Obiettivo
Main Objective
Based on results from other ACTS projects, such as INSIGNIA and EXODUS, MARINE will investigate enhancements to the Intelligent Network (IN) architecture by means of flexible allocation of service control resources. Fixed network services as well as mobility aspects will be considered. The project will develop prototypes of enhanced IN equipment incorporating Distributed Processing Environment (DPE) and Mobile Agent (MA) technologies. Part of the IN core functionality will be redefined by means of the MA/DPE paradigm. In particular, Service Logic will be specified and implemented as CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) objects able to move across the network and to be executed on different platforms. The added flexibility is expected to overcome bottlenecks currently present in the IN architecture, thus producing a more powerful network able to tailor the redistribution of its functionality according to service needs. The architecture developed will be validated by means of experiments.
Technical Approach
The project focuses on the enhancement of traditional IN by providing a higher degree of flexibility in the allocation of intelligence for service control between the IN elements. This is done on the basis of a distributed computational paradigm, incorporating MA technology, which models the interactions between IN elements in order to avoid a rigid binding of service control functionality to specific network elements.
MARINE will develop prototypes of IN core systems, such as Service Control Points (SCPs) and Service Switching Points (SSPs), providing the runtime environment for the execution of machine-independent Service Logic Programs (SLPs) downloaded from the network. The architecture adopted will allow these SLPs to be executed either directly on the switches or on the SCPs, depending on service needs in terms of required delays, reliability and computational resources.
The added flexibility will help to achieve a better exploitation of the computational resources available within the network and to spread network-provided services to a higher number of users. This is particularly important in a broadband environment, where complex services, both in terms of connection topology and resources requirements, are offered to the users. The project considers an integrated IN/B-ISDN environment as the starting point. MA and DPE technologies provide the technical basis for the needed IN enhancements. MARINE will not develop terminals and related applications but will use available equipment. Services will selected from INSIGNIA and EXODUS, the main selection criterion being adequate exploitation of MA/DPE capabilities in the enhanced environment. Core network enhancements aiming at a flexible provision of services for both fixed and mobile users are the focus of the project. These enhancements will be made possible by the availability of Java-based MA platforms on top of DPEs, which provide the basis for the dynamic reallocation of intelligence between IN core devices.
Backward compatibility with INAP-based systems is an issue for the project.
Summary of Trial
The project has planned one trial site simulating two networks and a single experimental phase, based on friendly users and concentrated in the last period of project activity. The objectives of the project, together with its duration, allow significant results to be obtained by means of this configuration, without the need for a trans-European trial. The trial aims to verify the enhancements of the IN architecture in terms of provision of a MA environment based on a DPE for service support.
During the trial, services selected from INSIGNIA and EXODUS and implemented according to the MA/DPE paradigm will be verified and the advantages expected from the dynamic allocation of network intelligence to IN nodes will be tested.
Expected Achievements
MARINE expects to validate the introduction of DPE technology enhanced by object mobility capabilities (MA platforms) within IN. The benefits of the resulting enhanced architecture will be tested in a trial and related experiments. In order to introduce the new paradigm smoothly, MARINE expects to address and solve the problem of backward compatibility with the Intelligent Network Application Part (INAP)-based, centralised IN architecture.
Expected Impact
The activities carried out within MARINE should provide an analysis, validated by experimental results, of the design of an enhanced IN architecture, able to cope dynamically with service requirements. This will help to understand the feasibility of the MA/DPE-based IN and to highlight related issues, including backward compatibility. Results will be disseminated through contributions to the appropriate standardisation bodies.
Main contributions to the programme objectives:
Main deliverables
The decentralisation of IN core networks by using intelligent agents in IN components
Contribution to the programme
Increases flexibility and efficiency of Intelligent Networks
Key Issues
-introduction of flexibility in IN architecture by means of MAs and DPEs;
-selection, usage and enhancement of available MA platforms;
-integration of Agent Execution Environments (AEEs) within the IN architecture;
-provision of compatibility with the traditional IN environment;
-design of enhanced IN physical elements;
-usage of "state of the art" agent technology;
-usage of equipment, services and service components coming from previous ACTS projects.
Campo scientifico (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifica i progetti con EuroSciVoc, una tassonomia multilingue dei campi scientifici, attraverso un processo semi-automatico basato su tecniche NLP. Cfr.: Il Vocabolario Scientifico Europeo.
CORDIS classifica i progetti con EuroSciVoc, una tassonomia multilingue dei campi scientifici, attraverso un processo semi-automatico basato su tecniche NLP. Cfr.: Il Vocabolario Scientifico Europeo.
- scienze naturali informatica e scienze dell'informazione intelligenza artificiale
- scienze naturali matematica matematica pura topologia
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Coordinatore
20019 MilanoO
Italia
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