Page 54 - Kaleidoscope Academic Conference Proceedings 2022
P. 54
2022 ITU Kaleidoscope Academic Conference
generate telecommands that can be directly executed by the e. Promoting network control automation
NOC and SOC, without requiring any transcoding. Network control and management automation is
essential to deal with the complexity of TN and NTN
4.3 Features convergence. This architecture framework supports
the development of data-oriented, closed-loop control
The architecture presented in this section possesses the mechanisms, leading to the automation of individual
following features, which play crucial roles in addressing and integrated network control functions.
several challenges of TN and NTN convergence, mainly
promoting the existence of multiple NTN operators and 5. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK
empowering richer end-to-end service provisioning than an
individual network operator can offer by using only its own This paper presented the scenarios and architectures of
resources. integrated and individual network control systems for TN
a. End-to-end network control and monitoring and NTN convergence. The integrated control system
In order to offer highly reliable and dependable architecture can accommodate various control functions for
ubiquitous communication services, while optimally the design and orchestration of end-to-end network services,
utilizing available computational and communication their performance monitoring, and resource control of both
resources, end-to-end network service control and TNs and NTNs. The content of this paper is related with
management is essential. This architecture integrates ITU-T Study Group 13, which is standardizing technologies
different network segments in the control plane and for the fixed, mobile and satellite convergence. It is also
enables their smooth convergence in the data plane for related with activities of other SDOs such as 3GPP and
offering high-quality communication services. ETSI.
b. End-to-end network resource sharing
Network resource sharing has been essential for In future work, we will extend this work with the detail
design of each functional component of the integrated
providing cost-effective communication services.
Thanks to NFV and SDN technologies and network control system architecture by making it compliant
standardized common interfaces, communication and with ETSI Zero-touch network and Service Management
computational resource sharing in virtualized data (ZSM) [18] and Open Source NFV Management and
Orchestration (MANO) [20]. We will develop an
networks and cloud computing infrastructures has
become a common practice recently. In the near experimental system for its validation and performance
future, NTN will also have to provide similar types of evaluation. We will also bring this research outcome to ITU
resource sharing capabilities so that satellite operators for standardization.
can share their NTN resources (e.g. ground stations Acknowledgement
and satellite interfaces) with many TN operators and
application service providers through standard control The authors are grateful to their colleagues Yuma Abe,
interfaces. This architecture is aimed at the Kentaro Ishizu, Amane Miura, and Morio Toyoshima for
development and standardization of such resource actively supporting this work.
sharing interfaces and functions.
c. Unified representation of resources REFERENCES
Different network segments or domains have different
kinds of resources in their focus for control and [1] V. P. Kafle, P. Martinez-Julia, and T. Miyazawa,
management. TN virtualized data networks are in “Automation of 5G network slice control functions
focus of the efficient management of computational with machine learning,” IEEE Communications
and storage resources while NTN are in focus of the Standards Magazine, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 54-62, 2019.
efficient management of RF link and GST resources.
These resources and their capabilities should be [2] K. Liolis et al., “Use cases and scenarios of 5G
represented by unified and standard expressions so integrated satellite‐terrestrial networks for enhanced
that they can be unambiguously identified and mobile broadband: The SaT5G approach,”
interpreted by the integrated network control system. International Journal of Satellite Communications
d. Technology-agnostic control operation and Networking, vol. 21, Issue 4, pp. 1-22, Nov. 2017.
For TN and NTN seamless convergence, technology-
agnostic control operations are essential. This [3] “Transcending connectivity,” SES White Paper, Sep.
architecture provides a framework in which various 2017.
TN and NTN domains can be plugged in through
standard interfaces. The availability of technology- [4] 5G ALL-STAR – “5G AgiLe and fLexible integration
agnostic control systems and open interfaces will of SaTellite And cellular,” EC Horizon 2020 Project,
promote free competitions among equipment https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/815323, visited on
th
manufacturers and vendors and attract new startups to 15 June 2022.
participate in innovative services creation and
marketing.
– 8 –