Johann M Marquez-Barja | University of Antwerp (original) (raw)

Papers by Johann M Marquez-Barja

Educational institutions have to train the next-generation workforce. Unfortunately, it is not ea... more Educational institutions have to train the next-generation workforce. Unfortunately, it is not easy for educational institutions and educators to adapt to this unpredictable and volatile labor world. Besides, students have become more demanding adopting a role close to a consumer. They also have embraced a lifelong learning strategy in «skills learning» through professional development as a common occupational norm. Remote laboratories have emerged as an educational tool in order to provide flexibility to practical training. However, they are going to turn into core elements in future educational approaches due to students' demands and technological advances.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) sales are increasing in the recent years due to several factors such as c... more Electric Vehicles (EVs) sales are increasing in the recent years due to several factors such as cost reduction, fuel cost increase, pollution reductions, government incentives, among others. At the same time, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are continuously improving, and researchers use different simulators in order to test their proposals before implementing them in real devices. However, traditional communications-aimed simulations do not include fuel consumption issues that are a key factor in transportation systems. This paper presents the addition of Electric Vehicles consumption to the ns-3 simulator, which currently is one of the most used network simulators. Our proposal follows all the models, coding style, as well as engineering guidelines of ns-3, coupled with the characteristics of each vehicle, to accurately estimate the energy consumption. We also analyze the performance of our proposal while simulating a part of the E313 highway, located in Antwerp, Belgium. In particular, we compare the ns-3 results obtained in terms of energy consumption to those obtained in SUMO. In addition, we study the impact of our proposal on the overall simulation time.

The Internet of Things is a new technological step in the anytime, everywhere, anything IP connec... more The Internet of Things is a new technological step in the anytime, everywhere, anything IP connectivity context. Things (sensors, wearable objects, connected cars...) are equipped with computers and various communication resources. IoT devices deal with Wireless Local Area Network, Wireless Personal Area Network, Near Field Communication, or new operated radio networks with low throughput such as SIGFOX or LoRA. In this context security and trust are very critical topics, both for users and service providers. In this paper we present new and innovative security modules based on ISO7816 chips, which have been recently introduced by an IETF draft. These low cost, low power, tamper resistant devices, run TLS and DTLS stacks. DTLS is the datagram adaptation of the well known TLS protocol, which is de facto standard for the internet security. It is the security layer of the Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) targeting sensors networks in a context of smart energy and building automation. We shortly recall TLS and DTLS features, and introduce the flights concept. We present the TLS/DTLS security module interface, which is based on previous work dealing with the EAP-TLS protocol, widely used for authentication in wireless networks and VPNs. We describe our prototype platform based on a java framework that implement a software bridge with the TLS/DTLS security module and which is compatible with the popular Raspberry Pi board. Finally we detail the experimental performances, compatible with the constraints of IoT, observed for an implementation running in a javacard.

arXiv (Cornell University), Oct 30, 2020

Software-Defined Metamaterials (SDMs) show a strong potential for advancing the engineered contro... more Software-Defined Metamaterials (SDMs) show a strong potential for advancing the engineered control of electromagnetic waves. As such, they are envisioned to enable a variety of exciting applications, among others in the domains of smart textiles, high-resolution structural monitoring, and sensing in challenging environments. Many of the applications envisage deformations of the SDM structures, such as their bending, stretching or rolling, which implies that the locations of metamaterial elements will be changing relative to one another. In this paper, we argue that if the metamaterial elements would be accurately localizable, this location information could potentially be utilized for enabling novel SDM applications, as well as for optimizing the control of the elements themselves. To enable their localization, we assume that these elements are controlled wirelessly through a Terahertz (THz)operating nanonetwork. We consider the elements to be power-constrained, with their sole powering option being to harvest energy from different environmental sources. By means of simulation, we demonstrate sub-millimeter accuracy of the two-way Time of Flight (ToF)-based localization, as well as high availability of the service (i.e., consistently more than 80% of the time), which is a result of the low energy consumed in the localization process. Finally, we qualitatively characterize the latency of the proposed localization service, as well as outline several challenges and future research directions.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 8, 2021

