A Future-Proof Architecture for Management and Orchestration of Multi-Domain NextGen Networks

Vincenzo Sciancalepore,Pablo Serrano,Christian Mannweiler,Ignacio Labrador Pavon,Faqir Zarrar Yousaf,Julie Bradford,Marco Gramaglia

doi:10.1109/access.2019.2923364

Vincenzo Sciancalepore, Pablo Serrano + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2019.2923364

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Abstract

The novel network slicing paradigm represents an effective turning point to operate future wireless networks. Available networking and computational resources may be shared across different (instantiations of) services tailored onto specific vertical needs, envisioned as the main infrastructure tenants. While such customization enables meeting advanced key performance indicators (KPIs) introduced by upcoming 5G networks, advanced multi-tenancy approaches help to abate the cost of deploying and operating the network. However, the network slicing implementation requires a number of non-trivial practical considerations, including how resource sharing operations are actually implemented, how involved parties establish the corresponding agreement to instantiate, operate, and terminate such a sharing or the design of functional modules and interfaces supporting these operations. In this paper, we present a novel framework that unveils proper answers to the above design challenges. While existing initiatives are typically limited to single-domain and single-owner scenarios, our framework overcomes these limitations by enlarging the administrative scope of the network deployments fostering different providers to collaborate so as to facilitate a larger set of resources even spread across multiple domains. Numerical evaluations confirm the effectiveness and efficiency of the presented solution.

Highlights

The fifth generation (5G) of wireless and mobile communication networks needs to natively support multiple advanced services
Monolithic view is no longer sufficient when dealing with a large ecosystem of use cases as the one currently envisioned for 5G
While our framework is backward compatible with current standardization efforts, it further introduces a number of key features that enable the development of a series of use cases of economic relevance, as we discuss

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The fifth generation (5G) of wireless and mobile communication networks needs to natively support multiple advanced services. There is (at least) another key aspect that has been overlooked so far: the analysis of diverse agreements among multiple stakeholders that need to collaborate to bring network slicing into practice Some of these stakeholders are network operators (from one or multiple domains), infrastructure providers, service providers, and tenants, which shall agree in terms of control and management of the resources involved to instantiate a service. While our framework is backward compatible with current standardization efforts (namely, ETSI NFV MANO [6]), it further introduces a number of key features that enable the development of a series of use cases of economic relevance, as we discuss

ECONOMIC MOTIVATION FOR NETWORK SLICING

USE CASE

ETSI NFV MANO AND ITS LIMITATIONS

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

Findings

VIII. CONCLUSIONS