GANSO: Automate Network Slicing at the Transport Network Interconnecting the Edge

Abstract

5G and Edge computing are two technologies set to impose a paradigm shift from today's traditional networking solutions. In particular, transport networks, which connect distinct computing infrastructures, must guarantee a wide range of performance requirements from coexisting network services. 5G network slicing enables such capability by providing the flexibility to support multiple and isolated virtual networks over the same and shared infrastructure. This paper introduces the GST And Network Slice Operator (GANSO) framework for automating the creation of network slices over SDN architectures, focusing on transport networks interconnecting Edge data centers. To characterise the type of network slice to be deployed, it uses Generic network Slice Templates (GSTs). Initially, five GST attributes are implemented in a proof-of-concept prototype, namely through configurable User Data Access and Rate Limit parameters. It is then validated in a scenario considering the instantiation of network slices over the transport network for different virtual applications hosted across the edge-to-cloud continuum.