To accommodate ever-growing traffic, network operators are actively deploying high-degree reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs) to build large-capacity optical networks. High-degree ROADM-based optical networks have multiple parallel fibers between ROADM nodes, requiring the adoption of ROADM nodes with a large number of inter-/intra-node components. However, this large number of inter-/intra-node optical components in high-degree ROADM networks increases the likelihood of multiple failures simultaneously, and calls for novel methods for accurate localization of multiple failed components. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the problem of multi-failure localization for high-degree ROADM-based optical networks. To solve this problem, we first provide a description of the failures affecting both inter-/intra-node components, and we consider different deployments of optical power monitors (OPMs) to obtain information (i.e., optical power) to be used for automated multi-failure localization. Then, as our main and original contribution, we propose a novel method based on a rules-informed neural network (RINN) for multi-failure localization, which incorporates the benefits of both rules-based reasoning and artificial neural networks (ANN). Through extensive simulations and experimental demonstrations, we show that our proposed RINN algorithm can achieve up to around 20% higher localization accuracy compared to baseline algorithms, incurring only around 4.14 ms of average inference time.

Deterministic networking (DetNet) has recently drawn much attention by investigating deterministic flow scheduling. Combined with artificial intelligent (AI) technologies, it can be leveraged as a promising network technology for facilitating automated network configuration in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). However, the stricter requirements of the IIoT have posed significant challenges, that is, deterministic and bounded latency for time-critical applications. This paper incorporates deep reinforcement learning (DRL) in Cycle Specified Queuing and Forwarding (CSQF) and proposes a DRL-based Deterministic Flow Scheduler (Deep-DFS) to solve the Deterministic Flow Routing and Scheduling (DFRS) problem. Novel delay aware network representations, action masking and criticality aware reward function design are proposed to make Deep-DFS more scalable and efficient. Simulation experiments are conducted to evaluate the performances of Deep-DFS, and the results show that Deep-DFS can schedule more flows than the other benchmark methods (heuristic-based and AI-based methods).

Deterministic Networking (DetNet) has recently attracted much attention. It aims at studying the deterministic bounded latency and low latency variation for time-sensitive applications (e.g., industrial automation). To improve the quality of service (QoS) guarantee and make the network management efficient, it is desirable for Internet Service Provider (ISP) to obtain an optimal service function chain (SFC) provision strategy while providing deterministic service performance for the time-sensitive applications. In this paper, we will study the deterministic SFC lifetime management problem in beyond 5G edge fabric with the objective of maximizing the overall profits and ensuring the deterministic latency and jitter of SFC requests. We first formulate this problem as a mathematical model with the maximal profits for ISP. Then, the novel Deterministic SFC Deployment algorithm (Det-SFCD) and SFC Adjustment algorithm (Det-SFCA) due to traffic load variation are proposed to efficiently solve the SFC lifetime management problem. Extensive simulation results show that our proposed algorithms can achieve better performance in terms of SFC request acceptance rates, overall profits and latency variation compared with the benchmark algorithm.

Along with the increasing demand for latency-sensitive services and applications, Deterministic Network (DetNet) concept has been recently proposed to investigate deterministic latency assurance for services featured with bounded latency requirements in 5G edge networks. The Network Function Virtualization (NFV) technology enables Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to flexibly place Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) achieving performance and cost benefits. Then, Service Function Chains (SFC) are formed by steering traffic through a series of VNF instances in a predefined order. Moreover, the required network resources and placement of VNF instances along SFC should be optimized to meet the deterministic latency requirements. Therefore, it is significant for ISPs to determine an optimal SFC deployment strategy to ensure network performance while improving the network revenue. In this paper, we jointly investigate the resource allocation and SFC placement in 5G edge networks for deterministic latency assurance. We formulate this problem as a mathematic programming model with the objective of maximizing the overall network profit for ISP. Furthermore, a novel Deterministic SFC deployment (Det-SFCD) algorithm is proposed to efficiently embed SFC requests with deterministic latency assurance. The performance evaluation results show that the proposed algorithm can provide better performance in terms of SFC request acceptance rate, network cost reduction, and network resource efficiency compared with benchmark strategy.

