004 Datenverarbeitung; Informatik
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Future mobile communication networks, such as 5G and beyond, can benefit from Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs) when deployed on cloud infrastructures to achieve elasticity and scalability. However, new challenges arise as to managing states of Network Functions (NFs). Especially control plane VNFs, which are mainly found in cellular core networks like the 5G Core (5GC), received little attention since the shift towards virtualizing NFs. Most existing solutions for these core networks are often complex, intrusive, and are seldom compliant with the standard. With the emergence of 5G campus networks, UEs will be mainly machine-type devices. These devices communicate more deterministically, bringing new opportunities for elaborated state management. This work presents an emulation environment to perform rigorous measurements on state access patterns. The emulation comes with a fully parameterized Markov model for the UE to examine a wide variety of different devices. These measurements can then be used as a solid base for designing an efficient, simple, and standard conform state management solution that brings us further towards stateless core networks.
Cooperative, connected and automated mobility (CCAM) systems depend on a reliable communication to provide their service and more crucially to ensure the safety of users. One way to ensure the reliability of a data transmission is to use multiple transmission technologies in combination with redundant flows. In this paper, we describe a system requiring multipath communication in the context of CCAM. To this end, we introduce a data plane-based scheduler that uses replication and integration modules to provide redundant and transparent multipath communication. We provide an analytical model for the full replication module of the system and give an overview of how and where the data-plane scheduler components can be realized.
Cooperative, connected and automated mobility (CCAM) systems depend on a reliable communication to provide their service and more crucially to ensure the safety of users. One way to ensure the reliability of a data transmission is to use multiple transmission technologies in combination with redundant flows. In this paper, we describe a system requiring multipath communication in the context of CCAM. To this end, we introduce a data plane-based scheduler that uses replication and integration modules to provide redundant and transparent multipath communication. We provide an analytical model for the full replication module of the system and give an overview of how and where the data-plane scheduler components can be realized.
Web caches often use a Time-to-live (TTL) limit to validate data consistency with web servers. We study the impact of TTL constraints on the hit ratio of basic strategies in caches of fixed size. We derive analytical results and confirm their accuracy in comparison to simulations. We propose a score-based caching method with awareness of the current TTL per data for improving the hit ratio close to the upper bound.
In network research, reproducibility of experiments is not always easy to achieve. Infrastructures are cumbersome to set up or are not available due to vendor-specific devices. Emulators try to overcome those issues to a given extent and are available in different service models. Unfortunately, the usability of emulators requires time-consuming efforts and a deep understanding of their functionality. At first, we analyze to which extent currently available open-source emulators support network configurations and how user-friendly they are. With these insights, we describe, how an ease-to-use emulator is implemented and may run as a Network Emulator as a Service (NEaaS). Therefore, virtualization plays a major role in order to deploy a NEaaS based on Kathará.
Packets sent over a network can either get lost or reach their destination. Protocols like TCP try to solve this problem by resending the lost packets. However, retransmissions consume a lot of time and are cumbersome for the transmission of critical data. Multipath solutions are quite common to address this reliability issue and are available on almost every layer of the ISO/OSI model. We propose a solution based on a P4 network to duplicate packets in order to send them to their destination via multiple routes. The last network hop ensures that only a single copy of the traffic is further forwarded to its destination by adopting a concept similar to Bloom filters. Besides, if fast delivery is requested we provide a P4 prototype, which randomly forwards the packets over different transmission paths. For reproducibility, we implement our approach in a container-based network emulation system called Kathará.
Understanding the Performance of Different Packet Reception and Timestamping Methods in Linux
(2023)
This document briefly presents some renowned packet reception techniques for network packets in Linux systems. Further, it compares their performance when measuring packet timestamps with respect to throughput and accuracy. Both software and hardware timestamps are compared, and various parameters are examined, including frame size, link speed, network interface card, and CPU load. The results indicate that hardware timestamping offers significantly better accuracy with no downsides, and that packet reception techniques that avoid system calls offer superior measurement throughput.
