Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) and network virtualization are integral to our modern networking landscape. While TSN enhances Ethernet with mechanisms for deterministic data transmission, network virtualization provides the flexibility and scalability required for rapidly deploying applications. However, their convergence remains a challenging topic.
This paper surveys the individual challenges of TSN and network virtualization before deriving issues that complicate the integration of TSN in virtualized networks (e.g., timing, scheduling, and hardware constraints). It also gives an overview of possible synergetic effects of TSN in virtualized environments before concluding with potential research directions that would benefit effective integration.
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Background
- 2.1. Time-Sensitive Networking
- 2.2. Virtualization
- 3. Challenges regarding Time-Sensitive Networking
- 4. Challenges regarding Network Virtualization
- 5. Combining Time-Sensitive Networking and Network Virtualization
- 5.1. Challenges and limitations
- 5.2. Possible synergetic effects
- 6. Conclusion and future work
Objective & Thematic Focus
This paper aims to survey the individual challenges of Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) and network virtualization, analyze issues complicating their integration into virtualized networks, and explore potential synergetic effects. Ultimately, it seeks to identify research directions that would facilitate effective convergence of these two critical networking technologies.
- Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) capabilities and standards
- Network Virtualization technologies and implementation
- Challenges in integrating TSN within virtualized networks
- Ensuring deterministic communication in virtualized environments
- Resource management and scheduling in converged networks
- Synergies and future research directions for TSN and virtualization
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) can be seen as the critical enabler of real-time networking. Industrial and automotive systems (e.g., advanced driver-assistance systems), as well as communication networks, have increasingly become real-time applications [1]. With this, the real-world need for deterministic communication with strict latency and jitter guarantees has increased drasti-cally. For example, a missed deadline in an airbag control system is a serious safety hazard.
TSN extends the Ethernet standard to support such guarantees and aims to enable the convergence of time-critical and best-effort network traffic [2]. Simultaneously, network virtualization has become irreplaceable. It enables flexible and programmable network infrastructures that allow virtual networks to share the same physical compo-nents [3]. This allows for separating physical infrastruc-ture and network services, which is essential for technolo-gies like 5G, edge computing, and for modern data center environments, as agile deployment and multitenancy are indispensable [4], [5]. Although these technologies devel-oped independently, their combination promises appealing opportunities. However, successfully integrating them is a challenging task. While virtualized environments provide flexibility, scalability, and resource efficiency, they can undermine the timing determinism that TSN was designed to guarantee [3], [6]. We will investigate the challenges in deploying TSN within virtualized network environments. Furthermore, we will discuss what is currently missing to make this process seamless. The paper is structured as follows: Section 2 provides the necessary background on TSN and network virtualization concepts. Section 3 focuses on challenges intrinsic to TSN, whereas Section 4 then outlines the challenges of virtualized networks. Lastly, in Section 5, we explore the integration challenges, highlighting conflicts and mutual benefits that arise when attempting to guarantee deterministic communication over a virtualized infrastructure, before concluding by summa-rizing the findings and suggesting directions for future research in Section 6.
Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) is a set of standards concerning deterministic communication that builds upon Ethernet, as Ethernet can not guarantee latency or low jitter (i.e., variation in packet delay) [1]. Essential concepts include:
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) and network virtualization as key technologies, highlighting the importance and the challenging task of integrating them for deterministic real-time communication.
2. Background: This section provides fundamental concepts of Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), detailing its mechanisms for deterministic communication, and explains Network Virtualization, including its techniques and benefits.
3. Challenges regarding Time-Sensitive Networking: This chapter discusses the complexities of modeling, simulation, clock synchronization, reliability, scheduling, traffic shaping, and the need for specialized hardware support in TSN environments.
4. Challenges regarding Network Virtualization: This chapter explores issues related to mapping physical resources (VNE), ensuring interoperability across heterogeneous networks, and maintaining security in virtualized network environments.
5. Combining Time-Sensitive Networking and Network Virtualization: This chapter analyzes the difficulties in integrating TSN into virtualized networks, particularly concerning timing precision, hardware constraints, and scheduling complexity, while also identifying potential synergistic benefits.
6. Conclusion and future work: This chapter summarizes the findings on the integration challenges between TSN and network virtualization and proposes future research directions to achieve seamless integration and fully leverage their combined benefits.
Keywords
Time-Sensitive Networking, TSN, Network Virtualization, TSN in virtualized networks, Deterministic communication, Real-time systems, Virtual Network Embedding, VNE, Quality of Service, QoS, Scheduling, Traffic shaping, Clock synchronization, Precision Time Protocol, PTP, Virtual Machines, VMs, Resource management, Latency, Jitter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this paper fundamentally about?
This paper fundamentally explores the challenges and potential benefits of integrating Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) with network virtualization to achieve deterministic communication in modern, flexible network landscapes.
What are the central thematic areas?
The central thematic areas include Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), network virtualization, their individual challenges, the complexities of their convergence, and potential synergistic effects.
What is the primary objective or research question?
The primary objective is to survey the challenges in deploying TSN within virtualized network environments, identify current limitations, and suggest future research directions for seamless integration.
Which scientific method is used?
The paper employs a survey-based approach, analyzing existing research and literature to identify individual and integrated challenges, as well as potential benefits and future work directions.
What is covered in the main body?
The main body covers a detailed background on TSN and network virtualization, the specific challenges related to TSN, the challenges inherent in network virtualization, and finally, the intricate challenges and potential synergies when combining both technologies.
What key terms characterize this work?
Key terms characterizing this work are Time-Sensitive Networking, TSN, Network Virtualization, Deterministic Communication, Real-time Systems, Quality of Service (QoS), and Virtual Network Embedding (VNE).
Why is integrating Time-Sensitive Networking with virtualized environments considered challenging?
Integration is challenging due to issues like maintaining timing precision in software-only virtualized setups, increased scheduling complexity in dynamic virtualized topologies, and resource contention on shared physical infrastructure undermining TSN's determinism.
How does network virtualization potentially undermine TSN's determinism?
Virtualized environments can introduce unpredictable latency, jitter, and packet loss due to hypervisor overhead, virtual switches, and shared physical resources, thereby undermining the strict timing determinism TSN is designed to guarantee.
What are some identified synergistic effects of combining TSN and network virtualization?
Synergistic effects include network virtualization addressing TSN's static topology limitations by enabling dynamic deployment of TSN functions, and TSN providing real-time guarantees to virtualized networks that often lack such determinism.
What future research directions are suggested for better integration?
Suggested future research includes developing accurate software-based clock synchronization protocols, flexible scheduling algorithms for dynamic environments, real-time solutions for the VNE problem, and improving kernel-bypassing techniques.
- Citation du texte
- Simon Burger (Auteur), 2025, Time-Sensitive Networking on virtualized network components, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1669780
