Current and envisaged use cases, extending beyond 2030, require a more flexible and dynamic network architecture. 6G systems are expected to further broaden the range of vertical sectors supported, with reduced complexity while pushing performance limits even further. Simplicity should be a primary goal for 6G, achieved as a natural outcome of utilizing cutting-edge technologies such as the ability to program the user plane, cloud-native features, seamless acceleration of network functions (NFs) or application workloads, and data-driven network automation. DESIRE6G proposes a novel architecture leveraging these technologies to support diverse use cases, focusing on ultra-low latency and mission-critical control loops.
The primary objective of DESIRE6G is to design and prototype a 6G network centered on data-driven autonomic networking and deep programmability, enabling rapid service generation, automated optimizations, and easy-to-use APIs towards the applications, etc. A key proposition is the use of an end-to-end programmable data plane supporting multitenancy, providing flexibility in workload offloading and customization of network behavior, considering performance and power efficiency. To this end, DESIRE6G introduces an infrastructure management layer that separates business logic from the infrastructure layer, simplifying the use of hybrid hardware systems and cloud-native resource management.
DESIRE6G is targeting autonomic networking through a architecture that employs an intent-base service management and orchestration layer, introducing Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) for distributed intelligent control, bringing network intelligence closer to the user plane for near-real-time decision-making. This results in an AI-powered multi-level service optimization framework that considers various inputs, KPIs, and policies to optimize services and infrastructure. The project also introduces a pervasive monitoring system, utilizing network telemetry for accurate end-to-end information collection. DESIRE6G employs Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) as a zero-trust mechanism throughout its architecture, enabling dynamic service federation across multiple administrative domains and enhancing the security of the MAS-based approach.