This document presents a networking latency measurement setup that focuses on affordability and universal applicability, and can provide sub-microsecond accuracy. It explains the prerequisites, hardware choices, and considerations to respect during measurement. In addition, it discusses the necessity for exhaustive latency measurements when dealing with high availability and low latency requirements. Preliminary results show that the accuracy is within ±0.02 μs when used with the Intel I350-T2 network adapter.
In scientific research, the independent reproduction of experiments is the source of trust. Detailed documentation is required to enable experiment reproduction. Reproducibility awards were created to honor the increased documentation effort. In this work, we propose a novel approach toward reproducible research—a structured experimental workflow that allows the creation of reproducible experiments without requiring additional efforts of the researcher. Moreover, we present our own testbed and toolchain, namely, plain orchestrating service (pos), which enables the creation of such experimental workflows. The experiment is documented by our proposed, fully scripted experiment structure. In addition, pos provides scripts enabling the automation of the bundling and release of all experimental artifacts. We provide an interactive environment where pos experiments can be executed and reproduced, available at https://gallenmu.github.io/single-server-experiment.
This paper presents a novel concept to extend state-of-the-art buffer monitoring with additional measures to estimate service-curves. The online algorithm for service-curve estimation replaces the state-of-the-art timestamp logging, as we expect it to overcome the main disadvantages of generating a huge amount of data and using a lot of CPU resources to store the data to a file during operation. We prove the accuracy of the online-algorithm offline with timestamp data and compare the derived bounds to the measured delay and backlog. We also do a proof-of- concept of the online-algorithm, implement it in LabVIEW and compare its performance to the timestamp logging by CPU load and data-size of the log-file. However, the implementation is still work-in-progress.
How to Model and Predict the Scalability of a Hardware-In-The-Loop Test Bench for Data Re-Injection?
(2023)
This paper describes a novel application of an empirical network calculus model based on measurements of a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test system. The aim is to predict the performance of a HIL test bench for open-loop re-injection in the context of scalability. HIL test benches are distributed computer systems including software, hardware, and networking devices. They are used to validate complex technical systems, but have not yet been system under study themselves. Our approach is to use measurements from the HIL system to create an empirical model for arrival and service curves. We predict the performance and design the previously unknown parameters of the HIL simulator with network calculus (NC), namely the buffer sizes and the minimum needed pre-buffer time for the playback buffer. We furthermore show, that it is possible to estimate the CPU load from arrival and service-curves based on the utilization theorem, and hence estimate the scalability of the HIL system in the context of the number of sensor streams.
Time-to-Live (TTL) caches decouple the occupancy of objects in cache through object-specific validity timers. Stateof- the art techniques provide exact methods for the calculation of object-specific hit probabilities given entire cache hierarchies with random inter-cache network delays. The system hit probability is a provider-centric metric as it relates to the origin offload, i.e., the decrease in the number of requests that are served by the content origin server. In this paper we consider a user-centric metric, i.e., the response time, which is shown to be structurally different from the system hit probability. Equipped with the state-of-theart exact modeling technique using Markov-arrival processes we derive expressions for the expected object response time and pave a way for its optimization under network delays.
Service orchestration requires enormous attention and is a struggle nowadays. Of course, virtualization provides a base level of abstraction for services to be deployable on a lot of infrastructures. With container virtualization, the trend to migrate applications to a micro-services level in order to be executable in Fog and Edge Computing environments increases manageability and maintenance efforts rapidly. Similarly, network virtualization adds effort to calibrate IP flows for Software-Defined Networks and eventually route it by means of Network Function Virtualization. Nevertheless, there are concepts like MAPE-K to support micro-service distribution in next-generation cloud and network environments. We want to explore, how a service distribution can be improved by adopting machine learning concepts for infrastructure or service changes. Therefore, we show how federated machine learning is integrated into a cloud-to-fog-continuum without burdening single nodes.
