@article{Pliatsios2018,

title = {Realizing 5G vision through Cloud RAN: technologies, challenges, and trends},

author = { D. Pliatsios and P. Sarigiannidis and S. Goudos and G.K. Karagiannidis},

url = {https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325181057_Realizing_5G_vision_through_Cloud_RAN_technologies_challenges_and_trends},

doi = {10.1186/s13638-018-1142-1},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-01-01},

journal = {Eurasip Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking},

volume = {2018},

number = {1},

abstract = {Achieving the fifth-generation (5G) vision will introduce new technology innovations and substantial changes in delivering cutting-edge applications and services in current mobile and cellular networks. The Cloud Radio Access Network (C-RAN) concept emerged as one of the most compelling architectures to meet the requirements of the 5G vision. In essence, C-RAN provides an advanced mobile network architecture which can leverage challenging features such as network resource slicing, statistical multiplexing, energy efficiency, and high capacity. The realization of C-RAN is achieved by innovative technologies such as the software-defined networking (SDN) and the network function virtualization (NFV). While SDN technology brings the separation of the control and data planes in the playground, supporting thus advanced traffic engineering techniques such as load balancing, the NFV concept offers high flexibility by allowing network resource sharing in a dynamic way. Although SDN and NFV have many advantages, a number of challenges have to be addressed before the commercial deployment of 5G implementation. In addition, C-RAN introduces a new layer in the mobile network, denoted as the fronthaul, which is adopted from the recent research efforts in the fiber-wireless (Fi-Wi) paradigm. As the fronthaul defines a link between a baseband unit (BBU) and a remote radio unit (RRU), various technologies can be used for this purpose such as optical fibers and millimeter-wave (mm-wave) radios. In this way, several challenges are highlighted which depend on the technology used. In the light of the aforementioned remarks, this paper compiles a list of challenges and open issues of the emerging technologies that realize the C-RAN concept. Moreover, comparative insights between the current and future state of the C-RAN concept are discussed. Trends and advances of those technologies are also examined towards shedding light on the proliferation of 5G through the C-RAN concept. © 2018, The Author(s).},

keywords = {5G, Cloud Radio Access Network, Common Public Radio Interface, Network function virtualization, Software-defined networking},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Bellavista2018b,

title = {Multi-domain SDN controller federation in hybrid FiWi-MANET networks},

author = { P. Bellavista and C. Giannelli and T. Lagkas and P. Sarigiannidis},

url = {https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324960944_Multi-domain_SDN_controller_federation_in_hybrid_FiWi-MANET_networks?_sg=LjB2gbdlzKCJ8dO99ORrJvAEVI0121CE4UzsEIpplV8k21Ai__lnot4ssMp03flkG4TP4QfCoGyBY9o},

doi = {10.1186/s13638-018-1119-0},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-01-01},

journal = {Eurasip Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking},

volume = {2018},

number = {1},

abstract = {Traditionally, mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) and hybrid optical-wireless networks, also known as fiber-wireless (FiWi), have been considered disjointly and independently, with no synergic management solutions. The former has primarily focused on dispatching packets among mobile nodes in infrastructure-less and very dynamic environments, the latter on offering high-bandwidth and low-latency access to cellular-equipped mobile nodes. The recent advancements and penetration of software-defined networking (SDN) techniques have stimulated the adoption of SDN-based flexible monitoring and control also for the MANET and FiWi domains. In this perspective, the paper originally proposes a model and an architecture that loosely federate MANET and FiWi domains based on the interaction of MANET and FiWi controllers: the primary idea is that our MANET and FiWi federated controllers can seldom exchange monitoring data and control hints the one with the other, thus mutually enhancing their capability of packet management over hybrid FiWi-MANET networks. Our model is applied to several relevant use cases to practically point out the benefits of the proposal in terms of both load balancing and fairness improvements. © 2018, The Author(s).},

keywords = {Fiber-wireless, MANET, Multi-domain federation, Software-defined networking},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}