Introduction
The goal of the MONET department is to increase the flexibility whilst optimizing the performance of future heterogeneous and dynamic (wireless) networks by combining cloud computing, data networking and mobile networking design principles. This includes the integration of software-defined networking and network functions virtualization in the RAN, backhaul, and core towards a programmable, self-organized, and energy efficient network operation.
This goal is achieved by working on three main research lines: i) elastic mobile networks, which includes software-defined mobile networks and network resource virtualization, ii) big data for mobile networks, dealing with self-organized networks and cognitive network optimization, as well as the exploitation of network-level information to optimize processes external to the network, such those of a city or utility grids, and iii) sustainable mobile networks, which include energy efficient algorithms and nearly-zero energy networks that exploit harvested energy.
At the methodological level, two main tools are being developed by the MONET department. The open source ns-3 simulator is not only used as simulator, but also as emulator in our experimental proof-of-concepts. More specifically, the LTE network simulator/emulator (LENA), which has become the de facto standard in the research community for LTE simulations, also provides an LTE protocol stack for our experimental evaluations. The experimental work of the department is carried out over the EXTREME Testbed®, an SDN/NFV-based experimental framework for the evaluation of mobile network services, featuring a number of generic computing, storage, and networking elements to evaluate a wide range of scenarios of interest.
Scientific Publications & Patents
Journals
M. Portolés, J. Mangues, A. Krendzel, M. Requena, An evolutionary path for the evolved packet system, IEEE Communications Magazine, Vol. 53, No. 7, pp. 184-191, July 2015.
D. Zordan, M. Miozzo, P. Dini, M. Rossi, When Telecommunication Networks Meet Energy Grids: Cellular Networks with Energy Harvesting and Trading Capabilities, IEEE Communication Magazine, Vol. 53, No. 6, pp. 117 – 123, June 2015.
H. Y Lateef, A. Imran, M. A. Imran, L. Giupponi, M. Dohler, LTE Advanced Self-organizing Network conflicts and coordination algorithms, IEEE Wireless Communications Magazine, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 108-117, June 2015.
J. Moysen, L. Giupponi, Self-coordination of parameter conflicts in D-SON architectures: a Markov decision process framework, EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking, Vol. 2015, No. 1, March 2015.
J. Núñez, J. Baranda, J. Mangues, A self-organized backpressure routing scheme for dynamic small cell deployments, Ad Hoc Networks, Vol. 25 , No. A, pp. 130-140, February 2015.
S. Fowler, A. Omar Shahidullah, M. Osman, J. M. Karlsson, D. Yuan, Analytical evaluation of extended DRX with additional active cycles for light traffic, Elsevier Computer Network, Vol. 77, pp. 90-102, February 2015.
J. Núñez, J. Baranda, J. Mangues, Experimental evaluation of self-organized backpressure routing in a wireless mesh backhaul of small cells, Elsevier Ad Hoc Networks, Vol. 24 Part B, No. 0, pp. 103-114, January 2015.
Conferences
J. Núñez, J. Baranda, J. Mangues, A Service-based model for the Hybrid Software Defined Wireless Mesh Backhaul of Small Cells, in Proceedings of the 2nd International Workshop on Management of SDN and NFV Systems (ManSDN/NFV), in conjunction with 11th International Conference on Network and Service Management (CNSM15), 09-13 November 2015, Barcelona (Spain).
J. Baranda, J. Núñez, J. Mangues, BP-MR: Backpressure Routing for the Heterogeneous Multi-Radio Backhaul of Small Cells, in Proceedings of the 8th IFIP Wireless and Mobile Networking Conference (WMNC 2015), 5-7 October 2015, Munich (Germany).
R. Muñoz, R. Vilalta, C. Verikoukis, J. Mangues, J. Alonso-Zarate, A. Georgiadis, M. Payaro, R. Casellas, R. Martínez, J. Serra, D. Pubill, J. Núñez, J. Baranda, F. Vázquez-Gallego, A. I. Pérez-Neira, The CTTC 5G end-to-end experimental platform integrating IoT, SDN, and distributed cloud, in Proceedings of Wireless World Research Forum Meeting 35 (WWRF), 14-16 October 2015, Copenhagen (Denmark).
