Managing 5G network slicing and edge computing with the MATILDA telecom layer platform

The fifth generation (5G) of mobile networks is seen as a key enabler to support the introduction of digital technologies in multiple sectors, empowering different verticals and enabling new business models. Thanks to native capabilities of 5G networks, especially network slicing, edge computing and multi-tenancy, highly integrated telecom infrastructures with end-to-end flexibility will be realized to lower the barriers for creating 5G-ready applications that are able to satisfy business and user necessities. In this context, the MATILDA Project has established a holistic framework that unifies the development, deployment and operation for this new kind of applications. Since Edge Computing is not natively supported by 4G, in order to anticipate the technological improvements foreseen with the advent of 5G, as well as to smoothen the transition to the new technology, this paper describes the design of the end-point between the mobile and edge environments that has been integrated in the MATILDA telecom layer platform. Such end-point, designed in a Virtual Network Function (VNF), allows intercepting and forwarding data and control traffic towards external Data Networks. Instances of this VNF can be horizontally scaled according to a decision policy, which determines the minimum number of instances required for the current load. Results show that the latency ascribable to the VNF processing is sufficiently low to satisfy the delay budget for all 5G use-cases up to 10 ms and that a QCI-based decision policy allows scaling with the traffic load, while still fulfilling the performance requirements of each application.