Migration Path Towards Cloud-Aware Core Networks

Towards Cloud-Aware Core Networks

Data Center (DC)-based services are emerging as relevant source of network capacity demand for service providers and telecom operators. Cloud computing services, Content Distribution Networks (CDNs), and, generally, the networked applications have a huge impact on the telecom operator infrastructure. Cloud computing paradigm provides a new model for service delivery where computing resources can be provided on-demand across the network. This elasticity permits the sharing of resources among users, thus reducing costs and maximizing utilization, while posing a challenge towards an efficient cloud-aware network.

The computing resources can be provided on-demand depending on the user requests. Such resources can be allocated on distinct servers into a data center, or through data centers distributed in the network. Under this new model, the users access their assigned resources, as well as the applications and services using them, through telecom operator networks. Additionally, thanks to the possibility of allocating resources in separated data centers, the network should to dynamically connect users to services and applications, which now are consumed independently of where either the resource or the user is located. The versatile consumption of resources and the distinct nature of the applications running on it will produce very variable traffic patterns on the connections to the data centers.