Sharing Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs) among different slices in Fifth Generation (5G) is a potential strategy to simplify the system implementation and utilize 5G resources efficiently. In this paper, we propose a security-aware VNF sharing model for 5G networks. The proposed optimization model satisfies the service requirements of various slices, enhances slice security by isolating their critical VNFs, and enhances resource utilization of the underlying physical infrastructure. The model tries to systematically decide on sharing a particular VNF based on two groups of constraints; the first group of constraints is common assignment constraints used in the existing literature. The second group is the novel security constraints that we propose in this work; the maximum traffic allowed to be processed by the VNF and the exposure of the VNF to procedures sourced via untrusted users or access networks. This sharing problem is formalized to allow for procedure-level modeling that satisfies the requirements of slice requests in 5G systems. The model is tested using standard VNFs and procedures of the 5G system rather than generic ones. The numerical results of the model show the benefits and costs of applying the security constraints along with the network performance in terms of different metrics.
A significant purpose of 5G networks is allowing sharing resources among different network tenants such as service providers and Mobile Virtual network Operators. Numerous domains are taken in account regarding resource sharing containing different infrastructure (storage, compute and networking), Radio Access Network (RAN) and Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum. RAN and spectrum, transport. Spectrum sharing and RAN are anticipated as the fundamental part in multi-tenant 5G network. Nevertheless, there is a shortage of evaluation platforms to determine the number of benefits that can be acquired fr…
To implement the next Generation NodeBs (gNBs) that are present in every Radio Access Network (RAN) slice subnet, Network Function Virtualization (NFV) enables the deployment of some of the gNB components as Virtual Networks Functions (VNFs). Deploying individual VNF instances for these components could guarantee the customization of each RAN slice subnet. However, due to the multiplicity of VNFs, the required amount of virtual resources will be greater compared to the case where a single VNF instance carries the aggregated traffic of all the RAN slice subnets. Sharing gNB components between R…
The evolution of the future beyond-5G/6G networks towards a service-aware network is based on network slicing technology. With network slicing, communication service providers seek to meet all the requirements imposed by the verticals, including ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services. In addition, the open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture paves the way for flexible sharing of network resources by introducing more programmability into the RAN. RAN slicing is an essential part of end-to-end network slicing since it ensures efficient sharing of communication and comput…
Network slicing to enable resource sharing among multiple tenants --network operators and/or services-- is considered a key functionality for next generation mobile networks. This paper provides an analysis of a well-known model for resource sharing, the 'share-constrained proportional allocation' mechanism, to realize network slicing. This mechanism enables tenants to reap the performance benefits of sharing, while retaining the ability to customize their own users' allocation. This results in a network slicing game in which each tenant reacts to the user allocations of the other tenants so a…
End-to-End (E2E) network slicing enables wireless networks to provide diverse services on a common infrastructure. Each E2E slice, including resources of radio access network (RAN) and core network, is rented to mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) to provide a specific service to end-users. RAN slicing, which is realized through wireless network virtualization, involves sharing the frequency spectrum and base station antennas in RAN. Similarly, in core slicing, which is achieved by network function virtualization, data center resources such as commodity servers and physical links are shar…
We demonstrate how the 5G network slicing model can be extended to address data security requirements. In this work we demonstrate two different slice configurations, with different encryption requirements, representing two diverse use-cases for 5G networking: namely, an enterprise application hosted at a metro network site, and a content delivery network. We create a modified software-defined networking (SDN) orchestrator which calculates and provisions network slices according to the requirements, including encryption backed by quantum key distribution (QKD), or other methods. Slices are aut…
