Makis Stamatelatos

Rethinking the mobile and wireless network architecture: The METIS research into 5G

The METIS project is laying the foundation of 5G mobile and wireless communication systems putting together the point of view of vendors, operators, third party players and academia. In particular, METIS is developing and evaluating the key technology components of 5G systems. In this framework, a new mobile and wireless network architecture is required to accommodate those technical enablers and communication paradigms while taking into account existing and emerging architectural trends. This article provides an overview of the METIS system and architecture research into this future mobile and wireless network, discussing various alternatives and perspectives.

IEEE P1900.B: Coexistence Support for Reconfigurable, Heterogeneous Air Interfaces

This contribution presents and discusses the system concept approach which has been proposed by the European Integrated Project IST-E2R II in the IEEE P1900.B Standardization Study Group (SG); it currently is under further elaboration in the framework of the follow-up IEEE P1900.4 Working Group (WG) whose Project Authorization Request (PAR) was accepted in December 2006. This effort targets reconfigurable (typically software defined radio (SDR) based) networks and terminals in a heterogeneous wireless environment, with multi-homing capable terminals enabling the users to operate multiple wireless links simultaneously. In order to ensure backwards compatibility to legacy standards, the approach is to introduce three new building blocks into the (existing and/or evolving) heterogeneous landscape: i) A network reconfiguration management module, ii) a radio enabler and iii) a terminal reconfiguration management module. Within this paper, the key functionalities of these building blocks are detailed and discussed; it is furthermore outlined how the introduction of distributed decision-making concepts improves the efficiency of the heterogeneous system in terms of i) signaling overhead, ii) reactivity of user mobile terminals (MTs) and iii) numerical resource selection optimization complexity on the network side.

Core functional and network empower mechanisms of an operator-driven, framework for unifying autonomic network and service management

Future Internet (FI) constitutes a complex and dynamic environment, the requirements of which cannot be adrressed by traditional management schemes. The alternative is the approach of autonomic network and service management. In this context, the UniverSelf research project proposes a promising solution, called Unified Management Framework (UMF), which targets the unification of autonomic network and service management. UMF addresses FI challenges by exploiting governance of automatically managed infrastructures and services, unification of diverse autonomic solutions, and adaptation to rapidly changing environment with respect to managed system properties and service and users requirements. Accordingly, this paper presents the UMF core blocks, namely Governance, Coordination and Knowledge blocks, including a description of their underlying mechanisms. The paper also describes the Network Empowerment Mechanisms (NEM) that empower networks with autonomic algorithms/solutions and can be embedded into existing and future systems in a “plug and play” way.

Evolution of Wireless Communication Systems Towards Autonomously Managed, Cognitive Radio Functionalities

This contribution presents key functionalities and design approaches of a distributed system architecture as it is studied in the framework of the European E2R II project. An emphasis is laid on policy based self-governance, distributed reconfiguration concepts and corresponding cognitive support functionalities; this support is necessary to assure context awareness in the equipment in order to facilitate (enable) distributed decision making. The idea is to distribute decision making functionalities among network and user equipment elements in order to (i) limit the required calculation complexity on the network and user side for the determination of the optimum resource selection strategy, (ii) increase the reactivity of the equipment to any context change minimizing the required amount of human interaction and (iii) minimize the signaling overhead by broadcasting generic policy rules applicable to all users instead of targeting a user-by-user based reconfiguration approach. A simple use case illustrates how Game Theoretic tools can be used in order to derive suitable policies and how to perform decisions.

Enablers for Energy-Aware Cooperative Decision and Control in Wireless Networks

Autonomic networking and cooperative communications paradigms have emerged as promising technologies that can pave the way for next generation networks. CONSERN project is focusing on cooperation and collaboration enablers, cooperative decision and control algorithms that will maximise the expected gains by utilising cooperative problem solving for improving energy efficiency in wireless networks. In this paper, cooperative and/or autonomous solutions are captured and a mapping to the envisaged technologies is made. Based on this mapping an initial analysis of the requirements for energy-efficient cooperation is presented. The cooperation deals with information exchange, actions coordination and decision making within and between different types of network nodes. Based on the requirements analysis a set of key cooperation enablers are identified and further elaborated upon.

