Software-defined mobile network: Difference between revisions

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'''Software-defined Defined Mobilemobile Networkingnetworking''' ('''SDMN''') is an approach to the design of mobile networks where all protocol-specific features are implemented in software, maximizing the use of generic and commodity hardware and software in both the [[core network]] and [[radio access network]] (RAN).

== History ==

Through the 20th century, telecommunications technology was driven by hardware development, with most functions implemented in special-purpose equipment.

In the early 2000’s2000s, generally available CPU’sCPUs became cheap enough to enable commercial [[software -defined radio]] (SDR) technology and [[softswitch]]es.

SDMN extends these trends into the design of mobile networks, moving nearly all network functions into software.

The term "software-defined mobile network" first appeared in public literature in early 2014, used independently by [http://www.limemicro.com Lime Microsystems] <ref>http://secure.marketwatch.com/story/lime-microsystems-bladerf-legba-partner-on-first-software-defined-mobile-network-2014-04-30 name="Lime"/><ref Microsystems: bladeRF, Legba partner on first software defined mobile network<name="BladeRF"/ref> and researchers from [[University of Oulu]], Finland.<ref>https://sites.google.com/site/callforchapterssdmn/ Call for Chapters (WILEY Publishers) Software Defined Mobile Networks (SDMN): Beyond LTE Network Architecture<name="Wiley"/ref>

== Limitations of Hardwarehardware-Basedbased Mobilemobile Networksnetworks ==

Mobile networks based on special-purpose hardware suffer from the following limitations:

* They have limited provisions for upgrades and usually must be replaced entirely when new standards are introduced.

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* Specialized hardware systems are usually supported and serviced by a single vendor, resulting in [[vendor lock-in]].

== Characteristics of SDMN Designsdesigns ==

=== Use of Softwaresoftware-Defineddefined Radioradio ===

SDR is an important element of SDMN, because it replaces protocol-specific radio hardware with protocol-agnostic digital transceivers.

While many earlier digital radio systems used [[Field programmable gate array|field-programmable gate arraysarray]]s (FPGAs) or special-puposedpurposed [[digital signal processorsprocessor]]s (DSPs) for calculations on baseband radio waveforms, the SDMN approach moves all of the baseband processing into general-purpose [[Centralcentral processing unit|CPUsCPU]]s.

SDMN radio systems also use hardware with publicly-documented interfaces that is designed to be readily reproducible by multiple manufacturers.

=== Commodity Componentscomponents ===

SDMN designs avoid the use of components that are specialized as to their functions or that are available from only a single vendor.

This is true of both the hardware and software elements of the network.

=== Software Switchingswitching and Transcodingtranscoding ===

The telephony switches of SDMN networks are software-based, including software transcoding for speech codecs.

=== Centralized, distributed, or hybrid? ===

A new SDN architecture for [[wireless distribution system]]s (WDSs) is explored that eliminates the need for multi-hop flooding of route information and therefore enables WDNs to easily expand.<ref name="Lipman_2015"/> The key idea is to split network control and data forwarding by using two separate frequency bands. The forwarding nodes and the SDN controller exchange link-state information and other network control signaling in one of the bands, while actual data forwarding takes place in the other band.

== Advantages of SDMN ==

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** Many aspects of the SDMN can be monitored and managed with pre-existing tools, because they are already available in the commodity operating systems.

* Because SDMN network components run on general purpose computers, the network components can be scaled up in capacity by adding more computing power.

== Examples of SDMN Designs ==

[http://www.vanu.com Vanu] was one of the first companies to offer an SDR-based radio system for mobile networks.

However, Vanu offered only the base stations, not a complete SDMN.

[http://yatebts.com YateBTS] is designed as part of a complete SDMN, including all of the standard functions of the core network.

== References ==

{{Reflist}}|refs=

<ref name="Lime">http://www.limemicro.com Lime Microsystems</ref>

<ref name="BladeRF">http://secure.marketwatch.com/story/lime-microsystems-bladerf-legba-partner-on-first-software-defined-mobile-network-2014-04-30 Lime Microsystems: bladeRF, Legba partner on first software defined mobile network</ref>

<ref name="Wiley">https://sites.google.com/site/callforchapterssdmn/ Call for Chapters (WILEY Publishers) Software Defined Mobile Networks (SDMN): Beyond LTE Network Architecture</ref>

<ref name="Lipman_2015">{{Cite journal |doi=10.1109/MNET.2015.7166188 |title=Software-defined wireless networking: Centralized, distributed, or hybrid? |date=2015 |last1=Abolhasan |first1=Mehran |last2=Lipman |first2=Justin |last3=Ni |first3=Wei |last4=Hagelstein |first4=Brett |journal=IEEE Network |volume=29 |issue=4 |pages=32–38}}</ref>

}}

[[Category:Telecommunications]]