Cloud-Based Federation Framework and Prototype for Open, Scalable, and Shared Access to NextG and IoT Testbeds

TL;DR

This paper introduces a cloud-based federation framework for wireless testbeds that automates backend operations, enabling scalable remote access to NextG and IoT testbeds, demonstrated through deployment on AWS.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel federation framework with key components and a prototype deployment on AWS, simplifying testbed federation and access for wireless research.

Findings

Successfully federated two wireless testbeds on AWS

Automated backend operations reduce federation complexity

Framework facilitates open, scalable access to NextG and IoT testbeds

Abstract

In this work, we present a new federation framework for UnionLabs, an innovative cloud-based resource-sharing infrastructure designed for next-generation (NextG) and Internet of Things (IoT) over-the-air (OTA) experiments. The framework aims to reduce the federation complexity for testbeds developers by automating tedious backend operations, thereby providing scalable federation and remote access to various wireless testbeds. We first describe the key components of the new federation framework, including the Systems Manager Integration Engine (SMIE), the Automated Script Generator (ASG), and the Database Context Manager (DCM). We then prototype and deploy the new Federation Plane on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) public cloud, demonstrating its effectiveness by federating two wireless testbeds: i) UB NeXT, a 5G-and-beyond (5G+) testbed at the University at Buffalo, and ii) UT IoT, an IoT testbed at the University of Utah. Through this work we aim to initiate a grassroots campaign to democratize access to wireless research testbeds with heterogeneous hardware resources and network environment, and accelerate the establishment of a mature, open experimental ecosystem for the wireless community. The API of the new Federation Plane will be released to the community after internal testing is completed.