Int. J. Electron. Commun. (AE) 60 (2006) 116 124 www.elsevier.

de/aeue

Resource management in next generation networks

Jrgen Schrder , Martin Gtzer, Ronald Mller
Marconi Communications GmbH, Gerberstrae 33, 71522 Backnang, Germany

Abstract Today telecommunication services are provided by different dedicated specialised networks: the plain old telephone network, packet data networks, leased line networks, etc. Next Generation Networks (NGNs) are intended to provide all services by the use of one unied architecture. NGNs will provide the common framework. 2005 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Bandwidth management; Next Generation Network; Service integration

1. Introduction
The networking situation today is characterised by various independent networks delivering different types of services. All these networks provide characteristic features like high reliability, quality of service, guaranteed bandwidth etc. Next Generation Networks (NGNs) are designed to deliver all services by the use of one single network architecture and therefore are forced to provide a common denominator of todays networks characteristics. Migration towards a unied network architecture providing all features is required in order to reduce cost and to easily deliver new services and applications. Already todays networks are interconnected by gateways providing one network view. Some examples are: Access to the Internet by the Public Switched Telephony Network (PSTN), Remote Access Dial-Up Server (RADIUS) servers and modems, access via the PSTN to data networks, or access via the Internet and Voice over Internet Protocol (IP) to the PSTN for voice services. So why supporting, maintaining and managing all the existing different network architectures, why not move to a next generation architecture, able to deliver all services? The main issue is certainly that network providers revenue is mainly generated with services provided over the existing old fashioned networks. Subscribers are paying for high reliability, high availability, guaranteed quality, etc.

It is a great pleasure for us to contribute to this special issue in honour of Prof Dr.-Ing Dr. H.C. Mult. Paul J. Kuehn on his 65th birthday. Martin Gtzer and Jrgen Schrder both were Ph.D. students at Paul Khns Institute of Communication Networks and Computer Engineering. Those years as his students were very exciting and key to our personal success and career and we are very grateful for the opportunity to have worked with him. Abbreviations: ADSL, Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line; ATM, Asynchronous Transfer Mode; BRAS, Broadband Remote Access Server; ETSI, European Telecommunications Standards Institute; GSM, Global System for Mobile communications; HDTV, High Denition Television; IP, Internet Protocol; IS-IS, Intermediate System to Intermediate System (protocol); ISDN, Integrated Services Digital Network; ISP, Internet Service Provider; MPLS, Multi-Protocol Label Switching; MSAN, Multi Service Access Node; NASS, Network Attachment Subsystem; NGN, Next Generation Network; LAN, Local Area Network; OSPF, Open Shortest Path First (protocol); PNNI, Private Network-to-Network Interface; PSTN, Public Switched Telephony Network; QoS, Quality of Service; RACS, Resource and Admission Control Subsystem; RADIUS, Remote Access Dial-Up Server; RSVP, Resource Reservation Protocol; SDH, Synchronous Digital Hierarchy; SIM, Subscriber Identication Module; SNMP, Simple Network Management Protocol; TDM, Time Division Multiplex; TISPAN, Telecoms & Internet converged Services & Protocols for Advanced Networks; UMTS, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System; VC, Virtual Connection; VDSL, Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line; VLAN, Virtual LAN; WAN, Wide Area Network Corresponding author. Tel.: +49 7191/13 2506; fax: +49 7191/13 4150. E-mail address: juergen.schroeder@marconi.com (J. Schrder). 1434-8411/$ - see front matter doi:10.1016/j.aeue.2005.11.012 2005 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

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Mobile Networks (GSM, UMTS) PSTN Leased Line Network Data Network Cable Network Internet

