Projecte ofert
Títol: Deployment and Characterization of Multi-Node Optical Data Switching Orchestration and Timing for Software-Defined Networks
Per assignar-vos el projecte us heu de dirigir al director/a perquè us l'assigni.
Director/a: JOFRE CRUANYES, MARC
Departament: ENTEL
Títol: Deployment and Characterization of Multi-Node Optical Data Switching Orchestration and Timing for Software-Defined Networks
Data inici oferta: 17-08-2026 Data finalització oferta: 17-03-2027
Estudis d'assignació del projecte:
MU AI4CI- MU EM CODAS 1
- MU EM CODAS 2
- MU MASTEAM 2015
| Tipus: Individual | |
| Lloc de realització: EETAC | |
| Paraules clau: | |
| Node Switching, Software-Defined Networking (SDN), Microcontrollers, gRPC/gNOI, Network Latency, Edge Computing, Timing Jitter, Orchestration | |
| Descripció del contingut i pla d'activitats: | |
| Description
Optical data plane switches are one of the key elements in terrestrial and satellite-based software defined networks [1]. These networks utilize fast switching either to dynamically route data traffic or to allocate hardware resources across multiple user endpoints. Moreover, these switching nodes are foundational components for the future of scalable communication networks, but their effectiveness is heavily dependent on precise, low-latency control plane management. In large-scale environments, propagation delays, TCP/IP overhead, and software processing bottlenecks continuously threaten the viability of time-sensitive network protocols. To address these challenges, this project proposes to deploy and characterize a microcontroller-based orchestration framework utilizing a fully built hardware testbed composed of multiple edge cards (e.g., BeagleBone Black / BB-AI64). The core focus of the project will be analyzing the network protocols and the control plane interactions governing the system. Specifically, this involves evaluating a containerized Software-Defined Networking (SDN) infrastructure where gRPC and gNOI (gRPC Network Operations Interface) protocols handle low-latency telemetry and distributed configuration [2,3]. By leveraging these network mechanisms, the candidate will meticulously test the end-hardware switching orchestration, utilizing laboratory equipment (such as an oscilloscope) to measure switching speeds and microsecond-level jitter to ensure the system maintains consistent routing efficiency without signal degradation. Methodology and Objectives to achieve The approach of the project follows the advancement of modern communication networks, which rely heavily on high-speed switching to process data streams and dynamically distribute resources. Because these data planes are highly susceptible to timing jitter and control plane delays, precise network management provides an essential framework for maintaining operational efficiency. Accordingly, the main objective of this research project is to deploy, configure, and characterize a robust, multi-node gNOI (gRPC Network Operations Interface) management system. In particular, the system will emphasize the network protocols to emulate the precise control plane communications required to orchestrate physical hardware systems. The specific objectives of this research project are: 1. Bootstrap and deploy a pre-built physical testbed comprising multiple microcontroller edge cards (BeagleBone series) running custom gRPC Python agents. 2. Configure and adapt the provided containerized, multi-node network operations solution to enable centralized orchestration across the edge environments. 3. Characterize the network protocol latencies, end-hardware switching execution speeds, and timing jitter under concurrent multi-node workloads, and discuss results, limitations, conclusions, and future work. Workplan First, during the development phase, the student will have an initial architectural baseline, pre-compiled binaries, and bootstrap scripts prepared by the thesis directors. At the configuration and deployment stage, the candidate will set up the networking logic and deploy the provided multi-node software solution across the hardware edges. Finally, at the characterization stage, the student will have a fully equipped laboratory (including oscilloscopes for physical jitter validation) and the help of the thesis directors to execute the testing framework. References [1] Thomas D. Nadeau and Ken Gray. SDN: Software Defined Networks. O'Reilly Media, 2013. ISBN 9781449342302. [2] gRPC, "gPPC: A high performance, open source universal RPC framework". [3] V. Talwar, J. Kolhe, A. Shaikh, J. George, "Use cases for gRPC in network management," IETF, 2017. For further information contact: Prof. Marc Jofre: marc.jofre@upc.edu Dept. Network Engineering - EETAC https://sites.google.com/view/marcjofre/research |
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| Orientació a l'estudiant: | |
| No prior knowledge in advanced hardware design or specific SDN protocols is required for this project. The student must start writing the project report from the beginning of the work and regularly submit progress to the directors during regular meetings. The work is designed to be completed during a semester in the laboratory with constant dedication and approximately five hours a day. | |
| Requereix activitats hardware: No | |
| Requereix activitats software: No | |
| Horari d'atenció a estudiants per a l'assignació de projecte: All days. Contact by email: marc.jofre@upc.edu |
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