Software-defined mobile network: Difference between revisions

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'''Software-defined mobile networking''' ('''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 2000s, 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-purposed [[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, Distributeddistributed, or Hybridhybrid? ===

In <ref>http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?arnumber=7166188</ref> aA new SDN architecture for [[Wirelesswireless distribution system|wireless distribution systems]]s (WDNsWDSs)]] 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.

In <ref>http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?arnumber=7166188</ref> a new SDN architecture for [[Wireless distribution system|wireless distribution systems (WDNs)]] is explored that eliminates the need for multi-hop flooding of route information and therefore enables WDNs to easily expand. 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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== 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]]