Communication networks are used today everywhere and on every scale: starting from small Internet of Things (IoT) networks at home, via campus and enterprise networks, and up to tier-one networks of Internet providers. Accordingly, network devices should support a plethora of tasks with highly heterogeneous characteristics in terms of processing time, bandwidth energy consumption, deadlines and so on. Evaluating these characteristics and the amount of currently available resources for handling them requires analyzing all the arriving inputs, gathering information from numerous remote devices, and integrating all this information. Performing all these tasks in real time is very challenging in today's networking environments, which are characterized by tight bounds on the latency, and always-increasing data rates. Hence, network algorithms should typically make decisions under uncertainty.
This work addresses optimizing performance in heterogeneous and uncertain networking environments. We begin by detailing the sources of heterogeneity and uncertainty and show that uncertainty appears in all layers of network design, including the time required to perform a task; the amount of available resources; and the expected gain from successfully completing a task. Next, we survey current solutions and show their limitations. Based on these insights we develop general design concepts to tackle heterogeneity and uncertainty, and then use these concepts to design practical algorithms. For each of our algorithms, we provide rigorous mathematical analysis, thus showing worst-case performance guarantees. Finally, we implement and run the suggested algorithms on various input traces, thus obtaining further insights as to our algorithmic design principles.
The advent of multi-domain and multi-requirement digital services requires an underlying network ecosystem able to understand service-specific contexts. In this work, we propose Knowledge Centric Networking (KCN), a paradigm in which knowledge is positioned at the center of the networking landscape. KCN enables approaches by which in-network knowledge generation and distribution can be used to support advanced network control intelligence that is essential to handle complexity and uncertainty in these emerging digital services. In this paper, we introduce the principles of KCN and present an a…
Recently advanced low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite networks represented by large constellations and advanced payloads provide great promises for enabling high-quality Internet connectivity to any place on Earth. However, the traditional access-based approach to satellite operations cannot meet the pressing requirements of real-time, reliable, and resilient operations for LEO satellites. A new scheme is proposed based on multi-layer satellite networking considering the advanced Ka-band and optical communications payloads on a satellite platform. The proposed scheme can enable efficient and resil…
Wireless charging is a technique of transmitting power through an air gap to an electrical device for the purpose of energy replenishment. Recently, the wireless charging technology has been significantly advanced in terms of efficiency and functionality. This article first presents an overview and fundamentals of wireless charging. We then provide the review of standards, i.e., Qi and Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP), and highlight on their communication protocols. Next, we propose a novel concept of wireless charger networking which allows chargers to be connected to facilitate information…
Current designs of future In-Vehicle Networks (IVN) prepare for switched Ethernet backbones, which can host advanced LAN technologies such as IEEE Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN). In this paper, we present an integrated Time-Sensitive Software-Defined Networking (TSSDN) architecture that simultaneously enables control of synchronous and asynchronous real-time and best-effort communication for all IVN traffic classes. Despite the central SDN controller, we can validate that control can operate without a delay penalty for TSN traffic, provided protocols are …
Beyond 5G networks are expected to support massive traffic through decentralized solutions and advanced networking mechanisms. This paper aims at contributing towards this vision through the integration of device-centric wireless networks, including Device-to-Device (D2D) communications, and the Next Generation of Opportunistic networking (NGO). This integration offers multiple communication modes such as opportunistic cellular and opportunistic D2D-aided communications. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential and benefits of this integration in terms of energy efficiency, spectral ef…
The introduction of SDN in IP backbones requires the coexistence of regular IP forwarding and SDN based forwarding. The former is typically applied to best effort Internet traffic, the latter can be used for different types of advanced services (VPNs, Virtual Leased Lines, Traffic Engineering...). In this paper we first introduce the architecture and the services of an "hybrid" IP/SDN networking scenario. Then we describe the design and implementation of an Open Source Hybrid IP/SDN (OSHI) node. It combines Quagga for OSPF routing and Open vSwitch for OpenFlow based switching on Linux. The ava…
OpenFlow is a protocol implementing Software Defined Networking, a new networking paradigm, which segregates packet forwarding and accounting (performed on switches) from the routing decisions and advanced protocols (executed on a central controller). This segregation increases agility and flexibility of a networking infrastructure and reduces its operational expenses. OpenFlow controllers expose standard interfaces to facilitate variety of networking applications. In particular, a monitoring application can use these interfaces to push into the OpenFlow switches rules that collect traffic flo…
The introduction of SDN in large-scale IP provider networks is still an open issue and different solutions have been suggested so far. In this paper we propose a hybrid approach that allows the coexistence of traditional IP routing with SDN based forwarding within the same provider domain. The solution is called OSHI - Open Source Hybrid IP/SDN networking as we have fully implemented it combining and extending Open Source software. We discuss the OSHI system architecture and the design and implementation of advanced services like Pseudo Wires and Virtual Switches. In addition, we describe a se…
