Publication: Diseño de soluciones de despliegue y test automático de aplicaciones de red en entornos 5G
Authors
Hermosilla García, Ana
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Escuela Internacional de Doctorado
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Ortiz Murillo, Jordi ; Skarmeta Gómez, Antonio
Publisher
Universidad de Murcia
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DOI
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info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis
Description
Abstract
La presente tesis aborda los retos asociados al despliegue y validación de Aplicaciones de Red en entornos 5G, con un enfoque particular en la automatización de procesos y en la reducción de las barreras de entrada para pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYMEs). El trabajo se enmarca en la transición tecnológica de infraestructuras rígidas y dependientes del hardware hacia arquitecturas virtualizadas, distribuidas y definidas por software, en las que convergen paradigmas como la Virtualización de Funciones de Red (NFV), las Redes Definidas por Software (SDN), la Computación en el Borde (Edge Computing) y el concepto de network slicing. Este ecosistema abre un abanico de posibilidades para servicios avanzados, pero a la vez plantea importantes desafíos en términos de complejidad de despliegue, interoperabilidad y necesidad de metodologías de validación reproducibles.
El primer bloque de la investigación consistió en el diseño e implementación de una infraestructura experimental NFV/5G, que sirviera de base para la evaluación de aplicaciones en condiciones realistas. Se desarrolló un banco de pruebas que integra componentes de NFV, SDN y MEC, incluyendo nodos embarcables de cómputo, capaces de ejecutar funciones virtualizadas en escenarios con restricciones de recursos. Este entorno no solo permitió la validación técnica de arquitecturas complejas, sino también la exploración de casos de uso relevantes, como la gestión de dispositivos IoT en agricultura mediante nodos móviles con capacidad de actualización en campo.
Posteriormente, se definió una metodología estructurada para el ciclo de vida de las Aplicaciones de Red, que incluye las fases de diseño, incorporación (onboarding), instanciación, testeo y validación. Esta metodología se complementa con la introducción de un descriptor de pruebas para formalizar los requisitos de validación. Dicho descriptor permite describir casos de prueba, fases de ejecución y métricas esperadas, facilitando la automatización de los procesos y garantizando la reproducibilidad en infraestructuras heterogéneas. De este modo, se logra no solo favorecer la comparabilidad científica, sino también facilitar la adopción industrial.
El tercer pilar de la tesis es el diseño de una plataforma software que materializa la metodología propuesta. Esta plataforma, validada en el marco del proyecto europeo H2020 5GASP, simplifica el trabajo de los desarrolladores y operadores al ofrecer un flujo coherente que cubre desde el despliegue inicial hasta la obtención de métricas clave de rendimiento. Además, se introdujo un componente de Integración y Despliegue Continuo (CI/CD) adaptado al dominio de las telecomunicaciones, capaz de alternar entre flujos de validación en infraestructuras completas con RAN física y flujos de desarrollo acelerados sobre slices virtualizados y RAN emulada.
La validación de las soluciones propuestas se llevó a cabo mediante la aplicación vOBU migration de la empresa Odin Solutions, que se adaptó al formato de Aplicación de Red y se desplegó sobre la infraestructura desarrollada. Los resultados muestran mejoras significativas en la eficiencia de despliegue, la facilidad de validación y la posibilidad de replicar experimentos bajo distintas condiciones de red.
En síntesis, la tesis contribuye con: (1) una infraestructura experimental NFV/5G realista, (2) una metodología estandarizada y extensible para el ciclo de vida de Aplicaciones de Red, (3) un descriptor de pruebas que habilita validación sistemática y reproducible, y (4) un componente automático de CI/CD para entornos 5G. Estas aportaciones no solo facilitan la integración de PYMEs en el ecosistema 5G, sino que también abren la puerta a un desarrollo más ágil, accesible y científico de servicios de telecomunicaciones en evolución hacia 6G.
