Csaba Simon

Self-Management in Ambient Networks for Service Composition

This paper describes the concepts and challenges of self-managing management-layer network composition and service composition in Ambient Networks. A set of requirements are identified. This paper describes the concept of Ambient Virtual Pipe (AVP), which is an autonomic, secure, QoS-assured, self-adapted context aware management service overlay network that provides a secure and QoS-assured environment for AN service composition. The AVP is supported through a programmable platform, and is capable of dynamic deployment of new management services.

End-to-end relative Differentiated Services for IP networks

In the last decade two major solutions, namely IntServ and DiffServ have been introduced to empower IP networks with quality of service (QoS) capabilities. Among these two the DiffServ, which exhibits a better scalability and is the starting point for this paper is based on a per hop shaping of the traffic. The nodes control independently the flows without knowledge about the network state or/and the limitations suffered by the flows at other hops. Thus, violation of service differentiation can also occur. To correct this inefficiency a network-wide proportional service model is proposed. After presenting the theoretical argumentation and the architecture, we also provide an algorithm that computes the shaping factor needed to sustain our architecture. We use simulation experiments to validate our proposal.

Monitoring system for EFIPSANS networks

In this paper, we introduce a framework that enables the deployment of autonomous services over IPv6. Then we present in detail the monitoring tool implemented as a part of the EFIPSANS project that prototypes the monitoring function of the management plane and supports the execution and verification of the elements developed during this project. The visualization tool was designed in a modular and extensible fashion and provides several useful features, which supported the debugging process. Furthermore, we aimed at simplicity, but at the same time we attempted to meet some performance and aesthetic requirements, as well.

Autonomic DHCPv6 Architecture

The complexity of new services pushes traditional network management processes beyond scalability, autonomic networking being an answer to these challenges. Within the EFIPSANS project, funded by European Commission (EC), we have proposed the Generic Autonomic Network Architecture (GANA) — an Architectural Reference Model for Autonomic Networking and Self-Management, which offers a modular solution to designing autonomic networks that exhibit self-management capabilities. In this paper, we focus on the particular issue of autonomic address configuration of future networks. Currently IPv6 stateless auto-configuration provides addresses for end-hosts only, however in an autonomic network, the operator would expect that the network configures all its routers and the connected hosts without user interaction. We present in detail our solution, which executes this task in an automated fashion. Our proposal is an extension of the current DHCPv6 protocol in order to automatically configure an entire local area network. We have drafted a dedicated scenario, called Automatic DHCP Architecture (ADA) that shows the benefits of our proposal. We have implemented our solution and we run several experiments in our testbed to assess the performance of our proposal.

Overload generated by signaling message flows in ATM networks

Although the importance of the signalling performance of ATM networks has been recognized as a potential bottleneck (Gelenbe, 1997a), very few papers address the congestion situation in switches due to signalling message flow.

Enabling autonomicity in the future networks

Nowadays we are witnessing a strong interest from the network operators towards provisioning all-IP services. The user demands and the effort of the operators to address them with traditional network management processes push the networks to a complexity where traditional network management methods do not scale and cannot guarantee error-free configurations, optimal resource utilization and dynamic adaptation to adverse conditions during network operation. Operators are seeking new functionalities and mechanisms that allow the network to self-manage with as little of human intervention as possible. Autonomic networking is an answer to these complexity issues related to network management. Within the EFIPSANS project, funded by European Commission(EC), we have proposed the Generic Autonomic Network Architecture (GANA)-an Architectural Reference Model for Autonomic Networking and Self-Management, which offers a modular solution to designing autonomic networks that exhibit self-management capabilities. In this paper we briefly present the GANA Model, a step on the path towards the realization of autonomic networks. We also present the integrated EFIPSANS testbed and the implemented mechanisms, designed to demonstrate a substantial selection of essential autonomic behaviours.

Methodology towards Integrating Scenarios and Testbeds for Demonstrating Autonomic/Self-managing Networks and Behaviors Required in Future Networks

In this paper we report an insight of our experiences gained in devising a methodology for validating Scenarios demonstrating autonomic/self-managing network behaviors required in Future Networks—powered by IPv6 and its evolution along the path to the Self-Managing Future Internet. Autonomic networking introduces “autonomic manager components” at various levels of abstraction of functionality within device architectures and the overall network architecture, which are capable of performing autonomic management and control of their associated Managed-Entities (MEs) e.g. protocols and mechanisms, as well as co-operating with each other in driving the self-managing features of the Network(s). MEs are started, configured, constantly monitored and dynamically regulated by the autonomic managers towards optimal and reliable network services. There are some challenges involved when designing and applying a framework for integrating and validating Scenarios demonstrating autonomic behaviors we share in this paper, and show how we have addressed them. In this paper, we present the EU funded FP7 EFIPSANS Integration and Validation Framework that we designed for demonstrating a substantial selection of essential autonomic behaviors of “autonomic managers” whose implementations are based on the principles of the GANA architectural Reference Model for Autonomic Networking and Self-Management, and on the IPv6 protocols and associated extensions proposed and developed in the frame of the EC funded FP7 EFIPSANS Project.

5G exchange for inter-domain resource sharing

Market segmentation and technological heterogeneity are major obstacles along the way towards the realization of fast service creation expected to be part the fifth generation network feature set. In this paper we present our vision of creating a 5G Exchange that remove these obstacles by enabling the orchestration of networking and service resources in an automated way across technological and administrative domains, We describe the challenges and our motivation, the proposed networking architecture framework, showing and its relation to current standardization efforts. We present the next steps in terms of implementation and experimentation, and propose a sandbox environment where partners may experiment with life-size multidomain network orchestration.

Handover of media streams with network coding

Nowadays streaming media traffic has a significant share of the mobile data volume. In this paper we focus on the handover process of streaming media connections and propose a solution that improves the user experience by providing a resilient handover scheme. According to our proposal, before the mobile subscriber joins the new attachment point, the information is proactively distributed there, using network coding. Therefore the subscriber is able to collect the packets combined at the old and new attachment points. The method was evaluated by means of simulation.

Managing Streaming Services in a Distributed Testbed

Abstract Controlling the nodes in a distributed networking environment is not a trivial task, because there is no central entity that is aware of all the details. In this paper we present a solution that solves this issue in a testbed dedicated to research the streaming video distribution among mobile nodes. We designed a peer-to-peer overlay to support the control functions. We implement network coding function in the nodes, making possible to apply it to the video stream, increasing the robustness of the streaming service. We present the prototype of our solution and the performance evaluation of the service.