User-Centric Quality of Service in Next Generation SD-WAN

软件定义网络中基于意图的网络（IBN）的出现使“可编程”网络的实现成为可能，在这种网络中，网络管理员能够通过抽象命令(例如：“配置协议xx”)或高级脚本语言，网络编排层将把这些意图转换为设备级操作。然而，到目前为止，这种新的灵活性仅限于基本的网络协议和管理配置。下一代软件定义广域网（SD-WAN）有望将这种灵活性带入一个全新的范例，在这个范例中，特定的网络服务是根据特定的最终用户质量期望（性能、可靠性、安全性等）来定义的。“为澳大利亚的N个客户部署具有卓越质量的视频流”，通过关键绩效指标和用户满意度来定义卓越性。基于意图的SD-WAN不仅对这些服务进行配置和部署，还可以监控质量需求，动态主动调整网络资源以保持质量水平。本研究计划的目标是特别关注SDWAN服务的体验质量（QoE）的定义和维护方面的挑战，并设计解决这些挑战的解决方案。基于qos的SDWAN服务的设计将包括三个维度：网络、管理员和用户体验。需要解决的挑战包括：动态资源分配、跨异构（可能是虚拟化的或基于云的）网络基础设施的传输、服务可靠性、将服务级别意图转换为可能影响服务质量的网络参数集、以及新的和更复杂的服务级别协议等。为了促进服务引入或对现有服务的更改，必须设计基于意图的编排层并将其映射到网络参数。这个抽象层必须集成路由和安全策略，并自动创建和安装网络服务。此外，从用户的角度来看，用户反馈机制必须集成到这一层，以便在体验质量恶化时实时测量网络服务路径的调整。本研究计划将尝试调查和解决上述与下一代网络服务、架构和协议设计相关的问题。它还将有助于培训加拿大通讯和联网领域的下一代研究人员，这方面的需求在今后几十年仍然特别大；并为他们提供在学术和工业研究中与该领域最相关的技能。

The emergence of Intent-based Networking (IBN) in Software-Defined Networks has promised the realization of  "programmable" networks in which the network administrators are able to deploy new services and network functions through abstract commands (e.g. "Configure protocol xx") or high-level scripting languages, and a network orchestration layer would translate such intents into device-level actions. However so far this new degree of flexibility has been limited to basic network protocol and management configuration. The next generation Software-Defined  Wide-Area networks (SD-WAN) is expected to take this flexibility to a whole new paradigm, where specific network services are defined with specific end-user quality expectation (performance, reliability, security etc), e.g. "Deploy a video stream for N customers in Australia with Excellent quality", in which the excellence is defined through key performance indicators as well as user satisfaction ratios. The Intent-based SD-WAN not only configures and deploys these services, but also monitors the quality requirements, and dynamically and proactively adjusts network resources to maintain the quality level. The objective of this research program is to focus particularly on challenges regarding the definition and maintenance of Quality of Experience (QoE) for SDWAN services, and to design solutions to address these challenges. The design of QoE-aware SDWAN service will include three dimensions: The network, the administrator, and the user Experience. Challenges to address include: dynamic resource allocation,  transport across heterogeneous (and possibly virtualized or cloud-based) network infrastructures, service reliability, translation of service-level intents into the set of network parameters that could potentially affect quality of service, and new and more complex service-level agreements, among others. In order to facilitate service introduction or change to existing services, an intent-based orchestration layer must be designed and mapped to network parameters. This abstraction layer must integrate routing and security policies and automate the creation and installation of network services. Also from a user perspective, user feedback mechanisms must be integrated into this layer to allow real-time quality measurements for adjustment of network service paths in case the quality of experience deteriorate. This research program will attempt to investigate and address the above issues as related to the design of next generation network services, architectures and protocols. It will also  contribute to the training of the next generation of researchers in the field of communication and networking in Canada, which remains particularly in demand for decades; and providing them with the skill set that is most relevant to this field in both academic and industrial research.