Optimal Management of Reusable Functional Blocks in 5G Superfluid Networks

We consider the problem of managing a 5G network composed of virtualized entities, called Reusable Functional Blocks (RFBs), as proposed by the Horizon 2020 SUPERFLUIDITY project. The RFBs are used to decompose network functions and services, and are deployed on top of physical nodes, in order to realize the 5G functionalities. After formally modelling the RFBs in a 5G network, as well as the physical nodes hosting them, we formulate the problem of managing the 5G network through the RFBs, in order to satisfy different Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to users. In particular, we focus either on the maximization of the amount of downlink throughput sent to users, or on the minimization of the number of powered-on physical nodes. We then consider different scenarios to evaluate the proposed formulations. Our results show that, when an RFB-based approach is put into place, a high level of flexibility and dynamicity is achieved. In particular, the RFBs can be shared, moved, and rearranged based on the network conditions. As a result, the downlink throughput can be extremely high, i.e., more than 150 [Mbps] per user on average when the throughput maximization is pursued, and more than 100 [Mbps] on average when the goal is the minimization of the number of powered-on physical nodes.