Project Objectives

The main objective of the Towards zeRo toUch nEtwork and services for beyond 5G (TRUE5G) project is to create, develop, and test a smart ecosystem for 5G and beyond, formed by a set of new procedures, algorithms, technologies, and mathematical tools for advanced system configuration and automation that leads to the zero-touch paradigm.

The envisioned capabilities utilize machine learning techniques and artificial intelligence to manage multi-technology, multi-provider, and multi-tenant environments with optimal resource allocation (carriers, frequency bands, wavelengths, cells, links, computation, location, energy, etc.). This approach will allow the automation and self-orchestration of end-to-end slices over a heterogeneous infrastructure, suitable for verticals with stringent requirements such as critical situations, high user density, increased bandwidth, security, isolation, and low latency.

Such envisioned smart environment will be partially deployed and tested, based on three verticals, which are based on an extension of the platform developed in the previous 5GCITY project that currently interconnects (through RedIRIS) the research teams involved in this proposal (https://5gcity.upc.edu/en). 

Objective 1: Smart network slicing management. The main contribution of this objective is to provide the design of an architectural framework for the management and orchestration of E2E network slices. The solution will incorporate the design of deployment templates, which will translate specific service requirements into slice resource requirements. This objective will also develop multi-objective optimization algorithms for self-adapting radio and virtual resources to a network slice, depending on the variation of traffic demands. Finally, this objective also comprises the development of algorithms to optimize slice scaling based on machine learning techniques. 

Objective 2: Design a dynamic multi-domain and multi-technology service orchestration. This objective contributes to strategic priority II, with the development of enhancements and solutions to support the provision of end-to-end 5G services, considering the fundamental aspects of multi-domain and multi-technology orchestration. Moreover, this objective addresses specific developments in the edge and access network domain segments, where resource-constrained nomadic platforms and nanonetworks could support performant mobility-based services to the end user. Finally, the developments implemented as part of this objective will be contributed to the corresponding upstream software projects, particularly Open Source MANO and OpenStack.

Objective 3: RAN management and orchestration. 5G access networks will consist of multiple radio access technologies that must be efficiently orchestrated to fulfill the promise of ultra-high bandwidth and pervasive connectivity. This objective focuses on RAN management and orchestration considering multi-technology access networks, including WiFi and 5G New Radio, while investigating optimal co-existence and spectrum sharing for improved efficiency. Furthermore, this objective targets the software control plane, PON, TSN, and PTP resource allocation algorithms, and cross-domain coordination mechanisms between access and core networks. The results of this objective will impact and facilitate the ongoing research on efficient and optimal orchestration of multi-technology RAN resources in 5G networks.

Objective 4: The main contribution of this objective will be developing a decentralized intelligence environment on an SDN/NFV/MEC-based multi-operator, multi-technology, multi-tenant for 5G and beyond networks. This environment will be based on the distribution of learning and reasoning among the end nodes of the network and the cloud allocated in the backbone. The proposed solution will meet the required metrics of dynamic services that will emerge as a result of new applications and verticals. The core of this contribution will be based on an automated and dynamic VNF reallocation and the development of AI-based VNF
placement algorithms to support it.

Objective 5: Efficient and secure 5G core. The main result of this objective will be an improved 5G core architecture from the security and performance points of view. This will be achieved by proposing new in-network computing mechanisms that will perform security-related functions at the data plane level, improving efficiency and reducing the vulnerability scope. Additionally, a slicing approach based on security features will also be developed. It will be designed, prototyped, and tested as an efficient and secure VNF networking solution based on RINA. Finally, this objective will develop efficient bridging mechanisms between slices
in different domains, such as Industry 4.0 scenarios where slices running industrial protocols must be bridged to the Ethernet/IP world. Therefore, this objective contributes to the efficient and secure integration of heterogeneous networks like the industrial ones into a fully-fledged native 5G infrastructure to develop new working paradigms.

Objective 6: Automated and smart software rollouts: automotive, entertainment, and Industry 4.0 use cases. The work in Objective 6 contributes to strategic priority III, exploring the potential of the technologies developed in TRUE5G to support the implementation of vertical-specific services. This work will be carried out in collaboration with relevant stakeholders of three vertical sectors (automotive, entertainment, and Industry 4.0), who have expressed interest in participating and exploiting the project results. The realization of Objective 6 will help identify synergies between the vertical and the TIC domains, and it is expected to serve as an enabler to validate TRUE5G solutions and produce valuable lessons learned and best current practices that could be used as blueprints to foster the integration of other vertical sectors into the 5G arena.

Keywords: Smart Networks and Services, Network Automation, Multi-Domain Orchestration, Adaptive Slicing, Security, Machine Learning, Energy awareness, 5G and Beyond, Zero-Touch network, Vertical Services.