Facilitating Adaptive Placement of Management and Control Functions in Converged ICT Systems - Advances in Network-Embedded Management and Applications - page 53

Chapter 4
Facilitating Adaptive Placement of Management and
Control Functions in Converged ICT Systems
Dominique Dudkowski and Marcus Brunner
NEC Laboratories Europe, Network Research Division,
Kurfürsten-Anlage 36, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
{dudkowski|brunner}@neclab.eu
Abstract. Mechanisms for the management and control (M&C) of large-
scale ICT systems, both established and innovative ones, generally
follow a distinct approach on the dimensions from centralized to
distributed and flat to hierarchical architectures. In this paper, we
examine representative M&C frameworks and technologies and show
that such a restrictive architectural choice is incompatible with system
convergence, like computing/networking and fixed/mobile. To improve
this situation, we propose a novel architectural approach that facilitates
the adaptive placement of M&C functions by using different
combinations of distribution and hierarchy patterns concurrently. Using
a computing/networking systems scenario and a simulator prototype,
we illustrate the potential of the proposed M&C approach in achieving
more efficient overall M&C of converged ICT infrastructures.
Keywords: Management systems, control systems, centralization,
distribution, hierarchy, convergence of ICT infrastructures, OpenFlow.
1 Introduction
Modern systems of information and communication technology (ICT) are
in the process of converging on several dimensions, such as
computing/networking and fixed/mobile. Powerful complementary paradigms,
most notably virtualization, enable completely new and comprehensive
system architectures, such as cloud computing, cloud networking, and
amalgamations of both.
Managing such converged ICT systems becomes challenging because
traditionally separated management realms now need to be considered within