5G network slicing using SDN and NFV: A survey of taxonomy, architectures and future challenges

The fifth-generation mobile initiative, 5G, is a tremendous and collective effort to specify, standardize, design, manufacture, and deploy the next cellular network generation. 5G networks will support demanding services such as enhanced Mobile Broadband, Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communications and massive Machine-Type Communications, which will require data rates of tens of Gbps, latencies of few milliseconds and connection densities of millions of devices per square kilometer. This survey presents the most significant use cases expected for 5G including their corresponding scenarios and traffic models. First, the paper analyzes the characteristics and requirements for 5G communications, considering aspects such as traffic volume, network deployments, and main performance targets. Secondly, emphasizing the definition of performance evaluation criteria for 5G technologies, the paper reviews related proposals from principal standards development organizations and industry alliances. Finally, well-defined and significant 5G use cases are provided. As a result, these guidelines will help and ease the performance evaluation of current and future 5G innovations, as well as the dimensioning of 5G future deployments.

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A Survey on 5G Usage Scenarios and Traffic Models

Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging technology that makes people’s lives smart by conquering a plethora of diverse application and service areas. In near future, the fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks provide the connectivity for this IoT ecosystem. It has been carefully designed to facilitate the exponential growth in the IoT field. Network slicing is one of the key technologies in the 5G architecture that has the ability to divide the physical network into multiple logical networks (i.e., slices) with different network characteristics. Therefore, network slicing is also a key enabler of realisation of IoT in 5G. Network slicing can satisfy the various networking demands by heterogeneous IoT applications via dedicated slices. In this survey, we present a comprehensive analysis of the exploitation of network slicing in IoT realisation. We discuss network slicing utilisation in different IoT application scenarios, along with the technical challenges that can be solved via network slicing. Furthermore, integration challenges and open research problems related to the network slicing in the IoT realisation are also discussed in this paper. Finally, we discuss the role of other emerging technologies and concepts, such as blockchain and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) in network slicing and IoT integration.

https://researchrepository.ucd.ie/bitstream/10197/12083/2/IEEE_COMST_Slicing___IoT_survey__Final_Submission__%20%281%29.pdf

Survey on Network Slicing for Internet of Things Realization in 5G Networks

With the continuous development of mobile communication technologies, Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has proposed related standards with the fifth generation mobile communication technology (5G), which marks the official start of the evolution from the current Long Term Evolution (LTE) system to the next generation mobile communication system (5GS). This paper makes a large number of contributions to the security aspects of 3GPP 5G networks. Firstly, we present an overview of the network architecture and security functionality of the 3GPP 5G networks. Subsequently, we focus on the new features and techniques including the support of massive Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Device to Device (D2D) communication, Vehicle to Everything (V2X) communication, and network slice, which incur the huge challenges for the security aspects in 3GPP 5G networks. Finally, we discuss in detail the security features, security requirements or security vulnerabilities, existing security solutions and some open research issues about the new features and techniques in 3GPP 5G network.

A Survey on Security Aspects for 3GPP 5G Networks

A new industrial revolution is undergoing, based on a number of technological paradigms. The will to foster and guide this phenomenon has been summarized in the expression “Industry 4.0” (I4.0). Initiatives under this term share the vision that many key technologies underlying Cyber-Physical Systems and Big Data Analytics are converging to a new distributed, highly automated, and highly dynamic production network , and that this process needs regulatory and cultural advancements to effectively and timely develop. In this work, we focus on the technological aspect only, highlighting the unprecedented complexity of I4.0 emerging from the scientific literature. While previous works have focused on one or up to four related enablers, we consider ten technological enablers, including besides the most cited Big Data, Internet of Things, and Cloud Computing, also others more rarely considered as Fog and Mobile Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Human-Computer Interaction, Robotics, down to the often overlooked, very recent, or taken for granted Open-Source Software, Blockchain, and the Internet. For each we explore the main characteristics in relation to I4.0 and its interdependencies with other enablers. Finally we provide a detailed analysis of challenges in leveraging each of the enablers in I4.0, evidencing possible roadblocks to be overcome and pointing at possible future directions of research. Our goal is to provide a reference for the experts in some of the technological fields involved, for a reconnaissance of integration and hybridization possibilities with other fields in the endeavor of I4.0, as well as for the laymen, for a high-level grasp of the variety (and often deep history) of the scientific research backing I4.0.

