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

随着智能设备及其应用的数量持续增长，通过无线链路(即Wi-Fi和蜂窝链路)传输的移动流量数据继续显著增加。为了应对智能设备的爆炸式增长以及云或基于边缘的应用的日益激增，尽力而为的服务质量不再是令人满意的解决方案，需要一种新型的智能网络。更具体地说，现在需要更好地了解和控制智能设备产生的流量，以便为各种用户和应用程序提供最佳性能和高质量体验。软件定义网络(SDN)是一种通过实现灵活、可控且高效的网络来促进有线网络演进的方法。由于无线(与有线)的独特区别，本项目旨在开发和评估SMILE(智能无线边缘框架)，该框架支持网络无线边缘的类似SDN的结构，包括无线接入设备(如Wi-Fi接入点)和终端设备。将SDN模式一直扩展到智能终端设备将实现我们的目标，即使有线和无线网络开放、灵活和可编程，以提供真正的端到端管理和控制，使用户能够充分享受SDN的好处。SILE项目旨在实现以下主要目标：i)设计和开发支持无线网络开放、灵活和可编程的SMILE框架，以应对无线网络的复杂性、动态性和不确定性；ii)利用所开发的SMILE框架设计和开发三种不同的网络服务，如基于边缘的细粒度上下文感知视频适配服务；以及iii)在智能手机和Wi-Fi AP的中型试验台上实现和评估所开发的智能协议和服务以及仿真工具。所有方案/协议、软件开发、试验台实现、实验结果都将向研究界公开。该项目还将开展一系列涉及K-12、本科生和研究生的教育活动，大力招收和指导代表性不足的学生，并通过让学生接触无线网络和移动计算的尖端研究来丰富本科和研究生课程。此外，在该项目的范围内，预计还会有几个行业合作。

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.