A. Dudnikova, P. Dini, L. Giupponi, D. Panno, Fuzzy Multiple Criteria Switch Off Method for Dense Heterogeneous Networks, in Proceedings of the 20th IEEE International Workshop on Computer Aided Modelling and Design of Communication Links and Networks (CAMAD 2015), 7-9 September 2015, Guildford (UK).
J. Moysen, N. Baldo, L. Giupponi, J. Mangues, Predicting QoS in LTE HetNets based on location-independent UE measurements, in Proceedings of 20th IEEE International Workshop on Computer Aided Modelling and Design of Communication Links and Networks, 7-9 September 2015, Guildford (UK).
S. Dzulkufly, L. Giupponi, F. Said, M. Dohler, Decentralized Q-Learning for Uplink Power Control, in Proceedings of 2015 IEEE 20th International Workshop on Computer Aided Modeling and Design of Communication Links and Networks (IEEE CAMAD 2015), 7-9 September 2015, Guilford (UK).
Z. Ali, N. Baldo, J. Mangues, L. Giupponi, Simulating LTE mobility management in presence of coverage holes with ns-3, In Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Simulation Tools and Techniques (SIMUTools ’15), August 2015, 24-26 August, Athens, Greece.
D. Abrignani, L. Giupponi, A. Lodi, R. Verdone, Scheduling M2M Traffic over the LTE Uplink of a dense Small Cell Network, in Proceedings of Twelfth International Symposium on Wireless Communication Systems (IEEE ISWCS 2015), 25-28 August 2015, Brussels (Belgium).
R. Muñoz, J. Mangues, N. Bartzoudis, R. Vilalta, R. Martínez, R. Casellas, N. Baldo, J. Núñez, M. Requena, O. Font-Bach, M. Miozzo, P. Henarejos, A. I. Pérez-Neira, M. Payaro, End-to-end 5G services via an SDN/NFV-based multi-tenant network and cloud testbed, in Proceedings of European Conference on Networks and Communications (EUCNC 2015) , 29-2 July 2015, Paris (France).
A. Dudnikova, P. Dini, L. Giupponi, D. Panno, Multi?Criteria Decision for Small Cell Switch Off in Ultra?Dense LTE Network, in Proceedings of International Conference on Telecommunications (ConTel 2015), 13-15 July 2015, Graz (Austria).
M. Miozzo, L. Giupponi, M. Rossi, P. Dini, Smart Energy Management in Mobile Networks Powered with Renewable Energies, in Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on Energy Challenges and Mechanics (ECM3), 7-9 July 2015, Scotland (UK).
J. Baranda, J. Núñez, J. Mangues, Applying backpressure to balance resource usage in software-defined wireless backhauls, In Proceedings of IEEE Workshop on Next Generation Backhaul/Fronthaul Networks (BackNets 2015), ?In conjunction with IEEE ICC 2015, 8-12 June 2015, London (UK).
M. Miozzo, L. Giupponi, M. Rossi, P. Dini, Distributed Q-Learning for Energy Harvesting Heterogeneous Networks, in Proceedings of 2015 IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC2015), 8-12 June 2015, London (UK).
J. Moysen, L. Giupponi, Self Coordination among SON functions in LTE Heterogeneous Networks, in Proceedings of 2015 IEEE 81st Vehicular Technology Conference: VTC2015-Spring, 11-14 May 2015, Glasgow (Scotland).
P. Gaw?owicz, N. Baldo, M. Miozzo, An Extension of the ns-3 LTE Module to Simulate Fractional Frequency Reuse Algorithms, in Proceedings of the Workshop on ns-3 (WNS3), 13-14 May 2015, Castelldefls (Spain).
R. Muñoz, J. Mangues, N. Bartzoudis, R. Vilalta, R. Martínez, R. Casellas, N. Baldo, J. Núñez, M. Requena, O. Font-Bach, M. Payaro, P. Henarejos, A. I. Pérez-Neira, Towards an SDN/NFV-based multi-tenant network and cloud testbed for end-to-end 5G services, In Proceedings of 34th Wireless World Research Forum Meeting, 21-23 April 2015, Santa Clara, California (USA).
Patents
J. Nin, P. Dini, C. Antón-Haro, J. Mangues, FEMTO-TOLL. A femtocell-based toll collection system , International Application Nº: PCT/EP2011/063595.
M. Portolés, A. Krendzel, J. Mangues, Method and System for Measuring Quality of Networking Nodes , Granted patent: USA 8.295.179, EP2188947.