Next-generation mobile networks are expected to flaunt highly (if not fully) automated management... more Next-generation mobile networks are expected to flaunt highly (if not fully) automated management. To achieve such a vision, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques will be key enablers to craft the required intelligence for networking, i.e., Network Intelligence (NI), empowering myriad of orchestrators and controllers across network domains. In this paper, we elaborate on the DAEMON architectural model, which proposes introducing a NI Orchestration layer for the effective end-to-end coordination of NI instances deployed across the whole mobile network infrastructure. Specifically, we first outline requirements and specifications for NI design that stem from data management, control timescales, and network technology characteristics. Then, we build on such analysis to derive initial principles for the design of the NI Orchestration layer, focusing on (i) proposals for the interaction loop between NI instances and the NI Orchestrator, and (ii) a unified representation of NI algorithms based on an extended MAPE-K model. Our work contributes to the definition of the interfaces and operation of a NI Orchestration layer that foster a native integration of NI in mobile network architectures.

2021 International Conference on Information and Communication Technology Convergence (ICTC), Oct 20, 2021

NOMS 2022-2022 IEEE/IFIP Network Operations and Management Symposium, Apr 25, 2022

IEEE Transactions on Network and Service Management, 2023

IEEE internet of things magazine, Dec 1, 2022

IEEE INFOCOM 2022 - IEEE Conference on Computer Communications Workshops (INFOCOM WKSHPS), May 2, 2022

Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) is vital to enable time-critical deterministic communication, esp... more Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) is vital to enable time-critical deterministic communication, especially for applications with industrial-grade requirements. IEEE TSN standards are key enablers to provide deterministic and reliable operation of Ethernet networks. However, much of the research is still done in simulated environments or using commercial TSN switches lacking flexibility in terms of hardware and software support. In this work, we evaluate two different Cloud testbeds for TSN experimentation, analyzing their hardware features, the influence of the testbed management infrastructure, and the data plane performance. Furthermore, we present a prototype of a modular Software-Defined Networking (SDN) controller that facilitates the deployment of Linux-based TSN networks. We identify and discuss the controller modules and evaluate its feasibility by using it to deploy TSN networks on different testbeds. Finally, we provide insights for researchers interested in experimenting with TSN features on open Cloud testbeds and discuss the features and limitations that we found during our experiments.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 8, 2021

As manual Management and Orchestration (MANO) of services and resources might delay the execution... more As manual Management and Orchestration (MANO) of services and resources might delay the execution of MANO operations and negatively impact the performance of 5G and beyond Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) services, applying AI in MANO to enable automation and intelligence is an imperative. The Network Function Virtualization (NFV), Software Defined Networking (SDN), and Artificial Intelligence (AI), could all together mitigate those challenges, and enable true automation in MANO operations. Thus, in this demo paper we will showcase the use of real-life testbed environments (Smart Highway and Virtual Wall, Belgium) and the Proof-of-Concept that we build to conduct realistic experimentation and validation of intelligent and distributed MANO in a dynamic network such as a V2X system.

arXiv (Cornell University), Dec 8, 2021

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are being developed and researched to be used in different areas ... more Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are being developed and researched to be used in different areas and diverse use cases. The delivery of medical parcels is an emergency service that avails from the air traffic for the fast delivery of critical health content. Besides 5G networks being the target communication technology for the UAV parcel transport, the infrastructure is still not optimized for ground-level User Equipments (UEs). Using multiple Radio Access Technology (RAT) by UAVs is an alternative solution for scenarios where the 5G network is unstable or not yet fully deployed. In this paper, we present bench-marking of 5G and 4G networks on unideal radio scenarios to understand the real latency and throughput delivered by these technologies in worst-case scenarios. The results show that the 5G network can provide the necessary Quality of Service (QoS) for UAV operations even with Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) in the order of -90. In comparison, the preliminary data for the 4G network validates that the 4G network could not provide the required latency.