2. Next Generation Network (NGN) architecture model

The NGN architecture model is based on the NGN functional architecture dened by ETSI TISPAN [1]. This architecture is in line with the ITU-T general reference model for NGNs [2] and comprises a service layer and a transport layer. The modular subsystem-oriented approach allows the introduction of additional subsystems in future releases to meet new requirements and enable new application types. It also provides exibility to import and adapt subsystems dened by other standardisation groups. The transport layer of the NGN architecture is based on the IP. It should be noted that the NGN architecture described in this paper considers only those functional entities in the transport layer which may interact with entities in the transport control sublayer or the service layer. Details of the IP forwarding and routing functions as well as details of any lower layer transport functions needed to provide packet transport over relevant distances are outside the scope of this paper. Subscriber access to the NGN is granted at the NGN edge, which can be a Multi-Service Access Node (MSAN). Interconnection to other networks, including Internet Service Providers (ISP) networks or to the existing Time Division Multiplex (TDM)-based PSTN, is provided by gateways. Information transport within the transport layer is packet based. The transport layer includes a transport control entity. Fig. 2 illustrates the NGN architecture model. The transport control sublayer comprises two subsystems: The Resource and Admission Control Subsystem (RACS) and the Network Attachment Subsystem (NASS). The NASS provides all functions necessary to identify and authorise the customer and congure the subscriber line. Subscribers connected by a MSAN to the NGN can be identied by the physical connection they are attached to. Subscribers connected by a mobile terminal are identied by their Subscriber Identication Module (SIM) Card. Successful identication authorises subscribers to access the NGN. Access to the NGN allows the request for services. The NASS allocates the IP addresses to the subscribers. Access network conguration, e.g. conguration of the Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) lines to the subscriber is part of the NASS functionality as well. Service requests generated by subscribers with authorised access to the NGN are handled by the RACS. After receiving a service request from a subscriber, the RACS checks the availability of network resources in order to provide the requested service with guaranteed quality. Therefore the RACS is required to have information about the network conguration and actual usage of the network resources. Policies can be introduced that further restrict access to network resources. The service layer uses the transport layer to deliver telecommunication services. Application subsystems within the service layer provide functions in order to realise

Fig. 1. Todays telecommunication services are delivered by separate networks. In order to provide better access or to provide applications based on service combinations, networks are interconnected by gateways. Each network type comprises own management, maintenance, and operation.

The NGN architecture as dened by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) in the Telecoms & Internet converged Services & Protocols for Advanced Networks (TISPAN) technical committee [1] is based on the idea to deliver all services using a common packet transport network based on the IP. This will reduce network operating and administration cost signicantly (Fig. 1). In order to deliver guaranteed service availability, high reliability, and guaranteed bandwidth on dedicated services, resources need to be allocated on demand to the services. This can be achieved either by over-provisioning the network in a way that no congestion will be experienced, or by introducing mechanisms allowing control over the resources, or by an appropriate mix of both principles. Bandwidth requirements for services to be provided by the NGN vary to a great extent, as can be seen by comparing the following examples: Video broadcasting (High Denition Television (HDTV) quality, 810 Mbit/s unidirectional per channel) Voice over IP ( < 100 kbit/s bidirectional) 2 Mbit/s leased line (constant bit rate, low delay, 99.999% availability) Best effort Internet access. Subscribers are not willing to pay a lot for pure bandwidth, but for some services which require Quality of Service (QoS). In order to provide all services over one single network a resource management system is required. The next section provides more details about a very promising NGN architecture. In Section 3 resource management methods will be discussed. A bandwidth management architecture will follow in Section 4. A short summary and an outlook in Section 5 will conclude the paper.

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Service Layer
Applications
Subsystem #1 Subsystem #2 Subsystem #N

POTS/ISDN Emulation

Residential Internet Access

Network Attachment Subsystem (NASS)

Resource and Admission Control Subsystem (RACS)

Transport Control

MSAN

PSTN Gateway

PSTN

MSAN

IP Network
IP Gateway

ISP networks

MSAN

Transport Layer

Fig. 2. Next Generation Network Architecture Model.

