5G putting the ‘smart’ in today’s smart homes
block, which manages all of the three above-mentioned layers to ensure the efficient coordinated coexistence of multiple slices The service layer interfaces with 5G network business entities that share the underlying physical network (such entities may be mobile virtual network operators and third-party service providers, for instance), and it also provides appropriate service requirements. The network function layer ensures the development of each network slice in line with the service instance requests from the upper layer. The infrastructure layer, on the other hand, provides the physical network topology required for 5G network multiplexing and the physical network resources needed to host several network functions in each slice.
applications, many of which will be covered throughout this discussion. Correspondingly, users are increasingly incorporating a network slicing concept into their smart home systems to achieve the high efficiency and reliability that is required of their interconnected smart devices. 5G network slicing is the process by which a network architecture allows virtual and independent network multiplexing, all within the same physical network infrastructure. In the context of smart homes, such a use of 5G network slicing ensures that the network slices meet various requirements for specific smart home applications by establishing an isolated end- to-end network. The following paragraphs explore the following: A generic 5G network slicing framework A typical 5G network slicing case for a smart home network To address the former, Figure 1 [2] presents an architecture that maps out common elements of different solutions into a unified, generic framework. The framework comprises two blocks: A three-tier architecture block, which includes the service layer, network function layer, and infrastructure layer
The following subsection presents a 5G network slicing use case that reflects the capability of 5G to boost the efficiency of smart home systems. Figure 2 [3] illustrates a typical 5G network slicing framework for smart homes. To meet the security requirements of smart home security systems, engineers specialised in 5G will usually isolate the system into a dedicated end-to-end network slice. Such engineers assign an AUSF (Authentication Server Function) for the system to carry out the device authentication before granting access to a network slice. The network slice for eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband) network slice, moreover, ensures the connectivity of high data rate-intensive devices,
Service Layer
Virtual mobile operator
3rd party service provider
Network Layer Function
Network function
Network operation
Infrastructure Layer
Radio Access network
Transport Network
Core network
Figure 1. A diagram that covers the generic framework for 5G network slicing. Credit: Foukas et al. (2017)
The network slice controller
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