This paper analyzes current standardization situation of 5G and the role network softwarization plays in order to address the challenges the new generation of mobile networks must face. This paper surveys recent documentation from the main stakeholders to pick out the use cases, scenarios and emerging vertical sectors that will be enabled by 5G technologies, and to identify future high-level service requirements. Driven by those service requirements 5G systems will support diverse radio access technology scenarios, meet end-to-end user experienced requirements and provide capability of flexible network deployment and efficient operations. Then, based on the identified requirements, the paper overviews the main 5G technology trends and design principles to address them. In particular, the paper emphasizes the role played by three main technologies, namely SDN, NFV and MEC, and analyzes the main open issues of these technologies in relation to 5G.
Abstract:Current trends in broadband mobile networks are addressed towards the placement of different capabilities at the edge of the mobile network in a centralised way. On one hand, the split of the eNB between baseband processing units and remote radio headers makes it possible to process some of the protocols in centralised premises, likely with virtualised resources. On the other hand, mobile edge computing makes use of processing and storage capabilities close to the air interface in order to deploy optimised services with minimum delay. The confluence of both trends is a hot topic in the definition of future 5G networks. The full centralisation of both technologies in cloud data centres imposes stringent requirements to the fronthaul connections in terms of throughput and latency. Therefore, all those cells with limited network access would not be able to offer these types of services. This paper proposes a solution for these cases, based on the placement of processing and storage capabilities close to the remote units, which is especially well suited for the deployment of clusters of small cells. The proposed cloudenabled small cells include a highly efficient microserver with a limited set of virtualised resources offered to the cluster of small cells. As a result, a light data centre is created and commonly used for deploying centralised eNB and mobile edge computing functionalities. The paper covers the proposed architecture, with special focus on the integration of both aspects, and possible scenarios of application.
In an increasingly interconnected world, new opportunities for telecom-based services are emerging. Innovative applications profit from cloud versatility and scalability, but require a platform to combine the optimized 5G network fabric with the advancements in the domain of cloud computing, Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV). In this multi-domain context, we find that available service platforms are lagging, because they tend to be tightly coupled to a constrained set of technologies. In practice, we need the flexibility to deploy different microservices over a heterogeneous range of infrastructure types, aggregating various virtualization, orchestration and control mechanisms. Moreover, the integration of the service requires collaboration among a wide mix of actors (e.g. developers, operators, hardware/software vendors, infrastructure/service providers or vertical integrators). We propose a next-generation Platform-asa-Service (NGPaaS), devised as a modular framework for the development and operation of network services, while targeting a high degree of both customization and automation. The presented architecture is built around a workflow-based orchestrator which coordinates custom-built tasks across a tailored group of specialized infrastructure or platforms. We also explain how NGPaaS enhances DevOps-principles, to achieve a more efficient integration process across the many isolated administrative domains in the modern telco landscape. Keywords-NFV; SDN; 5G; PaaS Architecture; DevOps; Devfor-Operationshigh modularity/microservice based high level of virtualization implementation characteristics Capex + Lock-in (vendor, technology) Time-to-market testing, communication overhead cost (dev, deployment, opex)optimal PaaS configuration default PaaS features monolithic, hardware-based Fig. 1. The PaaS architecture is microservice-based, where the right design achieves the optimal trade-off.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.