An Intelligent Native Network Slicing Security Architecture Empowered by Federated Learning
Federal University of Viçosa (UFV)（维索萨联邦大学）；Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES)（圣埃斯皮里图联邦大学）；Salvador University (UNIFACS)（萨尔瓦多大学）；Federal University of Ceará (UFC)（塞阿拉联邦大学）；University of São Paulo (USP)（圣保罗大学）；University of Minho (UMinho)（米尼奥大学）
Radio access network (RAN) virtualization is gaining more and more ground and expected to re-architect the next-generation cellular networks. Existing RAN virtualization studies and solutions have mostly focused on sharing communication capacity and tend to require the use of the same PHY and MAC layers across network slices. This approach has not considered the scenarios where different slices require different PHY and MAC layers, for instance, for radically different services and for whole-stack research in wireless living labs where novel PHY and MAC layers need to be deployed concurrently …
Through network slicing, different requirements of different applications and services can be met. These requirements can be in terms of latency, bandwidth, mobility support, defining service area, as well as security. Through fine and dynamic tuning of network slices, services can have their delivery platforms constantly customized according to their changing needs. In this article, we present our implementation of an E2E network slice orchestration platform, evaluate its performance in terms of dynamic deployment of network slices in an E2E fashion, and discuss how its functionality can be e…
Network slicing is the key to enable virtualized resource sharing among vertical industries in the era of 5G communication. Efficient resource allocation is of vital importance to realize network slicing in real-world business scenarios. To deal with the high algorithm complexity, privacy leakage, and unrealistic offline setting of current network slicing algorithms, in this paper we propose a fully decentralized and low-complexity online algorithm, DPoS, for multi-resource slicing. We first formulate the problem as a global social welfare maximization problem. Next, we design the online algor…
There is a pressing need to interconnect physical systems such as power grid and vehicles for efficient management and safe operations. Owing to the diverse features of physical systems, there is hardly a one-size-fits-all networking solution for developing cyber-physical systems. Network slicing is a promising technology that allows network operators to create multiple virtual networks on top of a shared network infrastructure. These virtual networks can be tailored to meet the requirements of different cyber-physical systems. However, it is challenging to design secure network slicing soluti…
This article reveals an adequate comprehension of basic defense, security challenges, 2 and attack vectors in deploying multi-network slicing. Network slicing is a revolutionary concept 3 of providing mobile network on-demand and expanding mobile networking business and services 4 to a new era. The new business paradigm and service opportunities are encouraging vertical 5 industries to join and develop their own mobile network capabilities for enhanced performances 6 that are coherent with their applications. However, a number of security concerns are also raised 7 in this new era. In this art…
Network slicing offers an opportunity to realize ICN as a slice in 5G deployment. We demonstrate this through a generic service orchestration framework operating on commodity compute, storage and bandwidth resource pool to realize multiple ICN service slices. Specifically, we show the dynamic creation of real-time audio/video conferencing slices, over which multi-participant communication is enabled. These slices leverage ICN features of name-based routing, integrated security, inherent support for multicasting and mobility, and in-network caching-and-computing to scale and deliver services ef…
Network slicing is a key capability for next generation mobile networks. It enables one to cost effectively customize logical networks over a shared infrastructure. A critical component of network slicing is resource allocation, which needs to ensure that slices receive the resources needed to support their mobiles/services while optimizing network efficiency. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to slice-based resource allocation named Guaranteed seRvice Efficient nETwork slicing (GREET). The underlying concept is to set up a constrained resource allocation game, where (i) slices unilat…
With the advent of revolutionary technologies, such as virtualization and softwarization, a novel concept for 5G networks and beyond has been unveiled: Network Slicing. Initially driven by the research community, standardization bodies as 3GPP have embraced it as a promising solution to revolutionize the traditional mobile telecommunication market by enabling new business models opportunities. Network Slicing is envisioned to open up the telecom market to new players such as Industry Verticals, e.g. automotive, smart factories, e-health, etc. Given the large number of potential new business pl…
