A Queuing based Dynamic Auto Scaling Algorithm for the LTE EPC Control Plane

TL;DR

This paper proposes a queuing-based dynamic auto-scaling algorithm for LTE EPC control plane, aiming to improve resource allocation efficiency and reduce costs in 5G network slicing environments.

Contribution

It introduces a novel queuing-based auto-scaling algorithm specifically designed for LTE EPC control plane to optimize resource utilization and cost-effectiveness.

Findings

Effective in reducing operational costs

Maintains required delay and bandwidth for slices

Performs well in small-scale networks

Abstract

Network Slicing (NS) is expected to be a key functionality of the upcoming 5G systems. Coupled with Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV),NS will enable a flexible deployment of Network Functions belonging to multiple Service Function Chains (SFC) over a shared infrastructure. To address the complexities that arise from this new environment, we formulate a MILP optimization model that enables a cost-optimal deployment of network slices, allowing a Mobile Network Operator to efficiently allocate the underlying layer resources according to the users' requirements. For each network slice, the proposed solution guarantees the required delay and the bandwidth, while efficiently handling the usage of underlying nodes, which leads to reduced cost. The obtained results show the efficiency of the proposed solution in terms of cost and execution time for small-scale networks, while it shows an interesting behavior in the large-scale topologies.