Revista Iberoamericana De Tecnologías Del Aprendizaje, 2022

With the immense opportunities to make a communication network programmable, the virtualization o... more With the immense opportunities to make a communication network programmable, the virtualization of network functions and software defined networking are gaining momentum in both industry and research circles, being a fundamental skill-set for both electrical engineers and computer scientists. Therefore, in this article, we present and evaluate the educational framework for Service Function Chaining (SFC) practical teaching to undergraduate students aiming to prepare them for future Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and communication networks market that will demand skillful professionals in the domain. The educational framework was designed for the Network Management course at the University of Antwerp, with the goal to bridge the gap between network programmability concepts applied in industry and those taught at the University. We evaluate the educational framework with two extensive surveys as a feedback from students that provided us with the opportunity to measure and quantify students’ experience and satisfaction with the framework. In particular, based on the challenging environment imposed by COVID-19, we identify the gaps in this educational framework and address improvements for both theoretical and practical components according to the students’ needs. Our educational framework and the thorough evaluation serve as a useful guideline on how to modernize the engineering courses and keep up with the pace of technology.

IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing, Apr 1, 2023

The 5G ecosystem is comprised of the cellular 5G System, as well as a managed and orchestrated in... more The 5G ecosystem is comprised of the cellular 5G System, as well as a managed and orchestrated infrastructure providing virtualized network and service functions. The automotive industry with its stringent requirements for connected vehicles is a promising and yet challenging consumer of such 5G ecosystem. Deployment of service instances at distributed cloud resources of cellular network infrastructure edges enables localized low-latency access to these services from moving vehicles but comes along with challenges, such as the need for fast reconfiguration of the distributed deployment according to mobility pattern and associated service and resource demand. In this paper, we investigate a solution for the collaborative orchestration of services for Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM) within such 5G ecosystem. A key objective is the service continuity for a highly dynamic automotive scenario, achieved by the associated management and orchestration of these services in distributed edge clouds. The proposed solution leverages a multi-tier orchestration system as well as localized management and protocol operations for collaborative edge resources. By means of both analytical and experimental evaluations, the paper draws conclusions on the gain in accelerating orchestration decisions and enforcements, while balancing associated protocol and computational load over the highly distributed and multilayered orchestration system.

Educational institutions have to train the next-generation workforce. Unfortunately, it is not ea... more Educational institutions have to train the next-generation workforce. Unfortunately, it is not easy for educational institutions and educators to adapt to this unpredictable and volatile labor world. Besides, students have become more demanding adopting a role close to a consumer. They also have embraced a lifelong learning strategy in «skills learning» through professional development as a common occupational norm. Remote laboratories have emerged as an educational tool in order to provide flexibility to practical training. However, they are going to turn into core elements in future educational approaches due to students' demands and technological advances.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) sales are increasing in the recent years due to several factors such as c... more Electric Vehicles (EVs) sales are increasing in the recent years due to several factors such as cost reduction, fuel cost increase, pollution reductions, government incentives, among others. At the same time, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are continuously improving, and researchers use different simulators in order to test their proposals before implementing them in real devices. However, traditional communications-aimed simulations do not include fuel consumption issues that are a key factor in transportation systems. This paper presents the addition of Electric Vehicles consumption to the ns-3 simulator, which currently is one of the most used network simulators. Our proposal follows all the models, coding style, as well as engineering guidelines of ns-3, coupled with the characteristics of each vehicle, to accurately estimate the energy consumption. We also analyze the performance of our proposal while simulating a part of the E313 highway, located in Antwerp, Belgium. In particular, we compare the ns-3 results obtained in terms of energy consumption to those obtained in SUMO. In addition, we study the impact of our proposal on the overall simulation time.

