Tutorials

 

 

Sunday, January 8th

 

Tutorial #1: 4G to 5G and beyond: From theory to practice

Room Reno, 8:30 - 16:30

Instructor: Jacobus (Kobus) Van der Merwe - Kirk Webb

Abstract:
There is widespread agreement that the current 4G mobile network architecture will be unable to scale to support the number of expected Internet of Things (IoT) devices, nor will it satisfy the requirements of future applications like augmented reality, vehicular safety and real-time control. There is also widespread agreement that 5G, the next generation mobile network architecture, will address these problems and deliver a network architecture capable of dealing with scale, providing flexibility and service differentiation, dealing with spectrum more flexibly and simplifying the management and operation of mobile networks. Despite the widespread agreement on these topics, it remains frustratingly difficult to precisely define exactly what 5G will be. In this full day tutorial we will aim to address these concerns by intro- ducing attendees to core mobile networking concepts in both 4G and 5G, as well as enabling technologies that will form part of the expected 5G architec- ture. Further, we will do this by combining lecturing with strong hands-on components, thus not only providing attendees with a deep understanding of the topics, but bootstrapping them with the tools to enable practical re- search in this domain. For the hands-on exploration we will make use of the, remotely accessible, PhantomNet mobile testbed at the University of Utah.

 

 

Tutorial #2: On System-Level Analysis & Design of Cellular Networks: The Magic of Stochastic Geometry (from modeling to experimental validation)

Room Laughlin I, 8:30 - 12:00

Instructor: Marco di Renzo

Abstract:
The proposed tutorial is aimed to critically illustrate and discuss essential and enabling transmission technologies, communication protocols and architectures that are expected to make 5G wireless communication networks a reality. More specifically, the present tutorial is focused on illustrating the critical and essential importance of spatial models for an accurate system-level analysis and optimization of 5G networks, which are expected to use different frequency bands compared to state-of-the-art networks and to rely on a much denser deployment of access points and antenna-elements, to a scale that has never been observed in the past.
Due to the increased heterogeneity and deployment density, new flexible and scalable approaches for modeling, simulating, analyzing and optimizing cellular networks are needed. Recently, a new approach has been proposed: it is based on the theory of point processes and it leverages tools from stochastic geometry for tractable system-level modeling, performance evaluation and optimization. The potential of stochastic geometry for modeling and analyzing cellular networks will be investigated for application to several emerging case studies, including heterogeneous cellular networks, massive MIMO, mmWave communication, wireless power transfer, and energy harvesting. In addition, the accuracy of this emerging abstraction for modeling cellular networks will be experimentally validated by using base station locations and building footprints from two publicly available databases in the United Kingdom (OFCOM and Ordnance Survey). The tutorial is intended to offer a comprehensive and in-depth crash course to communication professionals and academics.

 

 

Tutorial #3: A First-Principles Approach to Computer Networking

Room Laughlin II, 8:30 - 12:00

Instructor: Joe Touch

Abstract:
This tutorial presents a new "first principles" approach to computer networking now being taught at USC. It is based on fundamental principles that evolved from USC/ISI's experience developing virtual networks and recursive networking. Past approaches focus on a protocol architecture that was developed in the 1970s by the international organization of telephone companies (the ITU) called Open Systems Interconnect (OSI). The OSI model was never widely deployed, yet it remains the basis of our network teaching. It describes a seven-layer architecture, but why those seven? Why exactly seven? Most computer networking texts explore past and present examples of networks by either assembling them bottom-up or disassembling them top-down. This tutorial explains a new approach to presenting computer networking that goes beyond construction and destruction towards fundamental understanding.

 

 

Tutorial #4: Software Defined Networking (SDN) for Mobile Network

Room Laughlin III, 8:30 - 12:00

Instructor: Adlen Ksentini

Abstract:
Several ongoing research and deployment scenarios envision the use of SDN to manage mobile network. Each scenario brings new ideas and challenges to accommodate SDN concepts to mobile network. This tutorial will present recent advance on the use of SDN in 4G and beyond. It will shed light on the advantage of using SDN in mobile network, and the related challenges and issues. The tutorial begins by reviewing the different mobile systems defined by 3GPP, comparing amongst the different relevant architectures and their evolution to the nowadays Evolved Packet System (EPS). After a short discussion on the basic principles of LTE, the tutorial presents the major architectural enhancements that have been already standardized within 3GPP for supporting EPS. The tutorial will be afterwards touching the ongoing advances in SDN. A particular focus will be done on the current technologies around SDN controllers and the different available APIs (Southbound and Northbound). The tutorial will then review and discuss several use-cases and architectures to introduce SDN in mobile network, presenting the advantage and inconvenient of each solution in term of performances and implementation. The tutorial will also present the ongoing solutions to combine SDN and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) to virtualize mobile network architecture (both the Radio Access Network (RAN) and the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) parts). Finally, the tutorial will discuss how SDN and NFV are envisioned for the future 5G architectures and discuss implementation of SDN for LTE in Open Air Interface (OAI) Core Network.

