Mitigating Systemic Risks in Future Networks

TL;DR

This paper proposes a game-theoretic methodology for modeling and optimizing future networks to mitigate systemic risks, aiming for self-governance and enhanced stability with minimal human intervention.

Contribution

It introduces a novel utility-based framework modeling network controllers as a complex ecosystem to ensure stability through global utility optimization.

Findings

Global utility optimization can enhance network stability.

Self-governance is feasible with proper utility function design.

The methodology supports dynamic and adaptive network management.

Abstract

This paper elaborates about the potential risk of systemic instabilities in future networks and proposes a methodology to mitigate it. The starting concept is modeling the network as a complex environment (e.g. ecosystem) of resources and associated functional controllers in a continuous and dynamic game of cooperation - competition. Methodology foresees defining and associating utility functions to these controllers and elaborating a global utility function (as a function of the controllers' utility functions) for the overall network. It is conjectured that the optimization of the global utility function ensures network stability and security evaluations. Paper concludes arguing that self-governance (with limited human intervention) is possible provided that proper local, global control rules are coded into these utility functions optimization processes.