Multi-access edge computing (MEC) is an emerging ecosystem, which aims at converging telecommunication and IT services, providing a cloud computing platform at the edge of the radio access network MEC offers storage and computational resources at the edge, reducing latency for mobile end users and utilizing more efficiently the mobile backhaul and core networks This paper introduces a survey on MEC and focuses on the fundamental key enabling technologies It elaborates MEC orchestration considering both individual services and a network of MEC platforms supporting mobility, bringing light into the different orchestration deployment options In addition, this paper analyzes the MEC reference architecture and main deployment scenarios, which offer multi-tenancy support for application developers, content providers, and third parties Finally, this paper overviews the current standardization activities and elaborates further on open research challenges

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On Multi-Access Edge Computing: A Survey of the Emerging 5G Network Edge Cloud Architecture and Orchestration

The fifth generation (5G) wireless communication networks are being deployed worldwide from 2020 and more capabilities are in the process of being standardized, such as mass connectivity, ultra-reliability, and guaranteed low latency. However, 5G will not meet all requirements of the future in 2030 and beyond, and sixth generation (6G) wireless communication networks are expected to provide global coverage, enhanced spectral/energy/cost efficiency, better intelligence level and security, etc. To meet these requirements, 6G networks will rely on new enabling technologies, i.e., air interface and transmission technologies and novel network architecture, such as waveform design, multiple access, channel coding schemes, multi-antenna technologies, network slicing, cell-free architecture, and cloud/fog/edge computing. Our vision on 6G is that it will have four new paradigm shifts. First, to satisfy the requirement of global coverage, 6G will not be limited to terrestrial communication networks, which will need to be complemented with non-terrestrial networks such as satellite and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication networks, thus achieving a space-air-ground-sea integrated communication network. Second, all spectra will be fully explored to further increase data rates and connection density, including the sub-6 GHz, millimeter wave (mmWave), terahertz (THz), and optical frequency bands. Third, facing the big datasets generated by the use of extremely heterogeneous networks, diverse communication scenarios, large numbers of antennas, wide bandwidths, and new service requirements, 6G networks will enable a new range of smart applications with the aid of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data technologies. Fourth, network security will have to be strengthened when developing 6G networks. This article provides a comprehensive survey of recent advances and future trends in these four aspects. Clearly, 6G with additional technical requirements beyond those of 5G will enable faster and further communications to the extent that the boundary between physical and cyber worlds disappears.

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Towards 6G wireless communication networks: vision, enabling technologies, and new paradigm shifts

Network slicing has been identified as the backbone of the rapidly evolving 5G technology. However, as its consolidation and standardization progress, there are no literatures that comprehensively discuss its key principles, enablers, and research challenges. This paper elaborates network slicing from an end-to-end perspective detailing its historical heritage, principal concepts, enabling technologies and solutions as well as the current standardization efforts. In particular, it overviews the diverse use cases and network requirements of network slicing, the pre-slicing era, considering RAN sharing as well as the end-to-end orchestration and management, encompassing the radio access, transport network and the core network. This paper also provides details of specific slicing solutions for each part of the 5G system. Finally, this paper identifies a number of open research challenges and provides recommendations toward potential solutions.

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Network Slicing and Softwarization: A Survey on Principles, Enabling Technologies, and Solutions

Network functions virtualization (NFV) is a new network architecture framework where network function that traditionally used dedicated hardware (middleboxes or network appliances) are now implemented in software that runs on top of general purpose hardware such as high volume server. NFV emerges as an initiative from the industry (network operators, carriers, and manufacturers) in order to increase the deployment flexibility and integration of new network services with increased agility within operator’s networks and to obtain significant reductions in operating expenditures and capital expenditures. NFV promotes virtualizing network functions such as transcoders, firewalls, and load balancers, among others, which were carried out by specialized hardware devices and migrating them to software-based appliances. One of the main challenges for the deployment of NFV is the resource allocation of demanded network services in NFV-based network infrastructures. This challenge has been called the NFV resource allocation (NFV-RA) problem. This paper presents a comprehensive state of the art of NFV-RA by introducing a novel classification of the main approaches that pose solutions to solve it. This paper also presents the research challenges that are still subject of future investigation in the NFV-RA realm.

Resource Allocation in NFV: A Comprehensive Survey

A Comprehensive Survey of Network Function Virtualization

New and different trends in networks have been promoted in recent years, among these, Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) has emerged as an initiative from the industry (manufacturers and network operators) in order to increase the flexibility of deployment and integration of new network services within operator's networks. This is achieved through the implementation of network functions such as firewalls, encryption, filtering, load balancing, among others, via software modules. The idea is to avoid using devices based in specific hardware appliances and increase return on investment. Transforming network functions in software allows to run them on different general purpose equipment that could be located in a variety of telecommunications infrastructure, including data centers, network nodes, and even in end-user facilities, also such network functions can be moved or migrated from one equipment to another easily without the need to install new specialized hardware. This article presents a state of the art on network functions virtualization, also it proposes a classification of the main projects that are working under this paradigm. Finally, use cases and future challenges in this area are discussed.

Network Functions Virtualization: A Survey

One of the main challenges for service providers when they try to deploy Network Function Virtualization based networks is to efficiently make use of substrate network resources to facilitate the design, delivery and operation of network services in a dynamic and scalable manner. This challenge is known as Network Function Virtualization Resource Allocation, which can be addressed in two stages called Service Function Chain Composition and Service Function Chain Embedding. The main objective of the first stage is to compose an optimized chain of Virtual Network Functions, which offers a complete network service. The second stage is responsible for the embedding of such network service onto a physical infrastructure based on virtualization technologies. In this paper, we propose a metaheuristic algorithm to face the scalability challenges of exact approaches, when solving the composition stage. The performance of our metaheuristic approach shows that large, complex and heterogeneous service requests can be processed in reasonable running times, finding better results compared with existing heuristics in the state of the art.

Juliver Gil Herrera

Papers

Resource Allocation in NFV: A Comprehensive Survey

Network Functions Virtualization: A Survey

Tabu Search For Service Function Chain Composition In NFV