Cloud-based Network Virtualization in IoT with OpenStack

In Cloud computing deployments, specifically in the Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) model, networking is one of the core enabling facilities provided for the users. The IaaS approach ensures significant flexibility and manageability, since the networking resources and topologies are entirely under users’ control. In this context, considerable efforts have been devoted to promoting the Cloud paradigm as a suitable solution for managing IoT environments. Deep and genuine integration between the two ecosystems, Cloud and IoT, may only be attainable at the IaaS level. In light of extending the IoT domain capabilities’ with Cloud-based mechanisms akin to the IaaS Cloud model, network virtualization is a fundamental enabler of infrastructure-oriented IoT deployments. Indeed, an IoT deployment without networking resilience and adaptability makes it unsuitable to meet user-level demands and services’ requirements. Such a limitation makes the IoT-based services adopted in very specific and statically defined scenarios, thus leading to limited plurality and diversity of use cases. This article presents a Cloud-based approach for network virtualization in an IoT context using the de-facto standard IaaS middleware, OpenStack, and its networking subsystem, Neutron. OpenStack is being extended to enable the instantiation of virtual/overlay networks between Cloud-based instances (e.g., virtual machines, containers, and bare metal servers) and/or geographically distributed IoT nodes deployed at the network edge.

Development of Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation

The technical level and scale of machinery manufacturing industry are one of the most important factors to measure a country’s industrialization degree and comprehensive strength of national economy. In present, the rapid development of China has also undergone leapfrog changes in the development of machinery manufacturing and automation, however, the development trend of mechanical manufacturing and its automation has gradually developed from the previous manual work to the direction of network virtualization, machine miniaturization and industrial intelligence.

Resource Management in Converged Optical and Millimeter Wave Radio Networks: A Review

Three convergent processes are likely to shape the future of the internet beyond-5G: The convergence of optical and millimeter wave radio networks to boost mobile internet capacity, the convergence of machine learning solutions and communication technologies, and the convergence of virtualized and programmable network management mechanisms towards fully integrated autonomic network resource management. The integration of network virtualization technologies creates the incentive to customize and dynamically manage the resources of a network, making network functions, and storage capabilities at the edge key resources similar to the available bandwidth in network communication channels. Aiming to understand the relationship between resource management, virtualization, and the dense 5G access and fronthaul with an emphasis on converged radio and optical communications, this article presents a review of how resource management solutions have dealt with optimizing millimeter wave radio and optical resources from an autonomic network management perspective. A research agenda is also proposed by identifying current state-of-the-art solutions and the need to shift all the convergent issues towards building an advanced resource management mechanism for beyond-5G.

Toward Modular and Flexible Open RAN Implementations in 6G Networks: Traffic Steering Use Case and O-RAN xApps

The development of cellular wireless systems has entered the phase when 5G networks are being deployed and the foundations of 6G solutions are being identified. However, in parallel to this, another technological breakthrough is observed, as the concept of open radio access networks is coming into play. Together with advancing network virtualization and programmability, this may reshape the way the functionalities and services related to radio access are designed, leading to modular and flexible implementations. This paper overviews the idea of open radio access networks and presents ongoing O-RAN Alliance standardization activities in this context. The whole analysis is supported by a study of the traffic steering use case implemented in a modular way, following the open networking approach.

The Application of Network Functions Virtualization on Different Networks, and its New Applications in Blockchain: A Survey

Operators of networks are striving to provide functional network-based services, while keeping the cost of deploying the service to a minimum. Network Function Virtualization (NFV) is considered to be a promising model to modify such employment by separating network functions from the basic hardware properties, after which they are converted into the style of software. These are eventually referred to as Virtual Network Functions (VNFs). This separation offers numerous benefits, including the decrease of Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operation Expense (OPEX), in addition to the enhanced elasticity of service preparation. Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) is found to cause a remarkable development or even a technological revolution in terms of network-based services, leading to a decrease in deployment costs for network operators. NFV reduces hardware tool costs and energy exhaustion, and it improves its operational performance whereby the network configuration is part of this optimization. Even so, there are a number of possible security problems which are the main focus in NFV. The present study surveys the applications and opportunities of NFV in terms of IoT, SDN, cloud computing and blockchain. A description of the NFV architecture is presented, and several possibilities of NFV security issues and challenges are discussed. Finally, a systematic idea is provided on the design of a Blockchain Network Virtualization System.