Future Networks – beyond Next Generation Networking - IEEE Xplore

ICTON 2008

25

Mo.B1.5

Future Networks – beyond Next Generation Networking Marian Marciniak, Senior Member, IEEE National Institute of Telecommunications, Department of Transmission and Optical Technologies 1 Szachowa Street, 04-894 Warsaw, Poland ABSTRACT Transparent optical networking enables mankind to share and interchange huge amounts of data at local, regional and global distances in real time. It is clear now that the Next Generation Networking is not a goal but an intermediate step rather towards the Future Networking. 1. INTRODUCTION The previous decade has upgraded optical fibre transmission with the transparency of the links resulting in a potential of long distance DWDM transmission with hundreds or thousands of independent transmission channels within a single fibre, enabling the aggregate transmission rate of terabit per second and beyond. Fixed and mobile communications will continue to converge coming years. Consequently, Next Generation Networks (NGN) have been deployed widely starting with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Study Period 2005-2008, and they will evolve towards The Network of The Future (i.e. other than NGN) under the next Study Period 2009-2012 as an activity lead by ITU-T Study Group 13. Ethernet, being originally a computer networking protocol, nowadays is able to unify long distance, metro and access networking into a single Network Of The Future [1]. The deployment of Fibre-To-The-Home in access observed in Japan, Korea, US and Europe will assure a broad bandwidth for the user at an affordable cost [2]. The expansion of Internet traffic worldwide forces the global communication community to shift from classical circuit switched, connection oriented networks to packet switched, connectionless transmission of data, with a strong interest in guarantees of the network reliability and availability as well as the security of the information and of the infrastructure, generalized mobility etc. It is generally but apparently erroneously accepted that the packet traffic should replace the circuit-switched traffic everywhere, provided the Quality of Service and security issues are resolved satisfactorily. In fact the Internet as being based on a ‘best-effort’ principle and carrying a traffic of a statistic nature is inherently vulnerable as Quality of Service and security are concerned. The rationale to keep circuit-switched connections at least for some real-time applications has been promoted by ourselves [3], and it is being recognised more widely recently [4]. 2. WHY FUTURE NETWORKS? New areas have emerged, e.g. IPTV, sensor networks, home networks, a need for interoperability of satellite with NGN and/or Future Networks, including full integration of the satellite transmission in public networks, taking account of emerging technologies and services. There are growing concerns with respect to: scalability/ubiquity, security/robustness, mobility, heterogeneity, Quality of Service (QoS), re-configurability, context-awareness, manageability, data-centric, network virtualization, economics, etc. A Future Network able to provide futuristic functionalities beyond the limitation of the current network including Internet, is getting a global attention. Three-dimensional approach Three dimensions of the Future Network objectives are: Scope, Depth, and Packaging. Dimension 1 – Scope includes: future Ubiquitous Networking environments (e.g. Ad-hoc networks including RFIDs and Sensors), use of IPv6, Home Network and service technology, new and converged transport technology. Dimension 2 – Depth aims to develop a technology capable to support control protocols (both service and transport control), service and application support platforms to enable convergence with relevant protocols aspects, media processing including codec(s), and other related issues. Dimension 3 – Packaging foresees various packages offered to the customer such as: service scenarios (e.g. Voice/Multimedia/Video/IPTV over NGN), Web based services using NGN, 3rd party (i.e. other than network operation and service provider) applications , U-health (U stands for ubiquitous), e-learning, etc. Network aspects - layered approach This approach is based on three layers, those are: − transport (access and core) layer, − transport control, service control layer, − and service/application support layer.

