Rethinking Network Testers for Next Generation of 5G/6G Networks and Applications.

• Grant number: 24/16207-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: November 01, 2024
• End date: October 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Electrical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Christian Rodolfo Esteve Rothenberg
• Grantee: Filipo Gabert Costa
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação (FEEC). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Company: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação (FEEC)
• Associated research grant: 21/00199-8 - SMART NEtworks and ServiceS for 2030 (SMARTNESS), AP.PCPE

Abstract

The rising demand for network resources driven by real-time and data-intensive applications accelerates network modernization by executing computational tasks directly within the network infrastructure (e.g., programmable switches or SmartNICs). However, such applications can consume hundreds of Gbps of bandwidth, which is not easily/freely available for experimentation.By replicating real-world traffic patterns, researchers can acquire valuable insights into network behavior and assess the effectiveness of protocols, algorithms, and security measures, which can help develop more robust algorithms (e.g., load balancing) for more intense applications.Developing efficient traffic generators is essential for enabling this type of experimentation, allowing network operators and researchers to test, validate, and improve network infrastructures. However, the current and next generation of 5G/6G networks pose even more significant challenges for traffic generators, as they must now support new protocols, achieve throughputs in the Tbps range, and delays in the nanosecond scale.Therefore, in this research plan, we propose redesigning the current traffic generators, investigating (i) the opportunities offered by the latest generation of programmable network devices (e.g., Tofino 2, NVIDIA Bluefield, and Xilinx SmartNICs) to extend current network testers (e.g., PIPO-TG and P4R), and~(ii) the development of a toolkit able to generate traffic following 5G/6G protocols, applications, and scenarios (e.g., Time-Sensitive Networks (TSN), QUIC, etc). This proposal outlines the research goals, methodology, and potential research plan for each research question.