NeTS: Small: SMILE -- Towards Smarter Network Edges for Next Generation Networks

Old Dominion University Research Foundation, Norfolk VA

Investigators

Abstract

As the number of smart devices and their applications continue to grow, transmission of mobile traffic data over wireless links (i.e., Wi-Fi and cellular links) is continuing to increase significantly. To cope with the explosion of smart devices coupled with a growing proliferation of cloud or edge-based applications, best-effort Quality Of Service is no longer a satisfactory solution and a new breed of intelligent networks is required. More specifically, it is now necessary to have greater visibility and control over the traffic generated from the smart devices in order to deliver optimal performance and a high Quality of Experience to a variety of users and applications. Software Defined Networks (SDN) are a way to facilitate wired network evolution by enabling flexible, controllable, and efficient networks. Motivated by the unique difference of wireless (vs. wired), this project aims to develop and evaluate SMILE (SMart and Intelligent wireLess Edge framework) that supports SDN-like structure at network wireless edge that include both wireless access devices (e.g., Wi-Fi Access Points (APs)) and end-devices. Extending SDN paradigm all the way to smart end-devices would realize our objective in making the network, both wired and wireless, open, flexible and programmable to provide truly end-to-end management and control in which users could reap the full benefits of SDN. The proposed research is expected to advance the state of the art of networking and mobile computing. The proposed project, SMILE, aims to achieve the following main goals: i) Design and development of SMILE framework that supports wireless networks to be open, flexible, and programmable to cope with complexity, dynamic nature, and uncertainty associated with wireless networks, ii) Draw on the developed SMILE framework to design and develop three different network services such as edge-based fine-grained context-aware video adaptation service, and iii) Implement and evaluate the developed smart protocols and services on medium-scale testbed of smartphones and Wi-Fi APs as well as simulation tools. All schemes/protocols, software development, testbed realization, experimental results will be made open available to the research community. This project will also carry out a number of educational activities involving K-12, undergraduate, and graduate students, make strong outreach efforts for recruiting and mentoring under-represented students, and enriching undergraduate and graduate curricula through exposing students to cutting-edge research in wireless networks, and mobile computing. In addition, several industrial collaborations are expected within the scope of this project.