An Architecture for Creating Slices to Experiment on Wireless Networks
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(2021) 29:1
An Architecture for Creating Slices to Experiment on Wireless Networks Barbara Valera‑Muros1 · Laura Panizo1 · Alvaro Rios1 · Pedro Merino‑Gomez1 Received: 23 April 2020 / Revised: 22 July 2020 / Accepted: 25 September 2020 © The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Researchers in mobile technologies and services are currently requesting testbeds to validate their proposals in a realistic large-scale and controlled environment. Such demands are some times satisfied with private ad-hoc deployments in a given area of coverage. However, given national regulations related to the use of the spectrum and the cost of deployments, these solutions are not feasible for most researchers. In this paper, we introduce the architecture of the research infrastructure developed in the EuWireless project. EuWireless’ objective is to provide private networks that can be dynamically created as slices with different levels of configuration and control, as a cost-effective way to access large-scale testbeds with a licensed spectrum even in different countries. The paper focuses on the architecture of the Point of Presence, the key element in the EuWireless project, and how it will work in practice. We also present a proof of concept implementation that satisfies some of the design objectives and demonstrates the feasibility of the proposal. Keywords 5G · Private network · Research infrastructure · Slice
1 Introduction This paper discusses how to implement private networks for research projects avoiding the investment in ad-hoc equipment. The motivation behind this objective is the increasing need of many researchers and small companies to have access to mobile networks with full control for a short period of time. For a few days, they need access with the capability to configure specific radio parameters, to change core network configurations or to deploy services in specific network locations. However, as licensed spectrum is usually only available for commercial Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), the commercial equipment needed to set up mobile networks is only offered to MNOs, and researchers do not even have the opportunity to pay for them. * Barbara Valera‑Muros [email protected] 1
ITIS Software, Universidad de Málaga, Malaga 29010, Spain
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Journal of Network and Systems Management
(2021) 29:1
This option is only feasible in a few countries, where spectrum is offered for experimentation in specific areas, like university campuses. But even in such cases, the cost of deploying and operating a network is not negligible and is not the best solution for public research institutes or small companies when they only need to deploy such infrastructure for short time experimentation. This problem has already been addressed in several research projects, where large research infrastructures are offered to external experimenters through the open calls approach. For instance, the ITIS Software1 research institute is operating the TRIANGLE and 5GENESIS [1–3] platforms at University of Malaga and has
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