 

 

Tutorial #5: Towards the Tactile Internet: Low Latency Communication for Connected Cars

Room Laughlin I, 13:30 - 16:30

Instructor: Onur Altintas - Falko Dressler

Abstract:
In this tutorial lecture, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of the Tactile Internet and its fundamental concepts. Early 5G research was mainly about big data pipes and further increasing possible data rates in cellular as well as access networks. This situation changes. Current research towards 5G networks and the Tactile Internet focuses primarily on two core aspects: providing ultra-low latency as well as ultra-high reliability. Among many others, distributed control is considered a target application for such networking technologies. In the scope of this tutorial, we concentrate on connected cars as a prominent example Ð other include industry automation and smart city operations. In this scenario, short range radio broadcast as well as direct machine to machine communication will play a major role. We will primarily discuss the challenges and opportunities of the connected cars vision in relation to some of the most needed components in modern smart cities: improved road traffic safety combined with reduced travel times and emissions. Using selected application examples including the use of virtual traffic lights, intelligent intersection management, and platooning, we assess the needs on the underlying system components with a particular focus on inter-vehicle communication. We also shed light on the potentials of a vehicular cloud based on parked vehicles as a spatio-temporal network and storage infrastructure. Vehicular networking solutions have been investigated for more than a decade but recent standardization efforts just enable a broad use of this technology to build large scale Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).

 

 

Tutorial #6: Virtualization of Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data Paradigm in Consumer Applications

Room Laughlin II, 13:30 - 16:30

Instructor: Abdur Rahim Biswas - R. Venkatesha Prasad

Abstract:
Internet of Things (IoT) has been making waves and is permeating into the everyday life of people. All the smart-* applications are built around IoT. This tutorial will provide an overview of IoT first and then discuss various dimensions of IoT including the practical challenges. These include IoT long-range networking (LORA), architecture framework including gateway and software platform, open horizontal platform, explaining all components from bottom up (i.e. from the things with focus on sensors and interconnection of the things). The open horizontal platform is being developed to solve the interoperability problem of the Internet of Things. It provides a layer of system abstractions and APIs to enable application software to interact with a diverse set of IoT resources and protocols.
This tutorial will describe the Interoperability problem in the context of todayÕs ubiquitous Machine to Machine communication, describing different communication protocols, long-distance LORA network, and describes web-standards based techniques to connect the multitude of Silos together using common data models and system abstractions. Some examples of data integration across different data sources are shown in the context of user applications. Further focus on the different enabling technologies like real world objects virtualization, cognitive and autonomic technologies, real-world knowledge proofing, objects networking, harvesting technologies, etc. The tutorial will also provide several IoT applications for the developing nations using examples from Africa.

 

 

Wednesday, January 11th

 

Tutorial #7: Classification, Solutions, and Challenges of Denial of Service Attacks on the Smart Grid

Room Laughlin I, 8:30 - 12:00

Instructor: Suleyman Uludag

Abstract:
The overarching goal of this tutorial is to present the emerging Denial-of-Service (DoS) vulnerabilities, attacks taxonomy, challenges, and solutions in the Smart Grid. Unprecedented initiatives have recently been instituted around the world to ameliorate the electric grid with the Smart Grid (SG). The conception of the Smart Grid (SG) paradigm is to offer many benefits to the transmission, distribution, and consumption of energy.
According to NIST Guidelines for Cybersecurity, availability, the main target of DoS attacks, is the most important security objective for power system reliability. DoS attacks disrupting the Internet traffic have already cost billions of dollars world-wide. With the increasing connectedness of power grid systems, a DoS attack to the grid infrastructure causing a major power failure becomes quite possible and could be undoubtedly more harmful and costly. This is because in modern society electricity is a utility we depend mightily not only for communication but also for many other life-critical purposes. It is in this framework that we are proposing to present a structured, methodical, holistic, and comprehensive view of the availability dimension of the Smart Grid cybersecurity issues, threat models, existing solutions, and remaining challenges and research problems.

 

 

Tutorial #8: Next Generation IPTV - Toward the era of Ultra HD 4K

Room Laughlin III, 8:30 - 12:00

Instructor:Peng Tan

Abstract:
Advanced digital media compression technology, rapid development of high speed Internet, and IP networking technology have enabled the delivery of HD/SD video experience to consumer over IP connections. These years, content has been further evolved to beyond HD, with higher resolution, higher dynamic range and higher frame rate to allow consumer to enjoy life-like video experience. Major IPTV operators in North America and world-wide have launched UHD 4K services in their markets. 4K TV sales have grown enormously in the last two years. This talk will address this trend, and provide a timely tutorial about 4K video, its encoding theory, head-end design, service delivery, operation, and new challenges of this resolution format has posed to broadcasters and TV operators.