Elastic Optical Networks (EONs) enable finer-grained resource allocation and tuning of transmission configurations for right-sized resource allocation. These features make EONs excellent choice for 5G transport networks supporting highly dynamic traffic with diverse Quality-of-Service (QoS) requirements. 5G network slices are expected to host applications with a dynamic nature (e.g., augmented/virtual reality broadcasting), which will result in slice resource requirement changing over time. The initial resource allocation to network slices has to be adapted to accommodate such changes without causing significant disruption to existing traffic and using minimal additional resources. In this paper, we address the problem of scaling bandwidth demand of network slices on an EON-enabled 5G transport network. In contrast to the state-of-the-art, we do not assume any specific technologies for minimizing disruption when accommodating the scaling request. Rather, we propose an Integer Linear Program (ILP) and a heuristic algorithm for accommodating scaling requests by choosing from a comprehensive set of reconfiguration actions. We carefully design a novel cost model for capturing traffic disruptions and additional resource usage by these different actions. Our extensive simulations using realistic network topologies shed light on the trade-off between additional resource usage and disruption while accommodating slice scaling requests by employing a comprehensive set of reconfiguration actions. Simulation results also show that our heuristic algorithm can find solutions that remain within 10% of ILP-based solutions, while executing several orders of magnitude faster than ILP.

5G network slicing allows partitioning of network resources to meet stringent end-to-end service requirements across multiple network segments, from access to transport. These requirements are shaping technical evolution in each of these segments. In particular, the transport segment is currently evolving in the direction of elastic optical networks (EONs), a new generation of optical networks supporting a flexible optical-spectrum grid and novel elastic transponder capabilities. In this paper, we focus on the reliability of 5G transport-network slices in EON. Specifically, we consider the problem of slicing 5G transport networks,i.e., establishing virtual networks on 5G transport, while providing dedicated protection. As dedicated protection requires a large amount of backup resources, our proposed solution incorporates two techniques to reduce backup resources: (i) bandwidth squeezing,i.e., providing a reduced protection bandwidth than the original request; and (ii) survivable multi-path provisioning. We leverage the capability of EONs to fine tune spectrum allocation and adapt modulation format and forward error correction for allocating spectrum resources. Our numerical evaluation over realistic network topologies quantifies the spectrum savings achieved by employing EON over traditional fixed-grid optical networks, and provides new insights on the impact of bandwidth squeezing and multi-path provisioning on spectrum utilization. One key takeaway from our evaluation is that multi-path provisioning can guarantee up to 40% of the bandwidth requested by a VN during failures by provisioning only 10% additional spectrum resources. This also caused VN blocking ratio for BSR up to 40% to remain very close to that of the no-backup case.

In 5G networks, slicing allows partitioning of network resources to meet stringent end-to-end service requirements across multiple network segments, from access to transport. These requirements are shaping technical evolution in each of these segments. In particular, the transport segment is currently evolving in the direction of the so-called elastic optical networks (EONs), a new generation of optical networks supporting a flexible optical-spectrum grid and novel elastic transponder capabilities. In this paper, we focus on the reliability of 5G transport-network slices in EON. Specifically, we consider the problem of slicing 5G transport networks, i.e., establishing virtual networks on 5G transport, while providing dedicated protection. As dedicated protection requires a large amount of backup resources, our proposed solution incorporates two techniques to reduce backup resources: (i) bandwidth squeezing, i.e., providing a reduced protection bandwidth with respect to the original request; and (ii) survivable multi-path provisioning. We leverage the capability of EONs to fine tune spectrum allocation and adapt modulation format and Forward Error Correction (FEC) for allocating rightsize spectrum resources to network slices. Our numerical evaluation over realistic case-study network topologies quantifies the spectrum savings achieved by employing EON over traditional fixed-grid optical networks, and provides new insights on the impact of bandwidth squeezing and multi-path provisioning on spectrum utilization.

Widespread permeation of IoT devices into our daily lives has created a diverse spectrum of security and privacy concerns unique to the IoT ecosystem. Conventional host and network security mechanisms fail to address these issues due to resource constraints, ad-hoc network models and vendor-centric data collection and sharing policies. Hence, there is a need to redesign the IoT infrastructure to secure both the device and the data. To this end, we propose a design where users are in the driving seat, devices are less exposed and data sharing models are flexible and fine-grained. Our proposal comprises hardware-secured data banks based on Intel Software Guard Extensions (SGX) to house the data in clouds without the need to trust the cloud provider. Virtual clones (shadows) of devices running on top of these data banks serve as competent proxies of actual IoT devices hiding away device weaknesses. The proposed infrastructure is scalable and robust and serves as a good first step for the community to build on and improve.