Internet Access Subsystem NASS NASS instance Access Relay Layer 2 termination RACS RACS instance

Point-to-point session Point-to-point session Point-to-point session

Core Border Gateway

Interconnection Border Gateway

MSAN

MSAN

Backhaul Network

Internet

MSAN

BRAS

IP

Fig. 3. Broadband Access is the starting point for the migration towards the NGN.

telecommunication applications. It is possible to have several subsystems, even with identical functionality, provided by different service providers. Applications are using the functions offered by the subsystems in order to deliver combined services. As an example, an application providing a triple play service might use the PSTN/Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Emulation Subsystem, the Residential Internet Access Subsystem, the Video on Demand Subsystem and the Video and Audio Broadcast Subsystem. In principle, the functional architecture of the NGN described above is already implemented in todays broadband

access architecture as illustrated in Fig. 3. All the functions described above are provided by an entity what is typically called a Broadband Remote Access Server (BRAS) or a Broadband Remote Access Router: Termination of the layer 2 procedures of the access network. Access relay function (e.g. DHCP relay). Border Gateway functions: packet ltering, resource control enforcement, address translation, packet marking, usage metering, etc.

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L2 Termination Function Access Relay Function BorderGW Function Multicast Proxy

Policy Control Admission control Resource reservation

RACS NASS Platform Control

Address allocation User authentication Authorisation of access Access network configuration Call handling Session Control Gateway Control Interconnection BorderGW Function

NGN Edge Application Subsystems

GigE MSAN GigE

MSAN

Ethernet Switched Network IP Routing Packet Transport Network

GigE IP Gateway

Internet

MSAN

IP

DiffServ-enabled IP-based Network

Fig. 4. Functional Split within a Next Generation Network (NGN).

NASS functions: dynamic allocation of IP addresses and other terminal conguration parameters, authentication of users, authorisation of network access, etc. RACS functions: policy control, admission control, resource reservation. The main difference is that those functions are not distributed to the edges of the network, and that the BRAS is managed and controlled by one single network provider only. The drawbacks of that architecture are obvious. The resources within the backhaul network are shared and not managed. Priority mechanisms to distinguish services are not available. Contention and congestion within the backhaul network can be expected, especially with the increasing bit rates on the subscriber links possible by the use of ADSL 2+, Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) or even Fibre to the Home (FttH) solutions provided out of the MSANs. The required functions of a NGN need to be split over the network and implemented on the most appropriate location. Layer 2 Termination, Access Relay (communicates with the NASS for authentication, authorisation of a subscriber), Border Gateway and Multicast Proxy functions need to be installed in the MSAN node at the NGN edge. The IP Network is required to handle differentiated services. The transport control functions, the applications and application subsystem functions might be geographically distributed over the whole network. Fig. 4 illustrates these requirements.

3. Resource management methods

3.1. Resource model
Resource management requires up-to-date information about the network resource usage. Two approaches for resource modelling are possible: distributed and centralised. The distributed approach requires each network element to have its own transport control entity. This comprises a signalling engine in order to communicate with other network elements, a transport model of the network element and a database containing the current status of the network element. Examples are Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) nodes with Private Network-to-Network Interface (PNNI) signalling or IP nodes with Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP). Fig. 5 illustrates the distributed per-node approach. The centralised approach simplies the network elements, because a signalling engine and a database are no longer required per node. The signalling trafc within the network is reduced. The database capturing the actual network usage information is not distributed and therefore simpler to be kept consistent. For the resource modelling of the network two variants are possible: Proxy approach, i.e. the transport control sublayer maintains separate resource models for each individual node in the domain. Complete comprehensive network model.

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Node
Signalling Engine Node Model

Transport Control

Transport Layer

Fig. 5. Distributed approach: each node maintains a model of its resources.

Fig. 6 illustrates the centralised approach for the proxy option.

3.2. Resource control options

The subscriber attached to a resource managed NGN obtains access to the network after authentication and authorisation by the NASS. To use a network application, it needs to be requested from a server offering the application. After that different mechanisms to provide access to the application are possible. In the following, two resource management control options will be described in more detail: User-driven resource management. Application driven resource management.

