CAREER: Leveraging Wireless Virtualization for Enhancing Network Capacity, Coverage, Energy Efficiency and Security

在过去的几十年里，我们经历了家庭和办公室使用移动电话和Wi-Fi网络的巨大增长，以及面向不同应用的新兴无线技术。用于接入无线网络的轻型手持设备的大量增长导致了无线服务需求的指数级增长和无线频谱的严重短缺。为了克服这些问题，除了与持牌用户共享频谱外，还需要一种新的无线架构来增强网络覆盖、容量和安全性。该CAREER项目的研究目标是通过以下方式显著推进无线通信领域的发展：a)设计一种新型的通用无线虚拟化架构或Wi-Vi，为使用无线即服务的用户提供无线服务，其中Wi-Vi架构将增强网络容量、覆盖范围、无缝移动性和能源效率；从而能够在下一代无线系统中支持数万亿的设备；b)扩大拟议的Wi-Vi框架的范围，以实现性能隔离、安全和隐私，同时在多样化的无线环境中为用户提供服务质量/体验。此外，这项工作将帮助许多领域的研究人员了解无线通信如何影响智能电网、电子健康、车载网络、下一代蜂窝网络、物联网、网络物理系统和安全网络空间等新兴领域。PI将在下一代无线网络领域培养下一代科学家和工程师，并在本科和研究生阶段指导研究人员（包括少数民族和女性），并通过实际演示在科学和工程领域的K-12学生学习生涯的早期阶段激励他们。该CAREER项目侧重于设计、分析和评估无线虚拟化（Wi-Vi）框架，通过结合不同的无线资源和基础设施，超越与许可用户共享频谱，将其用作网络上的按需服务，目标是增强网络容量、覆盖范围、能效和安全性。PI将使用系统方法开发Wi-Vi架构，以提高整体网络性能。具体而言，本文的研究意义包括：1)开发了一种通用的无线虚拟化框架，通过扩展或缩小虚拟无线运营商的无线资源来满足无线用户的动态需求；2)研究和实现覆盖驱动和容量驱动的移动虚拟网络运营商（MVNOs）之间的最优无线资源共享；3)开发基站级、mvno级和用户级优化和服务质量（QoS）提供的系统方法；4)通过动态网络分段实现无线虚拟化在网络安全中的应用；5)通过在美国国家科学基金会资助的云测试平台（如ROAR、Chameleon等）进行广泛的模拟和实验，验证和评估所提出的新技术。随着无线网络触及我们社会的方方面面，CAREER奖将产生广泛的社会影响，并将支持增强我们的国家无线容量和网络安全。该项目将影响无线通信应用的许多新兴领域，如智能电网、电子健康、车载网络、下一代蜂窝网络、物联网、网络物理系统和安全网络空间。PI将通过无线虚拟化和下一代无线网络的新课程和模块，向学生传播知识，培养本科生和研究生。将集中努力使代表性不足的学生（包括女性）有兴趣进行拟议的研究。总体而言，PI将建立一个综合研究和教育计划，以培养下一代无线网络领域的未来科学家和工程师，并在他们学习生涯的早期激发年轻人（包括K-12学生）对科学和工程领域的兴趣。

Over the last several decades, we have experienced tremendous growth in the use of cellular telephones and Wi-Fi networks for home and office, as well as emerging wireless technologies geared toward different applications. The massive growth of lightweight hand-held devices used to access wireless networks has resulted in an exponential increase in demand for wireless services and severe wireless spectrum shortage. To overcome these problems, beyond spectrum sharing with licensed users, a new wireless architecture is needed to enhance network coverage, capacity and security. The research objective of this CAREER project is to significantly advance the field of wireless communications, with an expectation of opening transformative research directions, by a) devising a novel generalized wireless virtualization architecture, or Wi-Vi, to provide wireless services to users using Radio-as-a-Service where Wi-Vi architecture will enhance network capacity, coverage, seamless mobility and energy efficiency, and thus be able to support trillions of devices in next generation wireless systems; and b) by extending the scope of the proposed Wi-Vi framework for performance isolation, security and privacy while providing quality-of-service/experience to users in a diverse wireless environment. Moreover, this work will help researchers across many fields understand how wireless communications influences the emerging fields such as smart grid, eHealth, vehicular networks, next generation cellular networks, Internet-of-things, cyber-physical systems and secure cyberspace. The PI will train the next generation of scientists and engineers in the area of next generation wireless networks, and mentor researchers (including minorities and female) at undergraduate and graduate level, as well as inspire K-12 students in science and engineering fields at the early stage of their learning career through hands-on demonstrations. This CAREER project focuses on the design, analysis and evaluation of a Wireless Virtualization (Wi-Vi) framework by combining different wireless resources and infrastructures, beyond spectrum sharing with licensed users, to be used as on-demand service over the network, with the goal of enhancing network capacity, coverage, energy efficiency and security. The PI will develop Wi-Vi architecture using systematic approaches to improve overall network performance. Specifically, the significance of the proposed research includes: 1) development of a generalized wireless virtualization framework that will help meet dynamic demands of wireless users by expanding or shrinking wireless resources of the virtual wireless operators; 2) study and implementation of optimal wireless resource sharing among coverage- and capacity-driven Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs); 3) development of systematic approaches for base station-level, MVNO-level and user level optimizations and Quality-of-Service (QoS) provisioning; 4) application of wireless virtualization in network security through dynamic network segmentation; and 5) validation and evaluation of the proposed novel techniques through extensive simulations and experiments in NSF-funded cloud testbeds such as ROAR, Chameleon, etc. The CAREER award will have a broad societal impact as wireless networks touch every aspect of our society, and will support enhancement of our national wireless capacity and cybersecurity. This project will impact many emerging areas in which wireless communication has applications - such as smart grid, eHealth, vehicular networks, next generation cellular networks, Internet-of-things, cyber-physical systems and secure cyberspace. The PI will train undergraduate and graduate students by disseminating knowledge to students through new courses and modules on wireless virtualization and next generation wireless networks. Focused efforts will be undertaken to interest underrepresented students (including females) in conducting the proposed research. Overall, the PI will establish an integrated research and educational program to train future scientists and engineers in the area of next generation wireless networks and to inspire young people's interest (including K-12 students) in science and engineering fields at the early stage of their learning career.