978-1-4244-2626-3/08/$25.00 ©2008 IEEE

Mo.B1.5

26

ICTON 2008

The approach is based on NGN principles, but it is not just limited to NGNs, rather directed to networks in general. 3. FUTURE NETWORK REQUIREMENTS A number of issues have to be resolved when introducing Future Networks. Those concern: Emerging services and capabilities in an evolving NGN, QoS enablement in the NGN, Convergence of third-Generation International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT-2000) and fixed networks, Impact of IPv6 to NGN, Public data networks, Packet forwarding and deep packet inspection for multiple services in packet-based networks and NGN environment, Security and identity management, Enabling COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) components in an open environment, and Distributed Services Networking (DSN). Considerations for Ubiquitous Networking should include Web-based networking as personalized IPTV service, Mobile Web, ID registration, location tracking and dynamic mobility control including security. This should include a reliable and secure sensor networking with novel devices such as RFIDs and sensors [5]. Packet based ubiquitous networks request for rules for a variety of connection types: − connection-oriented circuit-switched, − connection-oriented packet-switched, − and connectionless packet switched networks. Requirements for QoS enablement This issue involves a variety of transport technologies (Ethernet, IP and MPLS in the core; DSL, UMTS, WiFi, and WiMAX in the access) and terminal devices (phone, laptop, i-pod), and multiple administrative domains (e.g. home network and provider network), and finally mobility (moving) and nomadicity (changing location) of the user. Evolution towards integrated multi-service networks This concerns especially interworking of IP Television (IPTV) and Home Networks. The specific requirements are to efficiently carry narrow-band and broadband services of a fully integrated IP-based network across non-IP based networks (e.g. FR and ATM); to enable interworking between the NGN and the legacy networks, and to incorporate efficiently home networks (including their ability to support IPTV). Public Data Networks (PDN) Those should efficiently support packet based services over the transport network that provides connectivity using technologies such as Ethernet, T-MPLS mapping over SDH/OTN. The question to solve is how can the various aspects of the NGN services including IPTV, etc. (such as QoS, reliability, addressing, routing, naming, security/privacy) be accommodated in the PDN? Packet forwarding and Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) This is essential for multi-service delivery in packet-based networks. It is especially important for real-time multi-service (e.g. IPTV/VoIP) traffic as those applications are jitter, delay and packet loss sensitive. Identity Management (IdM) There is a need for: − Efficient support of subscriber services using common IdM infrastructure to support multiple applications including inter-network communications, − Ease of use and single sign-on / sign-off, Public Safety Services, International Emergency and Priority Services, Electronic Government (eGovernment) Services, Privacy/User Control of Personal Information (i.e. Protection of Personal Identifiable Information (PPII)). Security Public switched telephone networks (PSTNs) that use circuit based technology are relatively secure. Unfortunately, it is not so with Internet, and with packet networks in general. While there are several regional and global organizations working on various aspects of security, still their coordination and cooperation is difficult and challenging. Consequently, the efforts to secure packet infrastructures have been somewhat fragmented and event-driven. Till now there is not much success towards achieve the desired level of protection against threats. As the threats multiply, the countermeasure have to be undertaken at a global scale. Security of the Future Network involves protection of NGN infrastructure and resources (services and applications) including National Security and critical infrastructure protection, but also confidence of transactions and protection from Identity Theft. The specific questions are: − What are the security requirements of NGNs to effectively counter these threats? − How to define security architecture of Identity Management in NGN? − What are security requirements to Identity Management in NGN?

ICTON 2008

27

Mo.B1.5

− What new Recommendations are needed for supporting secure interoperability among different Circles of Trusts (CoT) in NGN? − What are security requirements of IPTV as its study evolves? COTS components A special requirements for enabling COTS (Commercial Off-the-Shelf) components in an open environment are driven by: - technology trends towards the use of open source operating systems (such as Linux), - availability of COTS components. NGN holds the promise of mix and match (plug and play) components and enabling services to be developed by third parties. It is necessary to elaborate a common approach that helps the customer to navigate through the appropriate interfaces and options to deliver an open and integrated communications platform using appropriate standards. Mobility management A number of issues have to be considered in order to: − determine what is needed to support global roaming and seamless mobility and delivery of services within or across networks for both IMT and NGN? − identify or define the user and operator’s perspective of mobility management capabilities for both IMT and NGN, − develop the architecture (interrelationship) and definition of the functional entities required to provide mobility management capabilities for both IMT and NGN, − allocate the functional entities to physical entities in order to determine which interfaces can use existing protocols or enhancements to existing protocols and which interfaces need protocol development for mobility management capabilities for both IMT and NGN. Service Scenarios are necessary for: − NGN based IPTV that converges traditional broadcasting services and telecommunication services over the NGN environment, − 3rd party services for ubiquitous environments, − Converged Number Portability (NP) Service, Converged Private Numbering Plan Service and Multimedia Conference (MultiCONF). 100/1000 Gb Ethernet Ethernet is now widely adopted for communications in local area networks and in metropolitan area networks. The Ethernet is facing the next evolutionary step towards 100 Gbit/s Ethernet, or 100GbE [6]. As communication system throughput doubles roughly every 2 years, this implies the following network throughput roadmap [7] 10 Gbps in 2007, 40 Gbps in 2011, 100 Gbps in 2014, 160 Gbps in 2015?, 640 Gbps in 2019? Some experts claim a standard for 1 Tb/s Ethernet will be need by 2012 [8]! As Ethernet becomes more prevalent, the issues related to the software, electronics, and optoelectronics need to be addressed. This becomes more evident for 100GbE, since that technology does not simply refer to high bit rate transmission at 100 Gbit/s, but also relates to switching, packet processing, and queuing and traffic management at 100 Gbit/s line rate. This is in parallel with a remarkable progress in transmission as 10 Gb/s and recently 40 Gb/s systems have become commercially deployed standards in optical networking, and multiplying the total aggregate capacity by an use of DWDM technology and transmitting simultaneously several wavelength channels. This has faced problems in view of fibre impairments, one of the most serious ones being fibre Polarisation Mode Dispersion, PMD. In particular, care has to be taken to minimise PMD coefficient when manufacturing the fibres and cables. 4. CONCLUSIONS & FINAL REMARKS It is obvious now the Network of the Future is at the door. It will be truly ubiquitous, bringing novel applications as IPTV, and Home Networks. Next Generation Networks are an intermediate step leading to the Future Network. It is necessary to provide a solution for applications requiring bandwidth beyond the existing capabilities. These include IPTV, downloading/uploading of large files at short time, internet exchanges, high performance computing and video-on-demand delivery. High bandwidth applications, such as video on demand and high performance computing justify the need for a 100/1000 Gb/s Ethernet. Indeed, even a personal computer will surpass 10 GHz computation speed in few years. Finally, we have to abandon the usual question ‘What in the hell will people do with omnipresent IP and terabit networking?’. Twenty years ago, when the optical fibres were revolutionising long distance communications, conservative people asked ‘Do we really need millions of phone calls at the same time?’. In 1829 equally conservative people asked looking at George Stephenson’s ‘Rocket’: ‘Do we really need 13 tons of

