Demo: Edge-based IPFS in a Disaggregated Mobile Core

Abstract

Over time, mobile communication networks have seen significant evolution. In the 5G generation, the rollout of the network requires network densification, due to the new data-hungry applications and an exponential number of new devices. The idea of a smart city, a technologically advanced metropolitan area that gathers data to enhance the general quality of life of its residents, also contributes to the densification topic. To provide content for this increased number of end-users, Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) appear as a promising solution: by distributing the content through multiple end-nodes that are near the user, they are capable to deliver content with low latency, over intermittent connections, leading to a reduction in the use of the network backhaul. This work focuses on the architecture for 5G networks with Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) to be used in smart cities. By using User Plane Function (UPF) selection, the Control User Plane Separation (CUPS) concept has enabled the disaggregation of the Core Network (CN). Thus, a CDN was deployed in the private 5G network using the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) protocol, to evaluate the proposed approach. The demo presented in this paper shows the integration of IPFS intelligence with the CN, more specifically in the desirable UPF, and it also approaches the idea of an Application Function (AF).