Self-Management for Access Points Coverage Optimization and Mobility Agents Configuration in Future Access Networks

A key challenge for the management systems of future networks is the reduction of human interventions in the fundamental management functions. These include mechanisms that render the networks capable to configure, optimize, heal and protect itself, but also handle the emerging complexity. Demands for the future internet networks mandate the rapid assessment of the feasibility of such cognitive management architectures that shall bridge the gap between conceptual design and practical network deployments. In this paper, a novel architecture is introduced, based on organized distribution of control feedback cycles at locations allocated across network’s operational elements. Two realisations of self-management in the operations of wired and wireless access network segments are presented. The first one is focused on organization of the wireless access regions in networks by the use of compartments of access points for enabling coverage optimization. A compartment-based approach facilitates the more efficient usage of network resources, exploiting local situation awareness and local optimisation features, according to the varying traffic needs. The second realization shows the control of mobility management processes in wired parts of access networks for balancing utilization of network resources. A dynamic deployment and re-configuration of mobility agents permit to tackle the problem of congestion induced by mobility agents in mobile protocols and combined with a dynamic access router assignment, network resources are efficiently balanced within the network. The paper concludes with findings and recommendations on how common principles of self-management evolve from design theory to practice.