In this paper, we present the FORGE toolkit, which leverages experimentation facilities currently deployed in international initiatives for the development of e-learning materials. Thus, we solve the institutional challenge mentioned in the ACM/IEEE 2013 CS curricula concerning the access and maintenance of specialised and heterogeneous hardware thanks to a seamless integration with the networking testbed community. Moreover, this project builds an ecosystem where teaching and educational materials, tools and experiments are available under open scheme and policies. We demonstrate how it already meets most of the requirements from the Network and Communication component of CS 2013 and some of the labs of the Cisco academy. Finally, we present experience reports illustrating the potential benefits of this framework based on first deployments in four post-graduate courses in prestigious institutions around the world