The digitalization of manufacturing processes is expected to lead to a growing interconnection of production sites, as well as machines, tools and work pieces. In the course of this development, new use-cases arise which have challenging requirements from a communication technology point of view. In this paper we propose a communication network architecture for Industry 4.0 applications, which combines new 5G and non-cellular wireless network technologies with existing (wired) fieldbus technologies on the shop floor. This architecture includes the possibility to use private and public mobile n…
Sophisticated traffic analytics, such as the encrypted traffic analytics and unknown malware detection, emphasizes the need for advanced methods to analyze the network traffic. Traditional methods of using fixed patterns, signature matching, and rules to detect known patterns in network traffic are being replaced with AI (Artificial Intelligence) driven algorithms. However, the absence of a high-performance AI networking-specific framework makes deploying real-time AI-based processing within networking workloads impossible. In this paper, we describe the design of Traffic Analytics Development…
Recent developments in the field of Networking have provided opportunities for networks to efficiently cater application specific needs of a user. In this context, a routing path is not only dependent upon the network states but also is calculated in the best interest of an application using the network. These advanced routing algorithms can exploit application state data to enhance advanced network services such as anycast, edge cloud computing and cyber physical systems (CPS). In this work, we aim to design such a routing algorithm where the router decisions are based upon convex optimizatio…
To meet the increasing demands of next-generation cellular networks (e.g., 6G), advanced networking technologies must be incorporated. On one hand, the Fog Radio Access Network (F-RAN), has been proposed as an enhancement to the Cloud Radio Access Network (C-RAN). On the other hand, efficient network architectures, such as Named Data Networking (NDN), have been recognized as prominent Future Internet candidates. Nevertheless, the interplay between F-RAN and NDN warrants further investigation. In this paper, we propose an NDN-enabled F-RAN architecture featuring a strategy for distributed in-ne…
Cloud environments require dynamic and adaptive networking policies. It is preferred to use heuristics over advanced learning algorithms in Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) in production becuase of high-performance constraints. This paper proposes Aquarius to passively yet efficiently gather observations and enable the use of machine learning to collect, infer, and supply accurate networking state information-without incurring additional signalling and management overhead. This paper illustrates the use of Aquarius with a traffic classifier, an autoscaling system, and a load balancer-and demon…
The evolution of conventional wireless communication networks to the fifth generation (5G) is driven by an explosive increase in the number of wireless mobile devices and services, as well as their demand for all-time and everywhere connectivity, high data rates, low latency, high energy-efficiency and improved quality of service. To address these challenges, 5G relies on key technologies, such as full duplex (FD), device-to-device (D2D) communications, and network densification. In this article, a heterogeneous networking architecture is envisioned, where cells of different sizes and radio ac…
Broadcast is a fundamental operation in networks, especially in wireless Mobile Ad Hoc NETworks (MANET). For example, some form of broadcasting is used by all on-demand MANET routing protocols, when there is uncertainty as to the location of the destination node, or for service discovery. Being such a basic operation of the networking protocols, the importance of efficient broadcasting has long been recognized by the networking community. Numerous papers proposed increasingly more efficient implementation of broadcasting, while other studies presented bounds on broadcast performance. In this w…
Network load balancers are important components in data centers to provide scalable services. Workload distribution algorithms are based on heuristics, e.g., Equal-Cost Multi-Path (ECMP), Weighted-Cost Multi-Path (WCMP) or naive machine learning (ML) algorithms, e.g., ridge regression. Advanced ML-based approaches help achieve performance gain in different networking and system problems. However, it is challenging to apply ML algorithms on networking problems in real-life systems. It requires domain knowledge to collect features from low-latency, high-throughput, and scalable networking system…
Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is a networking paradigm that has become increasingly popular in the last decade. The unprecedented control over the global behavior of the network it provides opens a range of new opportunities for formal methods and much work has appeared in the last few years on providing bridges between SDN and verification. This article advances this research line and provides a link between SDN and traditional work on formal methods for verification of concurrent and distributed software---actor-based modelling. We show how SDN programs can be seamlessly modelled using \…
The need for data intensive Grids, and advanced networks with high performance that support our science has made the High Energy Physics community a leading and a key co-developer of leading edge wide area networks. This paper gives an overview of the status for the world's research networks and major international links used by the high energy physics and other scientific communities, showing some Future Internet testbed architectures, scalability, geographic scope, and extension between networks. The resemblance between wireless sensor network and future internet network, especially in scale…
Increasing reliance on mobile broadband (MBB) networks for communication, vehicle navigation, healthcare, and other critical purposes calls for improved monitoring and troubleshooting of such networks. While recent advances in monitoring with crowdsourced as well as network infrastructure-based methods allow us to tap into a number of performance metrics from all layers of networking, huge swaths of data remain poorly or completely unexplored due to a lack of tools suitable for rapid, interactive, and rigorous MBB data analysis. In this paper we present RICERCANDO, a MBB data mining toolkit de…