The Internet of Things is a new technological step in the anytime, everywhere, anything IP connec... more The Internet of Things is a new technological step in the anytime, everywhere, anything IP connectivity context. Things (sensors, wearable objects, connected cars...) are equipped with computers and various communication resources. IoT devices deal with Wireless Local Area Network, Wireless Personal Area Network, Near Field Communication, or new operated radio networks with low throughput such as SIGFOX or LoRA. In this context security and trust are very critical topics, both for users and service providers. In this paper we present new and innovative security modules based on ISO7816 chips, which have been recently introduced by an IETF draft. These low cost, low power, tamper resistant devices, run TLS and DTLS stacks. DTLS is the datagram adaptation of the well known TLS protocol, which is de facto standard for the internet security. It is the security layer of the Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) targeting sensors networks in a context of smart energy and building automation. We shortly recall TLS and DTLS features, and introduce the flights concept. We present the TLS/DTLS security module interface, which is based on previous work dealing with the EAP-TLS protocol, widely used for authentication in wireless networks and VPNs. We describe our prototype platform based on a java framework that implement a software bridge with the TLS/DTLS security module and which is compatible with the popular Raspberry Pi board. Finally we detail the experimental performances, compatible with the constraints of IoT, observed for an implementation running in a javacard.

arXiv (Cornell University), Oct 30, 2020

Software-Defined Metamaterials (SDMs) show a strong potential for advancing the engineered contro... more Software-Defined Metamaterials (SDMs) show a strong potential for advancing the engineered control of electromagnetic waves. As such, they are envisioned to enable a variety of exciting applications, among others in the domains of smart textiles, high-resolution structural monitoring, and sensing in challenging environments. Many of the applications envisage deformations of the SDM structures, such as their bending, stretching or rolling, which implies that the locations of metamaterial elements will be changing relative to one another. In this paper, we argue that if the metamaterial elements would be accurately localizable, this location information could potentially be utilized for enabling novel SDM applications, as well as for optimizing the control of the elements themselves. To enable their localization, we assume that these elements are controlled wirelessly through a Terahertz (THz)operating nanonetwork. We consider the elements to be power-constrained, with their sole powering option being to harvest energy from different environmental sources. By means of simulation, we demonstrate sub-millimeter accuracy of the two-way Time of Flight (ToF)-based localization, as well as high availability of the service (i.e., consistently more than 80% of the time), which is a result of the low energy consumed in the localization process. Finally, we qualitatively characterize the latency of the proposed localization service, as well as outline several challenges and future research directions.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 8, 2021

Next-generation mobile networks are expected to flaunt highly (if not fully) automated management... more Next-generation mobile networks are expected to flaunt highly (if not fully) automated management. To achieve such a vision, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques will be key enablers to craft the required intelligence for networking, i.e., Network Intelligence (NI), empowering myriad of orchestrators and controllers across network domains. In this paper, we elaborate on the DAEMON architectural model, which proposes introducing a NI Orchestration layer for the effective end-to-end coordination of NI instances deployed across the whole mobile network infrastructure. Specifically, we first outline requirements and specifications for NI design that stem from data management, control timescales, and network technology characteristics. Then, we build on such analysis to derive initial principles for the design of the NI Orchestration layer, focusing on (i) proposals for the interaction loop between NI instances and the NI Orchestrator, and (ii) a unified representation of NI algorithms based on an extended MAPE-K model. Our work contributes to the definition of the interfaces and operation of a NI Orchestration layer that foster a native integration of NI in mobile network architectures.

2021 International Conference on Information and Communication Technology Convergence (ICTC), Oct 20, 2021

NOMS 2022-2022 IEEE/IFIP Network Operations and Management Symposium, Apr 25, 2022

IEEE Transactions on Network and Service Management, 2023

IEEE internet of things magazine, Dec 1, 2022

IEEE INFOCOM 2022 - IEEE Conference on Computer Communications Workshops (INFOCOM WKSHPS), May 2, 2022

Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) is vital to enable time-critical deterministic communication, esp... more Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) is vital to enable time-critical deterministic communication, especially for applications with industrial-grade requirements. IEEE TSN standards are key enablers to provide deterministic and reliable operation of Ethernet networks. However, much of the research is still done in simulated environments or using commercial TSN switches lacking flexibility in terms of hardware and software support. In this work, we evaluate two different Cloud testbeds for TSN experimentation, analyzing their hardware features, the influence of the testbed management infrastructure, and the data plane performance. Furthermore, we present a prototype of a modular Software-Defined Networking (SDN) controller that facilitates the deployment of Linux-based TSN networks. We identify and discuss the controller modules and evaluate its feasibility by using it to deploy TSN networks on different testbeds. Finally, we provide insights for researchers interested in experimenting with TSN features on open Cloud testbeds and discuss the features and limitations that we found during our experiments.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 8, 2021