Enhancing Network Slicing Architectures with Machine Learning, Security, Sustainability and Experimental Networks Integration
Universidade Salvador (UNIFACS)（萨尔瓦多大学（UNIFACS））；Universidade de São Paulo (USP)（圣保罗大学（USP））；Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV)（维索萨联邦大学（UFV））；Universidade Federal do Vale dos Sinos (UNISINOS)（锡诺斯河谷联邦大学（UNISINOS））；Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC)（塞阿拉联邦大学（UFC））；Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE)（伯南布哥联邦大学（UFPE））；Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG)（戈亚斯联邦大学（UFG））；Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA)（帕拉联邦大学（UFPA））；Universidade Federal do Espírito Santos (UFES)（圣埃斯皮里图联邦大学（UFES））；Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)（米纳斯吉拉斯联邦大学（UFMG））；Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF)（弗鲁米嫩塞联邦大学（UFF））；Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)（南里奥格兰德联邦大学（UFRGS））；Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS)（南里奥格兰德天主教大学（PUCRS））；Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU)（乌贝兰迪亚联邦大学（UFU））；Rede Nacional de Pesquisa (RNP)（国家研究网络（RNP））；Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA)（巴伊亚联邦大学（UFBA））；Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)（里约热内卢联邦大学（UFRJ）}]} {）
Next generation wireless architectures are expected to enable slices of shared wireless infrastructure which are customized to specific mobile operators/services. Given infrastructure costs and the stochastic nature of mobile services' spatial loads, it is highly desirable to achieve efficient statistical multiplexing amongst such slices. We study a simple dynamic resource sharing policy which allocates a 'share' of a pool of (distributed) resources to each slice-Share Constrained Proportionally Fair (SCPF). We give a characterization of SCPF's performance gains over static slicing and general…
Network slicing allows Mobile Network Operators to split the physical infrastructure into isolated virtual networks (slices), managed by Service Providers to accommodate customized services. The Service Function Chains (SFCs) belonging to a slice are usually deployed on a best-effort premise: nothing guarantees that network infrastructure resources will be sufficient to support a varying number of users, each with uncertain requirements. Taking the perspective of a network Infrastructure Provider (InP), this paper proposes a resource provisioning approach for slices, robust to a partly unknown…
This paper addresses the slicing of Radio Access Network (RAN) resources by multiple tenants, e.g., virtual wireless operators and service providers. We consider a criterion for dynamic resource allocation amongst tenants, based on a weighted proportionally fair objective, which achieves desirable fairness/protection across the network slices of the different tenants and their associated users. Several key properties are established, including: the Pareto optimality of user association to base stations, the fair allocation of base stations resources, and the gains resulting from dynamic resour…
Underutilized wireless channel is a waste of spectral resource. Eavesdropping compromises data secrecy. How to overcome the two problems with one solution? In this paper, we propose a spectrum sharing model that defends against eavesdropping. Consider a source-destination channel that is being eavesdropped. Cognitive radio can help jamming the eavesdropper. Friendly jamming is a physical layer security method of protecting data secrecy based on radio propagation characteristic. In return, the helper is allowed to access the unused channel of the source. The desirable characteristic of cognitiv…
Salvador University (UNIFACS)（萨尔瓦多大学（UNIFACS））；University of Paris Saclay（巴黎萨克雷大学）；University of Evry（埃夫里大学）
Network slicing is a crucial enabler to support the composition and deployment of virtual network infrastructures required by the dynamic behavior of networks like 5G/6G mobile networks, IoT-aware networks, e-health systems, and industry verticals like the internet of vehicles (IoV) and industry 4.0. The communication slices and their allocated communication resources are essential in slicing architectures for resource orchestration and allocation, virtual network function (VNF) deployment, and slice operation functionalities. The communication slices provide the communications capabilities re…
The stringent requirements defined for 5G systems drive the need to promote new paradigms to the existing cellular networks. Dense and ultra-dense networks based on small cells, together with new spectrum sharing schemes seem to be key enabling technologies for emerging 5G mobile networks. This article explores the vision of the SPEED-5G project, analyzing the ability of a Centralized Radio Resource Management entity to support the Licensed Shared Access spectrum sharing framework in a deployment based on Network Slicing and Network Sharing paradigms.
