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

随着智能设备及其应用数量的不断增长，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，以及云计算或基于边缘的应用程序的不断扩散，“尽力服务质量”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，现在有必要对智能设备产生的流量有更大的可见性和控制，以便为各种用户和应用程序提供最佳性能和高质量的体验。软件定义网络（SDN）是一种通过实现灵活、可控和高效的网络来促进有线网络发展的方法。由于无线（与有线）的独特差异，该项目旨在开发和评估SMILE（智能和智能无线边缘框架），该框架支持网络无线边缘的sdn结构，包括无线接入设备（例如Wi-Fi接入点（ap））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具有开放性、灵活性和可编程性，从而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。拟议的研究预计将推动网络和移动计算技术的发展。拟议的项目SMILE旨在实现以下主要目标：i)设计和开发SMILE框架，支持无线网络的开放性、灵活性和可编程性，以应对无线网络相关的复杂性、动态性和不确定性；ii)利用已开发的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；iii)在智能手机和Wi-Fi ap的中等规模测试平台以及仿真工具上实施和评估开发的智能协议和服务。所有方案/协议、软件开发、测试平台实现、实验结果将向研究社区开放。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，大力推广招募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领域的前沿研究，丰富本科生和研究生课程。此外，预计在这个项目范围内还会有一些工业合作。

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.