This thesis addresses the challenges associated with the deployment and validation of Network Applications in 5G environments, with a particular focus on process automation and the reduction of entry barriers for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The research is framed within the ongoing transition from rigid, hardware-dependent infrastructures to virtualized, distributed, and software-defined architectures, where paradigms such as Network Function Virtualization (NFV), Software-Defined Networking (SDN), Edge Computing, and network slicing converge. While these paradigms enable new opportunities for advanced services, they also introduce significant challenges regarding deployment complexity, interoperability across heterogeneous environments, and the need for reproducible validation methodologies. The first stage of the work consisted of the design and implementation of an experimental NFV/5G infrastructure, serving as a testbed to evaluate applications under realistic conditions. The platform integrates NFV, SDN, and MEC components, including lightweight and mobile computing nodes capable of running virtualized functions in resource-constrained scenarios. This environment not only enabled the technical validation of complex architectures but also supported the exploration of practical use cases, such as IoT device management in agriculture through deployable MEC nodes capable of on-site updates and connectivity recovery. Building on this foundation, a structured methodology was defined for the lifecycle of Network Applications, covering design, onboarding, instantiation, testing, and validation phases. A novel contribution of this thesis is the creation of a dedicated test descriptor, which formalizes validation requirements, execution steps, and expected outputs. This descriptor enables automation and ensures reproducibility across heterogeneous infrastructures, supporting both scientific replicability and industrial adoption. A software platform was then developed to embody the proposed methodology. Validated within the European H2020 5GASP project, this platform streamlines developer and operator workflows by offering a coherent process that spans from onboarding to KPI measurement and reporting. Additionally, an Automatic CI/CD component tailored to NFV/5G environments was designed and implemented. This component introduces a dual workflow: one focused on full validation in realistic 5G infrastructures with physical RAN elements, and another dedicated to fast-paced development using emulated RAN and virtualized slices, thereby reducing iteration overhead while maintaining realism. The proposed solutions were validated through the vOBUmigration application from Odin Solutions, which was adapted to the Network Application model and deployed on the developed testbed. In summary, this thesis makes four major contributions: (1) a realistic NFV/5G experimental infrastructure, (2) a standardized and extensible methodology for the lifecycle of Network Applications, (3) a novel test descriptor enabling systematic and reproducible validation, and (4) an Automatic CI/CD component tailored to 5G environments. Collectively, these contributions lower the technical barriers for SMEs and small developers, while also empowering the scientific community with reproducible frameworks for experimentation. Beyond 5G, they pave the way for more agile, inclusive, and scientifically rigorous approaches to the design, deployment, and validation of network services in future 6G ecosystems.
This thesis addresses the challenges associated with the deployment and validation of Network Applications in 5G environments, with a particular focus on process automation and the reduction of entry barriers for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The research is framed within the ongoing transition from rigid, hardware-dependent infrastructures to virtualized, distributed, and software-defined architectures, where paradigms such as Network Function Virtualization (NFV), Software-Defined Networking (SDN), Edge Computing, and network slicing converge. While these paradigms enable new opportunities for advanced services, they also introduce significant challenges regarding deployment complexity, interoperability across heterogeneous environments, and the need for reproducible validation methodologies. The first stage of the work consisted of the design and implementation of an experimental NFV/5G infrastructure, serving as a testbed to evaluate applications under realistic conditions. The platform integrates NFV, SDN, and MEC components, including lightweight and mobile computing nodes capable of running virtualized functions in resource-constrained scenarios. This environment not only enabled the technical validation of complex architectures but also supported the exploration of practical use cases, such as IoT device management in agriculture through deployable MEC nodes capable of on-site updates and connectivity recovery. Building on this foundation, a structured methodology was defined for the lifecycle of Network Applications, covering design, onboarding, instantiation, testing, and validation phases. A novel contribution of this thesis is the creation of a dedicated test descriptor, which formalizes validation requirements, execution steps, and expected outputs. This descriptor enables automation and ensures reproducibility across heterogeneous infrastructures, supporting both scientific replicability and industrial adoption. A software platform was then developed to embody the proposed methodology. Validated within the European H2020 5GASP project, this platform streamlines developer and operator workflows by offering a coherent process that spans from onboarding to KPI measurement and reporting. Additionally, an Automatic CI/CD component tailored to NFV/5G environments was designed and implemented. This component introduces a dual workflow: one focused on full validation in realistic 5G infrastructures with physical RAN elements, and another dedicated to fast-paced development using emulated RAN and virtualized slices, thereby reducing iteration overhead while maintaining realism. The proposed solutions were validated through the vOBUmigration application from Odin Solutions, which was adapted to the Network Application model and deployed on the developed testbed. In summary, this thesis makes four major contributions: (1) a realistic NFV/5G experimental infrastructure, (2) a standardized and extensible methodology for the lifecycle of Network Applications, (3) a novel test descriptor enabling systematic and reproducible validation, and (4) an Automatic CI/CD component tailored to 5G environments. Collectively, these contributions lower the technical barriers for SMEs and small developers, while also empowering the scientific community with reproducible frameworks for experimentation. Beyond 5G, they pave the way for more agile, inclusive, and scientifically rigorous approaches to the design, deployment, and validation of network services in future 6G ecosystems.
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