Dynamic Service Management in Heterogeneous Networks

Abstract

Novel network architectures allow users to get specific performance guarantees via the definition of a document where QoS (Quality of Service) requirements are linked to the user traffic description. Such a document is defined SLA (Service Level Agreement), and it is a formal high level definition (user view) of characteristics for a communication service, whereas low level specification (network view) is obtained translating the SLA in a different document named SLS (Service Level Specification). Although in the case of static services the network configuration process is a well defined activity, when dynamic services come into play a more complicated scenario where SLA translation into the appropriate SLS is not a one-step and static process, but it needs an active and consistent evaluation with respect to the current situation. We claim that to make this process happen automatically, we need to have intelligent devices able to translate request specified inside SLAs in the most appropriate network configuration (by means of dynamic SLS) depending on client's current “service conditions.” In this paper we introduce a framework for distributed network management through an entity, namely AcMe (Active Mediator), which performs dynamic creation of network services in a transparent to the user fashion. A new protocol, HNMP (Heterogeneous Network Management Protocol), orchestrates all AcMe functionality. Finally, an experimental analysis is presented.