Nanyang Technological University（南洋理工大学）；University of Technology Sydney（悉尼科技大学）；Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院深圳先进技术研究院）；York University（约克大学）；University of Electronic Science and Technology of China（电子科技大学）；Sungkyunkwan University（成均馆大学）
This paper presents a comprehensive literature review on applications of deep reinforcement learning in communications and networking. Modern networks, e.g., Internet of Things (IoT) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) networks, become more decentralized and autonomous. In such networks, network entities need to make decisions locally to maximize the network performance under uncertainty of network environment. Reinforcement learning has been efficiently used to enable the network entities to obtain the optimal policy including, e.g., decisions or actions, given their states when the state and a…
Network function virtualization (NFV) and software-defined network (SDN) have become emerging network paradigms, allowing virtualized network function (VNF) deployment at a low cost. Even though VNF deployment can be flexible, it is still challenging to optimize VNF deployment due to its high complexity. Several studies have approached the task as dynamic programming, e.g., integer linear programming (ILP). However, optimizing VNF deployment for highly complex networks remains a challenge. Alternatively, reinforcement learning (RL) based approaches have been proposed to optimize this task, esp…
Florida International University（佛罗里达国际大学）；Wake Forest School of Medicine（维克森林医学院）；North Carolina State University（北卡罗来纳州立大学）；Motorola Solutions, Inc.（摩托罗拉解决方案公司）
UAV enabled communications and networking can enhance wireless connectivity and support emerging services. However, this would require system-level understanding to modify and extend the existing terrestrial network infrastructure. In this paper, we integrate UAVs both as user equipment and base stations into existing LTE-Advanced heterogeneous network (HetNet) and provide system-level insights of this three-tier LTE-Advanced air-ground HetNet (AG-HetNet). This AG-HetNet leverages cell range expansion (CRE), ICIC, 3D beamforming, and enhanced support for UAVs. Using system-level understanding …
A networking transport protocol, named Saratoga, has been developed at the University of Surrey for efficient delivery of imagery from Internet-Protocol-based remote-sensing satellites. Saratoga is now being implemented and evaluated for use for the high-end data-delivery needs of astronomers using large, advanced, radio telescopes. These telescopes are expected to take advantage of Internet technologies. This brief paper outlines the reasons for the creation and adoption of this protocol, discusses how it differs from and complements other protocols, and summarises the worldwide collaboration…
From Network Automation to Trustworthy Autonomous Networking in the LLM Era: A Network Control Intelligence Perspective
Nokia Bell Labs（诺基亚贝尔实验室）；University of Oxford（牛津大学）；Telecom Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris（巴黎电信学院，巴黎理工学院）；École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay（巴黎萨克雷高等师范学校，巴黎萨克雷大学）；Tianjin University（天津大学）；Augusta University（奥古斯塔大学）
Internet censors seek ways to identify and block internet access to information they deem objectionable. Increasingly, censors deploy advanced networking tools such as deep-packet inspection (DPI) to identify such connections. In response, activists and academic researchers have developed and deployed network traffic obfuscation mechanisms. These apply specialized cryptographic tools to attempt to hide from DPI the true nature and content of connections. In this survey, we give an overview of network traffic obfuscation and its role in circumventing Internet censorship. We provide historical a…
The use of advanced sequential paging algorithms has been suggested as a means to reduce the signaling cost in future mobile cellular networks. In a proposed algorithm (Koukoutsidis and Theologou, 2003), the system can use the additional information of the last interaction cell combined with a mobility model to predict the short-term location probabilities at the time of an incoming call arrival. The short-term location probabilities reduce the uncertainty in mobile user position and thus greatly improve the search. In this paper, an analytical model is derived that allows for a general distri…
We are on the cusp of a new era of connected autonomous vehicles with unprecedented user experiences, tremendously improved road safety and air quality, highly diverse transportation environments and use cases, as well as a plethora of advanced applications. Realizing this grand vision requires a significantly enhanced vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication network which should be extremely intelligent and capable of concurrently supporting hyper-fast, ultra-reliable, and low-latency massive information exchange. It is anticipated that the sixth-generation (6G) communication systems will fu…
Routing is a crucial component in the design of Flying Ad-Hoc Networks (FANETs). State of the art routing solutions exploit the position of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and their mobility information to determine the existence of links between them, but this information is often unreliable, as the topology of FANETs can change quickly and unpredictably. In order to improve the tracking performance, the uncertainty introduced by imperfect measurements and tracking algorithms needs to be accounted for in the routing. Another important element to consider is beamforming, which can reduce inter…
Hebrew University of Jerusalem（耶路撒冷希伯来大学）；Technion（以色列理工学院）
Recently, deep learning has been successfully applied to a variety of networking problems. A fundamental challenge is that when the operational environment for a learning-augmented system differs from its training environment, such systems often make badly informed decisions, leading to bad performance. We argue that safely deploying learning-driven systems requires being able to determine, in real time, whether system behavior is coherent, for the purpose of defaulting to a reasonable heuristic when this is not so. We term this the online safety assurance problem (OSAP). We present three appr…