Mo.B1.5

28

ICTON 2008

coal travelling with a speed of 13 miles per hour?’ One can multiply such sort of questions: ‘Do we really need to fly at a 36,000 feet attitude?’, ‘What we have to do in the space?’. COST 291 success story advises the opening of new doors results in novel opportunities [9]. 5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author acknowledges cooperation with COST 291 Towards Digital Optical Networks (TDON) consortium, COST Action 293 Graphs and Algorithms in Telecommunications, (GRAAL), and with The International Telecommunication Union – Study Groups 13 and 15. Interactions with The International Electrotechnical Commission – Technical Committee 86 ‘Fibre Optics’, and The International Union of Radio Science – Commission D ‘Electronics and Photonics’ are acknowledged. This research has been partially supported by the State Committee for Scientific Research under COST/51/2006 national grant. REFERENCES [1] M. Marciniak, “100 Gb Ethernet over Fibre Networks– Reality and Challenges”, ICTON - 'Mediterranean Winter' 2007, Conference CD-Proceedings IEEE Catalog Number: CFP0733D-CDR, paper Sa1.3, 6 pages, Sousse, Tunisia, December 6-8, 2007. [2] P. Cochrane, “Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) Costs Are Now In!”, Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 96 no.2, pp. 195-197, February 2008. [3] M. Marciniak, “From circuit- to packet-switched or to hybrid network?”, 5th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks ICTON 2003, Workshop on All-Optical Routing, Invited Paper Mo.B2.5, Conference Proceedings, vol. 1, pp. 47-50, Warsaw, Poland, June 29 - July 3, 2003. [4] N.S. Rao, W.R. Wing, and J. Verrant, “Research networks revive interest in circuit switching”, Lightwave www.lightwaveonline.com, pp. 25-27, December 2007. [5] M. Marciniak, “Reliability for future ubiquitous network societies – challenges and opportunities”, Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks ICTON 2006, vol. 3 pp. 130-131, Nottingham, United Kingdom, June 18-22, 2006. [6] IEEE 802.3 Higher Speed Study Group tutorial: “An Overview: The Next Generation of Ethernet”, IEEE 802 Plenary, Atlanta, GA, November 12, 2007. [7] S. Muller, A. Bechtolsheim, A. Hendel, “HSSG Speeds and Feeds Reality Check”, January 2007, http://www.ieee802.org/3/hssg/public/jan07/muller_01_0107.pdf . [8] J. McDonough, “Moving Standards to 100 GbE and Beyond”, IEEE Applications & Practice, Online Magazine, VOL. 45 suppl. 3, pp. 6-9, November 2007. [9] M. Marciniak, “Emerging standards for 100 Gbit Ethernet access and beyond”, in: COST 291 Final Report, Editor: Ioannis Tomkos, Springer - LNCS series, accepted for publication.