Search

PlaNet is a multilayer network planning tool developed at the University of Texas at Dallas. This paper illustrates some of the features of PlaNet-PTN, one of the modules available in the PlaNet tool. PlaNet-PTN can be used to design and plan a single layer packet transport network (PTN). Quality of protection, routing constraints, minimization of the network equipment cost, and user’s desired run time of the tool are just some examples of the features available in PlaNet. As shown in the paper, the PlaNet-PTN planning module is able to provide, among others, optimization of Label Switched Path (LSP) routes, link capacity placement, node and link equipment configuration.

With the increasing demand for openness, flexibility, and monetization, the Network Function Virtualization (NFV) of mobile network functions has become the embracing factor for most mobile network operators. Early reported field deployments of virtualized Evolved Packet Core (EPC) - the core network (CN) component of 4G LTE and 5G non-standalone mobile networks - reflect this growing trend. To best meet the requirements of power management, load balancing, and fault tolerance in the cloud environment, the need for live migration of these virtualized components cannot be shunned. Virtualization platforms of interest include both Virtual Machines (VMs) and Containers, with the latter option offering more lightweight characteristics. This paper's first contribution is the proposal of a framework that enables migration of containerised virtual EPC components using an open-source migration solution which does not fully support the mobile network protocol stack yet. The second contribution is an experimental-based comprehensive analysis of live migration in two virtualization technologies - VM and Container - with the additional scrutinization on the container migration approach. The presented experimental comparison accounts for several system parameters and configurations: flavor (image) size, network characteristics, processor hardware architecture model, and the CPU load of the backhaul network components. The comparison reveals that the live migration completion time and also the end-user service interruption time of the virtualized EPC components is reduced approximately by 70% in the container platform when using the proposed framework. This work was supported in part by the NSF under Grant CNS-1405405, Grant CNS-1409849, Grant ACI-1541461, and Grant CNS-1531039T; and in part by the EU Commission through the 5GROWTH Project under Grant 856709.

Hierarchical (multi-core) Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) networks present a challenging design problem to the network designer who wishes to establish all-optical circuits end-to-end and across multiple network cores. Due to the nature of the hierarchical structure and its traffi distribution, it is likely that the inner core requires more capacity when compared to the capacity required by the metro cores, which are individually connected to the inner core. This capacity mismatch cannot be addressed by assigning distinct transmission rates to each core, as this solution would result in using electronic time division add-drop multiplexer to interconnect the traffi across cores with distinct rates. An alternative solution to addressing the capacity mismatch between WDM metro and inner core is explored in this paper, which is based on a limited number of wavelengths (a subset of the full set) being used in the metro core, when compared to the full set of wavelengths being used in the inner core. Two available architectures are presented in the paper, discussing their respective advantages and disadvantages.