The introduction of the Internet of Things (IoT) and massive machine-type communications has implied an increase in network size and complexity. In particular, there is already a huge number of IoT devices in the market in various sectors, such as smart agriculture, smart city, smart home, smart transportation, etc. The IoT interconnectivity technologies are also increasing. Therefore, these are increasingly overwhelming the efforts of network administrators as they try to design, reconfigure and manage such networks. Relying on humans to manage such complex and dynamic networks is becoming unsustainable. Network automation promises to reduce the cost of administration and maintenance of network infrastructure, by offering networks the capability to manage themselves. Network automation is the ability of the network to manage itself. Various standardization organizations are taking the initiative in introducing network automation, such as European Telecommunication Standardization Institute (ETSI). ETSI is leading the standardization activities for network automation. It has provided different versions of reference architecture called generic autonomic network architecture (GANA), which describes a four-level abstraction for network-management decision elements (DEs), protocol level, function level, node level, and network level. In this article, we review and survey the existing works before and after the introduction of software-defined networking (SDN) and network-function-virtualization (NFV). We relate the main trending paradigms being followed, such as SDN, NFV, machine learning (ML), microservices, multiagent system (MAS), containerization, and cloudification, as a pivotal enabler of full network automation. We also discuss the autonomic architectures proposed in the literature. Finally, we presented possible future research directions and challenges that need to be tackled to progress in achieving full network automation.

A Theoretical Discussion and Survey of Network Automation for IoT: Challenges and Opportunity

Current advancements within the WiFi domain, such as network densification, traffic offloading, and IoT support, pave the way for increased user and operator satisfaction with future (5G and beyond) network deployments. However, without seamless coexistence of novel and legacy WiFi devices as well as between heterogeneous WiFi networks, the goal of ubiquitous and effortless wireless access may be delayed. In this article, we identify several future WiFi use cases based on current trends in the research community as well as developments within IEEE 802.11 and analyze the functionalities required in these use cases, taking into consideration two important aspects: coexistence between new and legacy WiFi devices, and inter-network interference. Through our research we show that, despite several identified shortcomings and open issues, WiFi will definitely be a crucial component of future network deployments.

Coexistence Issues in Future WiFi Networks

We propose a theoretical framework that highlights the most important consequences of complexity for the form and evolution of projects and use it to develop a typology of project complexity. This framework also enables us to deepen the understanding of how knowledge production and flexibility strategies enable project participants to address complexity. Based on this understanding, we advance a number of propositions regarding the strategies that can be most effective for different categories of complexity. These results contribute to the integration of various strands in the research on project complexity and provide a roadmap for further research on the strategies for addressing it.

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Strategies for managing the structural and dynamic consequences of project complexity

The advent of network softwarization is enabling multiple innovative solutions through software-defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV). Specifically, network softwarization paves the way for autonomic and intelligent networking, which has gained popularity in the research community. Along with the arrival of 5G and beyond, which interconnects billions of devices, the complexity of network management is significantly increasing both investments and operational costs. Autonomic networking is the creation of self-organizing, self-managing, and self-protecting networks, to afford the network management complexes and heterogeneous networks. To achieve full network automation, various aspects of networking need to be addressed. So, this article proposes a novel architecture for the multi-agent-based network automation of the network management system (MANA-NMS). The architecture rely on network function atomization , which defines atomic decision-making units. Such units could represent virtual network functions. These atomic units are autonomous and adaptive. First, the article presents a theoretical discussion of the challenges arisen by automating the decision-making process. Next, the proposed multi-agent system is presented along with its mathematical modeling. Finally, MANA-NMS architecture is mathematically evaluated from functionality, reliability, latency, and resource consumption performance perspectives.