IEEE P1900.4 Standard: Reconfiguration of multi-radio systems

The field of application of the IEEE P1900.4 standard is radio systems forming a composite wireless network, i.e., comprising multiple Radio Access Networks (RANs), which may be using different Radio Access Technologies (RATs). This composite wireless network is assumed to be operated by either a single or several operators. End-user terminals in P1900.4 are generally assumed to be multimode/multihoming, supporting several RATs and with multi-radio link capabilities, also possessing some cognitive radio capability such as flexible operation in different frequency bands. There are, however, conceivable scenarios where the P1900.4 standard would still be applicable even if terminals possessed limited such capabilities. At the core of the IEEE P1900.4 standard, Reconfiguration Management Entities (RMEs) are defined, located on terminal and network sides. The network side RME manages the terminal indirectly, but by providing/collecting context information and providing Radio Recourse usage policies to terminals. The terminal side RME makes final decisions regarding selection of the most appropriate RAT/RAN, band, etc., thereby also triggering the corresponding radio link reconfigurations in the terminal. Of course, all such decisions made by the terminal RME must be within the remit of policies conveyed by the network RME. This paper introduces the activities and work under progress within the IEEE P1900.4 working group.

Information Model for Managing Autonomic Functions in Future Networks

Future Internet (FI), a dynamic and complex environment, imposes management requirements, complexity and volume of data which can hardly be handled by traditional management schemes. Autonomic network and service management can be a powerful vision; a promising solution paving the way towards fully autonomic systems provides a three-level management approach and develops Information Modelling extensions for semantic continuity. This paper aims at proposing an Information Model for abstracting autonomic mechanisms for network management tasks and convincing on the relevance of using/extending standardized information models for system specification.

Video-to-Video for e-Health: Use Case, Concepts and Pilot Plan

Future Internet and smart cities are creating a very promising paradigm for providing advanced services to citizens. The paradigm of e-Health forms a valuable yet demanding use case for design, develop, deploy and provide related services. The aim of LiveCity project is to empower the citizens of a city to interact with each other in a more productive efficient and socially useful way by using high quality video-to-video (v2v); v2v can be used to improve medical services. This paper presents the related concepts, the scenario and the pilot set for the tele-monitoring service realization, deployment and provision.

Reconfigurable Wireless Communication Systems applying Distributed Decision-Making in a Heterogeneous Radio Environment

This contribution presents the system concept approach introduced by the IEEE 1900.4 Working Group (WG) and discusses inherent advantages and issues. This effort targets reconfigurable (Software Defined Radio (SDR) based) networks and terminals in a heterogeneous wireless environment, with multi-homing capable terminals which enables them to operate several wireless links simultaneously. In order to ensure backwards compatibility to legacy standards, this approach introduces three new building blocks into the (existing and/or evolving) heterogeneous landscape: i) A Network Reconfiguration Management module, ii) a Radio Enabler and iii) a Terminal Reconfiguration Management module. Within this paper, the key functionalities of these building blocks are presented and discussed; it is furthermore shown how the introduction of distributed decision-making concepts improves the efficiency of the heterogeneous system in terms of i) signaling overhead, ii) reactivity of user mobile terminals (MTs) and iii) numerical resource selection optimization complexity on the network side.

Coverage and Capacity Optimization of Self-Managed Future Internet Wireless Networks

Future Internet network management systems are expected to incorporate self-x capabilities in order to tackle the increased management needs that cannot be addressed through human intervention. Towards this end, Self-NET developed a self-management framework based on the introduction of cognitive capabilities in network elements. In this paper, the experimentation platform for “Coverage and Capacity Optimization of Self-managed Future Internet Wireless Network”, incorporating the self-management framework of Self-NET, is presented.