Mobile/multi‐access edge computing (MEC) takes advantage of its proximity to end‐users, which greatly reduces the transmission delay of task offloading compared to mobile cloud computing (MCC). Offloading computing tasks to edge servers with a certain amount of computing ability can also reduce the computing delay. Meanwhile, device‐to‐device (D2D) cooperation can help to process small‐scale delay‐sensitive tasks to further decrease the delay of tasks. But where to offload the computing tasks is a critical issue. In this article, we integrate MEC and D2D cooperation techniques to optimize the offloading decisions and resource allocation problem in D2D‐enabled three‐tier MEC networks for Internet of Things (IoT). Mobile devices (MDs), edge clouds, and central cloud data center (DC) make up these three‐tier MEC networks. They cooperate with each other to finish the offloading tasks. Each task can be processed by MD itself or its neighboring MDs at device tier, by edge servers at edge tier, or by remote cloud servers at cloud tier. Under the maximum energy cost constraints, we formulate the cooperative offloading problem into a mixed‐integer nonlinear problem aiming to minimize the total delay of tasks. We utilize the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) to speed up the computing process. The proposed scheme decomposes the complicated problem into 3 smaller subproblems, which are solved in a parallel fashion. Finally, we compare our proposal with D2D and MEC networks in simulations. Numerical results validate that the proposed D2D‐enabled MEC networks for IoT can significantly enhance the computing abilities and reduce the total delay of tasks.

The centralized radio access network (C-RAN) is an effective architecture to promote CAPEX/OPEX reduction and cell cooperation derived from its centralized baseband processing. However, there is a contradiction between centralization gain and transport resource saving, which hinders the vision of a resource-efficient and cost-effective RAN deployment. Advanced RAN architectures with functional splits are then introduced to cope with this challenge. Distinguished with other studies, we are intended to investigate whether a fine-grained functional split architecture could benefit to the RAN evolution, and how it impacts on the converged optical-wireless access networks. To this end, we establish a quantitative model to analyze the performance of this architecture. With the fine-grained split, baseband unit (BBU) is divided into a set of fine-grained units (FU) to be placed in desired processing pools (PP) as a service chain. To analyze the placement performance, we propose a mixed-integer linear programming model (MILP) considering the PP selection, routing, wavelength and bandwidth assignment, as well as latency control to minimize the number of PPs, bandwidth, latency, and functions deployment cost. We compare its performance with other two coarse-grained split architectures, i.e., SBBU (adopt low-PHY split like BBU in 4G) and recently emerged DU-CU in both small-scale and large-scale network scenarios. Our analyses provide insights into the modeling and design of efficient converged optical-wireless access networks in 5G and beyond.

In 5G access network, a hybrid free space optic (FSO)/millimeter-wave (mmW) system is a promising fronthaul solution for dense urban area. In the hybrid FSO/mmW system, mmW in-band self-fronthaul is more efficient because the spectrum of radio access and fronthaul are allocated in the same radio band. However, it incurs inefficient usage of spectrum and transmission power. The allocation of resource blocks and power for user access and fronthaul transmission should consider dynamic weather conditions to improve energy efficiency of system. In this paper, we consider the downlink of 5G fronthaul. An intelligent resource reuse and allocation algorithm based on the constrained differential evolution is proposed to maximize the energy efficiency. The spectrum of mmW is partitioned into two parts, one for resource blocks in radio access, the other for data transmission over fronthaul. Also, transmission power in access and fronthaul are jointly considered to improve the energy efficiency. Simulation results show a considerable benefit on energy efficiency for different weather conditions compared with traditional water-filling baseline algorithm.