Multi-Agent Based Autonomic Network Management Architecture

Smart Ubiquitous Networks for future telecommunication environments

Research efforts at network design in the area of Autonomic Networking and Self-Managing Networks have reached a maturity level that forms a strong foundation toward standardization of architectural principles of the Self-Managing Future Internet. Therefore, an Industry Specification Group (ISG) on Autonomic network engineering for the self-managing Future Internet (AFI) has been established under the auspices of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). Upon its creation, the main stakeholders agreed to harmonize the previous developments and the most recent trends in the very vital field of autonomic and self-managing networks. Particularly, the life cycle of AFI is structured by Work Items providing the foundation for ETSI Group Specifications. So far AFI has been focusing on scenarios, use cases, and requirements for the autonomic/selfmanaging Future Internet, as well as on architectural reference model for autonomic networking and self-management. Most recently, AFI has continued with a new Work Item on requirements analysis and specification of implementation-oriented solutions for autonomics and self-management. At the same time, as a part of the global ecosystem, AFI is establishing strategic liaisons with the standards developing organizations and research community.

Standardizing a reference model and autonomic network architectures for the self-managing future internet

To date, QoS solutions that have been developed are confined to enterprise networks due to the scalability problems in inter-domain QoS provisioning. Therefore implementing a service that guarantees end-to-end QoS across the Internet has yet to be fully realised. It is believed that such a service will need to evolve regionally, then nationally and, finally, on a global scale in the same way that the Internet became a global network. By developing such a system, regional and national Network Service Providers (NSP) can be influenced more easily to provide guaranteed QoS for its users, by enabling them to generate revenue from service differentiations in IP networks. Implementation of a QoS management framework is required in order to create end-to-end services across multiple administrative domains. Such a framework also offers easier integration of accounting, billing and security. A Differentiated Services (DiffServ) network alone is not sufficient to address the end-to-end guarantees in network layer service provision but, significantly, it does show great potential for scalability. In order to address the aforementioned problems, a centralised, QoS, management architecture has been proposed  called a Bandwidth Broker (BB). The implementation of a fully automated BB in a single administrative domain is outlined in this paper. The importance of implementing such a BB is ease of extendibility to any other QoS mechanisms such as IntServ and MPLS as well as concepts of Inter-domain QoS, Traffic Engineering, Policy QoS and Mobility Management with QoS. This paper does not intend to investigate those particular extended concepts and restricts implementation of the BB to a single DiffServ domain.

Implementation of a Simple Bandwidth Broker for DiffServ Networks

Management of outer edge domains is a big challenge for service providers due to the diversity, heterogeneity and large amount of such networks, together with limited visibility on their status. This paper focuses on the probabilistic fault diagnosis functionality developed in the MAGNETO project, which enables finding the most probable cause of service problems and thus triggering appropriate repair actions. Moreover, its self-learning capabilities allow continuously enhancing the accuracy of the diagnostic process.

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Probabilistic fault diagnosis in the MAGNETO autonomic control loop

For the most part, research efforts and studies have concentrated on operators' high-capacity core networks and complex access networks. Moving beyond the access network, however, toward the outer edge and into the domain of the end-user, it is clear that a unique and equally complex set of network management problems exists.

In this paper, we present the implementation of an autonomic framework that allows operators to manage the increasingly diverse range of resources, services, protocols and standards that exist in outer edge networks.

This framework consists of critical software components that allow nodes and devices to be monitored, processed, modeled and managed within Home Area Networks (HAN). A distributed event processing component, a service modeling component, a fault management component and an innovative device adaptation layer have been integrated on a proof-of-concept testbed and are organized to capture knowledge relating to network capabilities and to provide self-managing corrective actions.

Design of a HAN autonomic control loop

The objective of this paper is to outline an investigation into the performance of various applications using both Expedited Forwarding (EF) and Assured Forwarding (AF) classification of traffic. Applications will be run on a generic testbed and then, through the use of open source and commercial packages, the traffic will be monitored and a performance evaluation will be carried out of the DiffServ network and the services it provides.

Jesse Kielthy

Papers

Standardizing a reference model and autonomic network architectures for the self-managing future internet

Implementation of a Simple Bandwidth Broker for DiffServ Networks

Probabilistic fault diagnosis in the MAGNETO autonomic control loop

Design of a HAN autonomic control loop

An investigation into QoS provisioning in a DiffServ Network