SIMECA: SDN-based IoT Mobile Edge Cloud Architecture Binh Nguyen, Nakjung Choi, Marina Thottan, Jacobus Van der Merwe Email : {binh, kobus}@cs.utah.edu {nakjung.choi, marina.thottan}@nokia.com Limitations of current LTE/EPC architecture in supporting IoT 1. Inflexibility in deploying new IoT services: - The network is "closed" with a heavy weight standards process. 2. Centralized deployment of core network functions: - Specialized and hardware-based equipment (SPGW, MME, PCRF) deployed in a limited physical locations. 3. Heavy-weight data and control plane for IoT traffic: - GTP tunnels add data plane overhead and forwarding states. - Maintaining GTP tunnels incurs control plane signaling. Proposed mobile edge cloud architecture for IoT services 1. Multiple IoT service providers share an infrastructure. • IoT network service abstraction (ISA) realized by NFV, SDN, and cloud. 2. More distributed architecture: mobile edge network and cloud. • NFV mobility functions and cloud deployed close to the edge, SDN-based forwarding. 3. Light-weight data and control plane for IoT devices. • Remove GTP tunnels, best-effort forwarding to local cloud. • SDN-based path implementation. Demo set up SIMECA vs. LTE/EPC: number of forwarding states Infrastructure: mobile edge network and edge cloud References 1. PhantomNet. https://www.phantomnet.org. 2. OpenAirInterface. http://openairinterface.eurecom.fr. 3. OpenEPC. http://www.openepc.com/. IoT Service Abstraction, Control and Data plane GTP tunnels in LTE/EPC core network OpenEPC eNB* 1 OpenEPC eNB* 2 IoT device 1 IoT device 2 Attenuator Mobility Function SDN controller OVS SDN edge network Server OVS 1 Server OVS 2 Server 1 Server 2 SDN-enabled Base Stations SDN-based Edge cloud Edge cloud Service platform 1 Service platform 2 SDN-edge network <1ms <1ms <1ms OAI eNB* Nexus 5 Provider Control plane S1AP/ NAS OPF OPF REST src: DI1 dst: DI2 D1 src: DI1 dst: DI2 D2 src: RI1 dst: RI2 src: DI3 dst: A D3 src: RI3 dst: A A BS1 BS2 BS3 BS4 Demo scenarios 1. C2S attach: - Nexus 5 attaches to edge cloud via OAI eNB*. 2. P2P attach: - Emulated client attaches and communicates with the Nexus 5 via emulated OPENEPC eNB*. 3. Mobility: - Emulated client hands-over and maintains a continuous flow with the Nexus 5. Region 1 Region 2 Edge Cloud SDN edge Network S-BS gateway switch MC-1 MC-2 MF IC Dumb-core (SDN edge) MC eNB-1 eNB-2 MME S-BS SGW PGW Internet S1AP S11 S5S8 OPF/S1AP EPC-core BS1 BS2 GTP-U tunnels SDN rules S1-U SIMECA LTE/EPC GS MF UE1 UE2 REST M1 M2 GTP/UDP/IP UDP/IP Payload 36 Bytes 28 Bytes IP packet inside LTE/EPC core network Endpoint sent IP packet Identity mgnt Connectivity Handover NIB Device tracking Mobility interface SDN IoT service abstraction Infrastructure "Attach to server A" MF MC 1 2 3 4 5