Orchestration of End-to-End Network Services in the 5G-Crosshaul Multi-Domain Multi-Technology Transport Network

Abstract

Upcoming 5G mobile networks are addressing ambitious Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) not just in terms of capacity and latency, but also in terms of network control and management. In this direction, network management schemes need to evolve to provide the required flexibility, and automated and integrated management of 5G networks. This also applies to the 5G-Crosshaul transport network, which provides an integrated fronthaul and backhaul. Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) are seen as key enablers for that. This article validates the flexibility, scalability, and recovery capabilities of the 5G-Crosshaul architecture in a testbed distributed geographically. More specifically, the central component of the validation is the hierarchical 5G-Crosshaul control infrastructure (XCI), conceived to handle multi-domain multi-technology transport network resources. Its performance is characterized through two experimental case studies. The first one illustrates the automated provisioning of all network resources required to deploy a complete LTE virtual mobile network featuring fronthaul and backhaul configurations. This takes 10.467s. on average for the network under test. The second one exploits the flexibility of the hierarchical XCI to apply local or centralized service recovery in the event of link failure depending on the desired path optimality vs. recovery time trade-off. On average, recovery takes 0.299s. and 6.652s., respectively. Overall, the proposed solution contributes to attain the target set for 5G networks of reducing service setup from hours to minutes.

The Four-C Framework for High Capacity Ultra-Low Latency in 5G Networks: A Review

“…Global knowledge of network topology across the various domains has become essential. Before now, some works in CC domain on multi-domain orchestration exists [173,174], yet, buoyed by the distributed nature of fog entities, sustaining resource assignment considering a stratum of non-homogeneous systems with divergent rules are difficult and requires peculiar attention. (4) Interaction among fog devices: Ensuring real-time service provisioning in a distributed environment under a heterogeneous system (with different resource availabilities under various policy domains) is difficult.…”

A Survey of the Functional Splits Proposed for 5G Mobile Crosshaul Networks

“…Use case Scenarios where a low fronthaul bitrate is necessary to be transported over a less ideal fronthaul interface, which could for example be a wireless fronthaul link. [5], [19], [26], [41], [45], [59], [91] Simulations: [92], [94] Practical experiments: [100] In this split the PDCP and RRC are centralized while the other functions are performed local in the DU. This split receives PDCP PDUs in the DL direction and transmits RLC SDUs in the UL direction.…”

“…The project ended in 2017 and has contributed to standardization along with providing several white papers and journal papers [132]. Some of the most recent literature provided by this project are: [63], [78], [96], [100], [134].  The 5G xhaul is an H2020 project considering a Dynamically Reconfigurable Optical-Wireless Backhaul/Fronthaul with Cognitive Control Plane for Small Cells and Cloud-RANs.…”

Composing Services in 5G-TRANSFORMER

“…The 5G-MTP module is the coordinator of the different managers present at the underlying transport network providing storage, computing and networking resources. In particular, storage and computing resources are provided by two PoPs managed by different instances of Openstack software, while networking resources at the transport network are coordinated by a hierarchy of SDN controllers using Control Orchestration Protocol (COP) [2]. The transport network combines different transport technologies.…”