This paper gives an overview of our recent activities in the field of satellite communication networks, including an introduction to geostationary satellite systems and Low Earth Orbit megaconstellations. To mitigate the high latencies of geostationary satellite networks, TCP-splitting Performance Enhancing Proxies are deployed. However, these cannot be applied in the case of encrypted transport headers as it is the case for VPNs or QUIC. We summarize performance evaluation results from multiple measurement campaigns. In a recently concluded project, multipath communication was used to combine the advantages of very heterogeneous communication paths: low data rate, low latency (e.g., DSL light) and high data rate, high latency (e.g., geostationary satellite).
Utilizing multiple access networks such as 5G, 4G, and Wi-Fi simultaneously can lead to increased robustness, resiliency, and capacity for mobile users. However, transparently implementing packet distribution over multiple paths within the core of the network faces multiple challenges including scalability to a large number of customers, low latency, and high-capacity packet processing requirements. In this paper, we offload congestion-aware multipath packet scheduling to a smartNIC. However, such hardware acceleration faces multiple challenges due to programming language and platform limitations. We implement different multipath schedulers in P4 with different complexity in order to cope with dynamically changing path capacities. Using testbed measurements, we show that our CMon scheduler, which monitors path congestion in the data plane and dynamically adjusts scheduling weights for the different paths based on path state information, can process more than 3.5 Mpps packets 25 μs latency.
Utilizing multiple access technologies such as 5G, 4G, and Wi-Fi within a coherent framework is currently standardized by 3GPP within 5G ATSSS. Indeed, distributing packets over multiple networks can lead to increased robustness, resiliency and capacity. A key part of such a framework is the multi-access proxy, which transparently distributes packets over multiple paths. As the proxy needs to serve thousands of customers, scalability and performance are crucial for operator deployments. In this paper, we leverage recent advancements in data plane programming, implement a multi-access proxy based on the MP-DCCP tunneling approach in P4 and hardware accelerate it by deploying the pipeline on a smartNIC. This is challenging due to the complex scheduling and congestion control operations involved. We present our pipeline and data structures design for congestion control and packet scheduling state management. Initial measurements in our testbed show that packet latency is in the range of 25 μs demonstrating the feasibility of our approach.
White Paper on Crowdsourced Network and QoE Measurements – Definitions, Use Cases and Challenges
(2020)
The goal of the white paper at hand is as follows. The definitions of the terms build a framework for discussions around the hype topic ‘crowdsourcing’. This serves as a basis for differentiation and a consistent view from different perspectives on crowdsourced network measurements, with the goal to provide a commonly accepted definition in the community. The focus is on the context of mobile and fixed network operators, but also on measurements of different layers (network, application, user layer). In addition, the white paper shows the value of crowdsourcing for selected use cases, e.g., to improve QoE or regulatory issues. Finally, the major challenges and issues for researchers and practitioners are highlighted.
This white paper is the outcome of the Würzburg seminar on “Crowdsourced Network and QoE Measurements” which took place from 25-26 September 2019 in Würzburg, Germany. International experts were invited from industry and academia. They are well known in their communities, having different backgrounds in crowdsourcing, mobile networks, network measurements, network performance, Quality of Service (QoS), and Quality of Experience (QoE). The discussions in the seminar focused on how crowdsourcing will support vendors, operators, and regulators to determine the Quality of Experience in new 5G networks that enable various new applications and network architectures. As a result of the discussions, the need for a white paper manifested, with the goal of providing a scientific discussion of the terms “crowdsourced network measurements” and “crowdsourced QoE measurements”, describing relevant use cases for such crowdsourced data, and its underlying challenges. During the seminar, those main topics were identified, intensively discussed in break-out groups, and brought back into the plenum several times. The outcome of the seminar is this white paper at hand which is – to our knowledge – the first one covering the topic of crowdsourced network and QoE measurements.