Towards Self-optimizing Protocol Stack for Autonomic Communication: Initial Experience

Abstract

The Internet is facing ever-increasing complexity in the construction, configuration and management of heterogeneous networks. New communication paradigms are undermining its original design principles. The mobile Internet demands a level of optimum that is hard to achieve with a strictly-layered protocol stack. Questioning if layering is still an adequate foundation for autonomic protocol stack design, we study the state-of-the-art from both the layered camp and its counterpart. We then outline our vision on protocol stack design for autonomic communication with the POEM model and its internals. A novel cross-layer design approach that combines the advantages of layering and the benefits of holistic and systematic cross-layer optimization is at the core of this work. With inspirations from the natural ecosystem, we are working on the role-based Composable Functional System for selfoptimization that features proactive monitoring and control. By doing so step-by-step, we envisage reaching the goal of self-tuning autonomic network with high level of autonomy and efficiency, with minimum human management complexity and user intervention.

Adaptive Intelligent Middleware Architecture for Mobile Real-Time Communications

“…Current proposals have conceptualised but not fully validated non-intrusive middleware that uses API access to protocol data structures [16], [17], [18], [19], [20], [21].…”

Cross-layer signalling and middleware: A survey for inelastic soft real-time applications in MANETs

“…The related data repository can be accessed transparently across the protocol stack, as used in the MobileMAN [16]. Such a local entity, also known as an optimiser or interaction Figure 3: The POEM Model [23] scheduler, can be made responsible for the abstraction of signal parameters, as well as the coordination of their usage. This entails a weakly cross-layered solution [30] that, while simple and flexible, reaps the performance benefits of strong cross layer interaction.…”

“…The Performance-Oriented Model (POEM) [23] uses an internal intralayer entity that does not compromise normal protocol layer functionality. POEM is made up of two conceptual planes, or optimisers, as in Figure 3.…”

Cross-Layer Architectures for Autonomic Communications

“…POEM (Performance-Oriented Model) [10] is perhaps the first initiative towards developing a cross-layer based self-optimizing protocol stack specifically for autonomic communication. For the optimization purposes it utilizes local state information.…”