In order to meet the performance/privacy requirements of future data-intensive mobile applications, e.g., self-driving cars, mobile data analytics, and AR/VR, service providers are expected to draw on shared storage/computation/connectivity resources at the network "edge". To be cost-effective, a key functional requirement for such infrastructure is enabling the sharing of heterogeneous resources amongst tenants/service providers supporting spatially varying and dynamic user demands. This paper proposes a resource allocation criterion, namely, Share Constrained Slicing (SCS), for slices alloca…
Network slicing is considered one of the key enabling technologies for 5G due to its ability to customize and "slice" a common resource to support diverse services and verticals.This paper introduces a novel inter-operator network slicing framework in which multiple mobile network operators (MNOs) can coordinate and jointly slice their accessible spectrum resources in both licensed and unlicensed bands. For licensed band slicing, we propose an inter-operator spectrum aggregation method that allows two or more MNOs to cooperate and share their licensed bands to support a common set of service t…
One of the most challenging services fifth-generation (5G) mobile network is designed to support, is the critical services in-need of very low latency, and/or high reliability. It is now clear that such critical services will also be at the core of beyond 5G (B5G) networks. While 5G radio design accommodates such supports by introducing more flexibility in timing, how efficiently those services could be scheduled over a shared network with other broadband services remains as a challenge. In this paper, we use network slicing as an enabler for network sharing and propose an optimization framewo…
The ever-increasing traffic demand is pushing network operators to find new cost-efficient solutions towards the deployment of future 5G mobile networks. The network sharing paradigm was explored in the past and partially deployed. Nowadays, advanced mobile network multi-tenancy approaches are increasingly gaining momentum paving the way towards further decreasing Capital Expenditures and Operational Expenditures (CAPEX/OPEX) costs, while enabling new business opportunities. This paper provides an overview of the 3GPP standard evolution from network sharing principles, mechanisms and architect…
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)（加泰罗尼亚理工大学）
The capacity sharing problem in Radio Access Network (RAN) slicing deals with the distribution of the capacity available in each RAN node among various RAN slices to satisfy their traffic demands and efficiently use the radio resources. While several capacity sharing algorithmic solutions have been proposed in the literature, their practical implementation still remains as a gap. In this paper, the implementation of a Reinforcement Learning-based capacity sharing algorithm over the O-RAN architecture is discussed, providing insights into the operation of the involved interfaces and the contain…
The grand objective of 5G wireless technology is to support three generic services with vastly heterogeneous requirements: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type communications (mMTC), and ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC). Service heterogeneity can be accommodated by network slicing, through which each service is allocated resources to provide performance guarantees and isolation from the other services. Slicing of the Radio Access Network (RAN) is typically done by means of orthogonal resource allocation among the services. This work studies the potential adva…
5G is enabling different services over the same physical infrastructure through the concepts and technologies of virtualization, softwarization, slicing and cloud computing. Virtual Mobile Networks (VMNs), using these concepts, provide an opportunity to share the same physical infrastructure among multiple operators. Each VMN Operator (VMNO) can have own distinct operating and support systems. However, the technologies used to enable VMNs have their own explicit security challenges and solutions. The integrated environment built upon virtualization, softwarization, and cloudification, thus, wi…
Repairing locality is an appreciated feature for distributed storage, in which a damaged or lost data share can be repaired by accessing a subset of other shares much smaller than is required for decoding the complete data. However for Secret Sharing (SS) schemes, it has been proven theoretically that local repairing can not be achieved with perfect security for the majority of threshold SS schemes, where all the shares are equally regarded in both secret recovering and share repairing. In this paper we make an attempt on decoupling the two processes to make secure local repairing possible. De…
Intelligent Data-Driven Architectural Features Orchestration for Network Slicing
Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV)（维索萨联邦大学）；Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU)（乌贝兰迪亚联邦大学）；Universidade do Minho（米尼奥大学）；Universidade de São Paulo (USP)（圣保罗大学）；Universidade Salvador (UNIFACS)（萨尔瓦多大学）
Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Software Distributed Networking (SDN) technologies play a crucial role in enabling 5G system and beyond. A synergy between these both technologies has been identified for enabling a new concept dubbed service function chains (SFC) that aims to reduce both the capital expenditures (CAPEX) and operating expenses (OPEX). The SFC paradigm considers different constraints and key performance indicators (KPIs), that includes QoS and different resources, for enabling network slice services. However, the large-scale, complexity and security issues brought by th…
Security of an information system is only as strong as its weakest element. Popular elements of such system include hardware, software, network and people. Current approaches to computer security problems usually exclude people in their studies even though it is an integral part of these systems. To fill that gap, this paper discusses crucial people-related problems in computer security and proposes a method of improving security in such systems by integrating people tightly into the whole system. The integration is implemented via visualization to provide visual feedbacks and capture people's…
Network data needs to be shared for distributed security analysis. Anonymization of network data for sharing sets up a fundamental tradeoff between privacy protection versus security analysis capability. This privacy/analysis tradeoff has been acknowledged by many researchers but this is the first paper to provide empirical measurements to characterize the privacy/analysis tradeoff for an enterprise dataset. Specifically we perform anonymization options on single-fields within network packet traces and then make measurements using intrusion detection system alarms as a proxy for security analy…
This paper studies fog computing systems, in which cloud data centers can be supplemented by a large number of fog nodes deployed in a wide geographical area. Each node relies on harvested energy from the surrounding environment to provide computational services to local users. We propose the concept of dynamic network slicing in which a regional orchestrator coordinates workload distribution among local fog nodes, providing partitions/slices of energy and computational resources to support a specific type of service with certain quality-of-service (QoS) guarantees. The resources allocated to …
With the assistance of device-to-device (D2D) communications, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) networks are anticipated to support widespread applications in the fifth generation (5G) and beyond wireless systems, by providing seamless coverage, flexible deployment, and high channel rate. However, the networks face significant security threats from malicious eavesdroppers due to the inherent broadcast and openness nature of wireless channels. To ensure secure communications of such networks, physical layer security is a promising technique, which utilizes the randomness and noise of wireless chann…
University of Swabi（斯瓦比大学）；Northumbria University（诺森比亚大学）；University of Hull（赫尔大学）；Institute of Management Sciences（管理科学学院）；Instituto De Telecomunicaces（电信研究所）
In the current era, the next-generation networks like 5th generation (5G) and 6th generation (6G) networks require high security, low latency with a high reliable standards and capacity. In these networks, reconfigurable wireless network slicing is considered as one of the key elements for 5G and 6G networks. A reconfigurable slicing allows the operators to run various instances of the network using a single infrastructure for a better quality of services (QoS). The QoS can be achieved by reconfiguring and optimizing these networks using Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms.…
The number of active users of Wi-Fi Direct Device-to-Device file sharing applications on Android has exceeded 1.8 billion. Wi-Fi Direct, also known as Wi-Fi P2P, is commonly used for peer-to-peer, high-speed file transfer between mobile devices, as well as a close proximity connection mode for wireless cameras, network printers, TVs and other IoT and mobile devices. For its end users, such type of direct file transfer does not incur cellular data charges. However, despite the popularity of such applications, we observe that the software vendors tend to prioritize the ease of user flow over the…
Telecommunications Technological Center of Catalonia (CTTC)（加泰罗尼亚电信技术中心）；Technical University of Catalonia (UPC)（加泰罗尼亚理工大学）；i2CAT Foundation（i2CAT基金会）
The quantum machine learning (QML) paradigms and their synergies with network slicing can be envisioned to be a disruptive technology on the cusp of entering to era of sixth-generation (6G), where the mobile communication systems are underpinned in the form of advanced tenancy-based digital use-cases to meet different service requirements. To overcome the challenges of massive slices such as handling the increased dynamism, heterogeneity, amount of data, extended training time, and variety of security levels for slice instances, the power of quantum computing pursuing a distributed computation…
Sixth-generation (6G) mobile networks will have to cope with diverse threats on a space-air-ground integrated network environment, novel technologies, and an accessible user information explosion. However, for now, security and privacy issues for 6G remain largely in concept. This survey provides a systematic overview of security and privacy issues based on prospective technologies for 6G in the physical, connection, and service layers, as well as through lessons learned from the failures of existing security architectures and state-of-the-art defenses. Two key lessons learned are as follows. …