The user-driven resource management follows the idea that after the service conrmation from the application server is received the user requests the required network resources from the network. The scenario for resource allocation corresponds to the distributed approach described above and requires mechanisms similar to the hop-by-hop signalling in ATM networks (e.g. using ATM UNI and/or PNNI signalling). Requests for resources and the adjacent responses are travelling through the network, from node to node. When the required connection has been established, the transport ow for the application can start. Fig. 7 illustrates this approach. Signalling trafc is critical, the network nodes require substantial intelligence to handle signalling and resource management. The application-driven approach is illustrated by Fig. 8. The subscriber requests a service from the application server. The applications server requests the network resources from the central resource manager. After positive conrmation about the availability and the reservation of the required network resources from the resource manager, the application server conrms the availability of the service to the subscriber. Then the subscriber can start to use the service. The advantages of this approach are obvious: less signalling ow between the involved network nodes, centralised data base, the subscriber is not involved in any transport control issues. In addition to these advantages, the installation effort on the subscribers side to provide access to new services is minor und expected to be less complicated. Billing in this case is easier. The subscriber will receive one bill from the application provider. All the transport services used will be paid for by the application provider real integrated service.

Transport Control
Signalling Engine Node Model Node Model Node Model

Node

Node

Node

Transport Layer

Transport Layer

Transport Layer

Fig. 6. Centralised approach (proxy option).

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Fig. 7. User-driven resource management control.

Request

Application Server

Request

Response

Response

Resource Manager Network Model

Transport Flow

Network

Fig. 8. Application-driven resource management control.

3.3. Policy enforcement

As discussed above, resource management requires a network model in order to assign network resources to applications. Resources are requested and granted according to a trafc contract that reects the resource requirements of an application. The usage of the network resources by an application needs to be monitored and in case the trafc contract is violated, e.g. the use of higher bandwidth than negotiated, the excess trafc must be restricted according to the policy or even the application needs to be terminated. Misuse of network resources can occur only at the edges of the network, assuming that the nodes within the network are under the control of the operator and behave as expected. Therefore trafc policy has to be enforced at the subscriber side edge and at the gateways to other networks on a per-connection

basis, as illustrated in Fig. 9. As a result, the network in total will behave as expected and modelled.

4. Bandwidth management architecture

The bandwidth manager architecture is shown in Fig. 10. The bandwidth manager works with a centralised model of the network. Network topology and status information is gathered by monitoring the routing protocol ow (Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), Intermediate System to Intermediate System (protocol) (ISIS)), requesting information from the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) databases of the network nodes and from the Network Management system. The bandwidth manager controls the policy enforcement points in

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RACS NASS

Policy Enforcement

Platform Control
NGN Edge

GigE

Application Subsystems Ethernet Switched Network IP Routing Packet Transport Network Internet IP / VPN IP Gateway

MSAN
GigE

MSAN

GigE

MSAN

IP

Fig. 9. Policy enforcement at the network edges controlled by the RACS.

Application Function
BW reservation request

Multiple Applications Multiple Application Providers

BW reservation confirmation / reject

Bandwidth Manager
Network Model

- OSPF, IS-IS - SNMP databases - Network Management - Configuration

Network Topology Information

Policy Enforcement

Network

Fig. 10. Bandwidth manager architecture.

