Design of Next Generation Smart Infrastructures and Service Platforms

云计算、软件定义网络和机器对机器（M2M）通信这三种技术的融合提供了创建应用平台的机会，这些平台提供了前所未有的技术能力、可扩展性、能效、安全性、灵活性和经济性。云计算以前所未有的价格点为应用程序提供按需计算能力。软件定义的网络允许灵活的网络设备根据应用的需求进行定制。M2M通信允许传感器和控制设备连接到互联网，以支持新的应用。结合起来，这三种技术使应用程序能够在感知上下文和环境状态的意义上变得智能。这些应用程序将用于管理智能基础设施中的资源（交通，电力，水，空气质量，建筑物等）。他们还将提供新的服务，如个人助理，了解上下文，活动时间表和个人的目标。我们认为计算和通信资源组织在多个层次中，远程大规模数据中心位于云的核心，智能边缘提供电信服务，然后是由网关和传感器和执行器设备组成的雾。由于各种不同的技术和不兼容的协议，在这种多层云中创建和部署应用程序是一项挑战。我们的研究重点是跨越云、智能边缘和雾的管理系统的设计，以协调资源向应用程序的分配。我们的研究团队为包括计算和通信在内的软件定义基础设施（SDI）设计和实施管理系统带来了丰富的经验。我们的团队为SAVI国家应用平台测试平台设计了管理系统，并在优化算法设计方面拥有丰富的经验，确保基础设施的有效和高效运行。在这个项目中，我们解决四个相互关联的问题。首先，我们制定了一个路线图，在无线和光接入网络的计算资源的部署。这些资源将允许接入网络成为可由SDI管理人员控制的扩展云的一部分。特别是，接入基础设施将被虚拟化，以便虚拟服务提供商可以动态地划分和共享。这些供应商将使用新的商业模式来提供目前不可行或不经济的新颖服务。我们的第二个研究目标是为M2M和物联网应用开发一个平台，该平台使用新的互联网协议来跨越雾和智能边缘。我们还将开发软件定义的管理，以支持从雾到云的端到端应用程序。我们的第三个目标是开发基于图形的优化算法来支持上述管理系统，我们的最终目标是设计一类新的光开关（使用阵列波导光栅），其特点是能够切换和传输非常大的数据量。我们的交换机可以应用于互联网中心的计算机之间的流量，并可以用于收集来自用户站点的流量到网络的智能边缘。我们的研究通过产生可商业化的知识产权和培养具有技能和专业知识的毕业生来推动创新，从而为加拿大带来好处。

The convergence of three technologies -- cloud computing, software-defined networking, and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication -- provide an opportunity to create application platforms that offer unprecedented technical capabilities, scalability, energy efficiency, security, flexibility, and economics. Cloud computing provides on-demand computing power for applications at unprecedented price points. Software-defined networking allows flexible network equipment to be tailored to the needs of applications. M2M communication allows sensor and control devices to be attached to the Internet in support of new applications. In combination, these three technologies enable applications that are smart in the sense of being aware of context as well as the state of the environment. These applications will be used to manage resources in smart infrastructures (transportation, power, water, air quality, buildings etc). They will also provide novel services, such as a personal assistant that is aware of context, activity schedule, and goals of an individual.We view computing and communications resources as organized in multiple tiers, with remote massive data centers at the heart of the cloud, a smart edge providing telecom services, and then a fog consisting of gateways and sensor and actuator devices. Creating and deploying applications across this multitier cloud is challenging because of the variety of diverse technologies and incompatible protocols. Our research focuses on the design of management systems that span the cloud, smart edge, and fog to coordinate the allocation of resources to applications. Our research team brings experience designing and implementing management systems for software-defined infrastructures (SDI) that include computing and communications. Our team designed the management system for the SAVI national testbed for application platforms and also has extensive experience in the design of optimization algorithms that ensure the effective and efficient operation of the infrastructures. In this project we address four interrelated problems. First, we develop a roadmap for the deployment of computing resources in wireless and optical access networks. These resources will allow access networks to become part of an extended cloud that can be controlled by SDI managers. In particular, the access infrastructure will be virtualized so that it can be divided and shared dynamically by virtual service providers. These providers will use new business models to offer novel services that are currently infeasible or uneconomical. Our second research goal is to develop a platform for M2M and Internet-of-Things applications that uses new internetworking protocols to span the fog and the smart edge. We will also develop software-defined management to support applications end-to-end from the fog to the cloud. Our third goal is to develop graph-based optimization algorithms to support the above management systems.Our final goal involves the design of a new class of optical switches (using array waveguide gratings) that are distinguished by their ability to switch and transfer very large volumes of data. Our switches can be applied to interconnect the traffic between computers in datacenters, and can serve to collect traffic from user sites into the smart edge of the network.Our research provides benefits to Canada by generating commercializable intellectual property and by creating graduates with the skills and know-how to drive innovation.