Inherently Self-Managed Networks: Requirements, Properties and an Initial Model (Invited Paper)
Martin Johnsson, Brendan Jennings, Dmitri Botvich · 2011
Abstract—The complexity and dynamicity of networks con-tinue to increase. Furthermore, specialization of network oper-ations, the de-regulation of vertically integrated network oper-ators, new demands from end users, as well as new businessmodels for Over-The-Top players, give rise to new challengesand emphasizes that networking becomes ever more dynamicand organic in nature. To address these trends the researchcommunity has been investigating how to integrate managementcapabilities into the networks in order to meet the foremost re-quirements on reduced OPEX, but also to enable faster responsesto agile business operations for the support of new value chains,applications, and services. These management capabilities arehowever envisaged as an add-on to the existing functionality. Thiswould impose scalability, performance, and extensibility issueswhen such capabilities are deployed incrementally and ad-hoc.In this paper, we give an overview of selected recent advances innetwork architectures supporting self-management capabilities,and identify both their strengths and their limitations. Thisanalysis provides input for a definition of the requirements andcore properties for networks to become inherently self-managed.We then outline a generic model termed the “Netcell” that seeksto support the identified requirements and core properties.Index Terms—Self-management, Networks, Architecture, Net-cell.