Network slicing for 5G edge services

Abstract

In the current 5G technology domain network slicing already plays an important role as a critical enabler. An industry that 5G aims to disrupt is the vehicular one. In this paper the brief scope of the 5G-DRIVE research project is presented, regarding 5G vehicular research between the EU and China. In the frame of 5G-DRIVE a set of slicing mechanisms are investigated and evaluated in regard to their performance. Firstly, related to slicing mechanisms in the NFV domain the OSM orchestrator is measured in terms of scalability and performance. In the next experimental set related to RAN slicing, the Katana Slice Manager is evaluated and depicts how different slicing configurations can achieve different performance results. Furthermore, the paper showcases how 5G network slicing can be integrated as a key enabler to the stringent demands of a vehicular network environment. Finally, the paper concludes, setting future directions in the related field.