A Survey on Information and Communication Technologies for Industry 4.0: State-of-the-Art, Taxonomies, Perspectives, and Challenges

Future 5G mobile networks are expected to support network slicing, i.e. multiple virtual networks running on a common infrastructure. A virtual network, called network slice, may be created to support a specific communication service type, such as massive machine-type communication, or even a specific application, for example one single Internet of Things (IoT) application. Network slices may be created by an organization like a Mobile Network Operator (MNO) and rented out to 3rd-party organizations like enterprises. A prerequisite for running a highly sensitive service in a network slice is full isolation of the slice against all other users of the common network infrastructure. An industry vertical renting a slice for an Industry 4.0 application may even require isolation against the organizations providing the network infrastructure. In this paper, we introduce different novel provisioning models for 3rd-party slices and discuss their isolation properties. We conclude that network slices relying solely on common infrastructure cannot meet highest isolation requirements. We therefore introduce new network architecture deployment models which include 3rd-party-owned network infrastructure, and show how they can be used by 3rd-parties to implement highly secure mobile communication services.

Providing strong 5G mobile network slice isolation for highly sensitive third-party services

SDN and NFV gained significant momentum within the last years. Although widely used in research labs and cloud environments, SDN has not yet been deployed in mobile telecommunication networks. In this paper, we focus on use cases driving mobile network evolution towards cost-efficient IT-based solutions using standardized hardware and software-based concepts, such as SDN and NFV. Two SDN use cases for mobile networks are described. One deals with the disaggregation of mobile network gateways and the other with SDN-enabled security concepts and applications for mobile networks. Based on the SDN use cases, the paper highlights open issues and challenges for integrating IT concepts in future telecommunication networks.

SDN and NFV as Enabler for the Distributed Network Cloud

We argue for flexible network design as an architecture prototype for next generation networks. Such flexible design is developed by capitalizing on the concept of network function decomposition in conjunction with with its relation to network slicing. A detailed view of the proposed functional architecture is put forward, where the role of network function blocks for forming network slices with given requirements is underlined. We further highlight the impact of common architecture over multiple tenants and elaborate on the emerging multi-tenancy business models along with the resulting implications on security.

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Network slicing via function decomposition and flexible network design

A comprehensive set of security technology enablers will be critically required for communication systems for the 6G era of the 2030s. Trustworthiness must be assured across IoT, heterogenous cloud and networks, devices, sub-networks, and applications. The 6G threat vector will be defined by 6G architectural disaggregation, open interfaces and an environment with multiple stakeholders. Broadly decomposed into domains of cyber-resilience, privacy and trust and their respective intersection, we explore relevant security technology enablers including automated software creation and automated closed-loop security operation, privacy preserving technologies, hardware and cloud embedded anchors of trust, quantum-safe security, jamming protection and physical layer security as well as distributed ledger technologies. Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) as a key technology enabler will be pervasive and of pivotal relevance across the security technology stack and architecture. A novel vision for a trustworthy Secure Telecom Operation Map is developed as part of the automated closed loop operations paradigm.

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Security and Trust in the 6G Era

This paper describes the status of the 5G NORMA architecture after the second design iteration. It integrates the control and data layer functions developed in the project into a harmonized mobile network architecture, applying the paradigms of adaptive (de-) composition and allocation of network functions (NFs), programmable network control, and end-to-end network slicing. The paper depicts the design of a multi-service management & orchestration layer with dedicated interfaces for mobile network tenants. The security threats arising in virtualized multi-tenant networks are discussed and novel security solutions are presented. The architecture verification applies a methodology with three evaluation cases and the generic 5G services (eMBB, mMTC, and URLLC) to analyze to what extent the current architecture design meets the different requirements as defined in 5G NORMA and the overall ecosystem, including the 5G-PPP initiative and 3GPP.

Peter Schneider

Papers

Providing strong 5G mobile network slice isolation for highly sensitive third-party services

SDN and NFV as Enabler for the Distributed Network Cloud

Network slicing via function decomposition and flexible network design

Security and Trust in the 6G Era

5G NORMA: System architecture for programmable & multi-tenant 5G mobile networks