the border gateways towards subscribers and connected networks. An application requests network resources from the bandwidth manager. The bandwidth manager checks the availability of resources and if enough resources are available allocates and grants them to the application. According the expected network usage the bandwidth manager controls the trafc and if necessary enforces the agreed usage of network resources. In order to achieve scalability the NGN is subdivided into network domains (see Fig. 11). According to the characteristics of the network domains, the bandwidth manager will act in different ways: The Metro domains concentrate trafc collected in central ofces from subscribers to the Points of Presence. Therefore the structure of the network is very limited meshed, has some alternative paths (where required due to reliabil-

ity obligations). Therefore the network model is simple. The call set-up rate is moderate and can be handled by a central engine. The Bandwidth Manager for this domain can act on a per call basis, calculates whether a call can be accepted and updates the network database accordingly. The Core domain is an almost fully meshed, highly reliable network (based on Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) or proprietary technologies). The call set-up and completion rate is very high and cannot be handled on a call-by-call basis. Connected Metro bandwidth managers are expected to book blocks of network resources in advance from the Core bandwidth manager. In case of overload conditions buffer levels will slowly grow within the Core network elements. The Core bandwidth manager monitors the buffer levels. In case buffer thresholds are exceeded, the call set-up rate will be reduced, i.e. the size of the blocks granted to Metro bandwidth managers is

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Access domains

Metro domains

NGN Edge Metro Node

Core domain
Core Node Core Node

Fig. 11. The network domain concept.

decreased, until the buffers are within their normal levels again. The Access domain provides a single dedicated path to the subscriber. Each path has limited bandwidth, particularly in upstream direction. Call set-up rate is not an issue in this domain. Due to the bandwidth limitation towards the subscriber, the user may want to set up personal policies. The bandwidth manager for this domain has to provide per-call admission control, a per-user dynamic policy database with a Web interface including the possibility to drop connections if required.

work operators to differentiate their services on criteria other than bandwidth, with new services that subscribers will be willing to pay for.

References
[1] ETSI Standard ES 282 001 V1.1.1: Telecommunications and Internet converged Services and Protocols for Advanced Networks (TISPAN). NGN Functional Architecture Release 1. [2] ITU-T Recommendation Y.2011: General principles and general reference model for next generation networks. Jrgen Schrder, born in 1958, studied Electrical Engineering focusing on theoretical communication technology at the University of Stuttgart. In 1987, he joined as an assistant to Prof. Dr. Ing. Paul Khn at the Institute of Communications Switching and Data Techniques of the University of Stuttgart, where in 1993, he received his Ph.D. From 1992, he was responsible for ATM and new protocols of the R&D lab of the measurement and test equipment vendor Wandel & Goltermann. In 1996, he joined Bosch Telecom, where he took responsibility for Access Network Design and Broadband Access Technology Research. In 2000, Bosch Telecom was acquired by Marconi. His current position is VP Advanced Technology within the Wireless Product Unit. Martin Gtzer, born in 1964, studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Stuttgart. He then worked at the Universitys Institute of Communication Switching and Data Techniques as an assistant to Prof. Dr.-Ing. Paul Khn, where he received his Ph.D. In 1997, he joined Bosch Telecom, which is now Marconi Communications, where he works in the area of network architectures and product management. Currently, he is Director of Network Strategy. Ronald Mller, born in 1962, studied physics at the University of Erlangen-Nrnberg and received his Ph.D. from the Institute

5. Conclusion and outlook

In order to provide guaranteed Quality of Service in Next Generation Networks a bandwidth manager is required. The proposed bandwidth manager does not require resource management enabled network nodes. As discussed a centralised bandwidth management system has advantages compared to a decentralised self-organising bandwidth management approach: Better performance due to centralised control Domain concept provides scalability Applications are responsible to allocate network resources Enables exible policy scheme for network provider and user In line with the proposed ETSI TISPAN architecture. Networks that can provide connections with guaranteed Quality of Service, and have standardised interfaces to service subsystems, will pave the way for the realisation of new service ideas nobody thought of yet. It will also help net-

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of Theoretical Physics in 1990. He then worked for Philips Kommunikations Industrie (later Philips GmbH) in Nrnberg, where he was involved in ATM system design and B-ISDN standardisation. In 1997, he joined Bosch Telecom (now Marconi

Communications) and has since been working on broadband network designs and Voice over IP solutions. He has also been active in ETSI SPAN (now TISPAN) and other standardisation groups.