As manual Management and Orchestration (MANO) of services and resources might delay the execution... more As manual Management and Orchestration (MANO) of services and resources might delay the execution of MANO operations and negatively impact the performance of 5G and beyond Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) services, applying AI in MANO to enable automation and intelligence is an imperative. The Network Function Virtualization (NFV), Software Defined Networking (SDN), and Artificial Intelligence (AI), could all together mitigate those challenges, and enable true automation in MANO operations. Thus, in this demo paper we will showcase the use of real-life testbed environments (Smart Highway and Virtual Wall, Belgium) and the Proof-of-Concept that we build to conduct realistic experimentation and validation of intelligent and distributed MANO in a dynamic network such as a V2X system.

arXiv (Cornell University), Dec 8, 2021

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are being developed and researched to be used in different areas ... more Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are being developed and researched to be used in different areas and diverse use cases. The delivery of medical parcels is an emergency service that avails from the air traffic for the fast delivery of critical health content. Besides 5G networks being the target communication technology for the UAV parcel transport, the infrastructure is still not optimized for ground-level User Equipments (UEs). Using multiple Radio Access Technology (RAT) by UAVs is an alternative solution for scenarios where the 5G network is unstable or not yet fully deployed. In this paper, we present bench-marking of 5G and 4G networks on unideal radio scenarios to understand the real latency and throughput delivered by these technologies in worst-case scenarios. The results show that the 5G network can provide the necessary Quality of Service (QoS) for UAV operations even with Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) in the order of -90. In comparison, the preliminary data for the 4G network validates that the 4G network could not provide the required latency.

Revista Iberoamericana De Tecnologías Del Aprendizaje, 2022

With the immense opportunities to make a communication network programmable, the virtualization o... more With the immense opportunities to make a communication network programmable, the virtualization of network functions and software defined networking are gaining momentum in both industry and research circles, being a fundamental skill-set for both electrical engineers and computer scientists. Therefore, in this article, we present and evaluate the educational framework for Service Function Chaining (SFC) practical teaching to undergraduate students aiming to prepare them for future Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and communication networks market that will demand skillful professionals in the domain. The educational framework was designed for the Network Management course at the University of Antwerp, with the goal to bridge the gap between network programmability concepts applied in industry and those taught at the University. We evaluate the educational framework with two extensive surveys as a feedback from students that provided us with the opportunity to measure and quantify students’ experience and satisfaction with the framework. In particular, based on the challenging environment imposed by COVID-19, we identify the gaps in this educational framework and address improvements for both theoretical and practical components according to the students’ needs. Our educational framework and the thorough evaluation serve as a useful guideline on how to modernize the engineering courses and keep up with the pace of technology.

IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing, Apr 1, 2023

The 5G ecosystem is comprised of the cellular 5G System, as well as a managed and orchestrated in... more The 5G ecosystem is comprised of the cellular 5G System, as well as a managed and orchestrated infrastructure providing virtualized network and service functions. The automotive industry with its stringent requirements for connected vehicles is a promising and yet challenging consumer of such 5G ecosystem. Deployment of service instances at distributed cloud resources of cellular network infrastructure edges enables localized low-latency access to these services from moving vehicles but comes along with challenges, such as the need for fast reconfiguration of the distributed deployment according to mobility pattern and associated service and resource demand. In this paper, we investigate a solution for the collaborative orchestration of services for Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM) within such 5G ecosystem. A key objective is the service continuity for a highly dynamic automotive scenario, achieved by the associated management and orchestration of these services in distributed edge clouds. The proposed solution leverages a multi-tier orchestration system as well as localized management and protocol operations for collaborative edge resources. By means of both analytical and experimental evaluations, the paper draws conclusions on the gain in accelerating orchestration decisions and enforcements, while balancing associated protocol and computational load over the highly distributed and multilayered orchestration system.