Network virtualization has transformed how our infrastructures are connected, built, and operated. Network services often rely on the disaggregation and reconstitution of Network Functions through Network Function Virtualization or NFV. When combined with dynamic and automated network configuration concepts, or Software Defined Networks (SDN), advantages of overall improved performance, reduced vendor lock-in, more rapid adoption of new features, and increased operational efficiency are realized.

Today network operators around the globe have proven the advantages of virtualization in portions of the network, yet much work remains to be proven beneficial in this field. Research and development of virtualization technologies, from the Radio Access Network to the network core, can increase resiliency, security, and power efficiency and provide more effective operationalization through automation and Artificial Intelligence.

The recent Cloudification and Cloud/Container Native Functions (CNF) practices continue to challenge network operators and their ecosystem partners from early research and into practice, while new and innovative applications at the edge demand even more attention from industry and academia.  NFV, CNF, and SDN are accepted evolutions in all areas of network concepts and technologies today. They are transforming telecommunication networks, campus, enterprise, and data center networks. They are accelerating the introduction of technologies and applications, requiring further advances in several areas of network programmability and network automation.

Significant enablers for rapid adoption include shifts towards open source software and hardware development, the convergence of IT and telco tools and technologies, and the alignment of operational processes. Integration of the latest research in software technologies, algorithms, hardware design, etc., driven by competition to adopt the best ideas, is helping to drive global acceptance of network virtualization.

The 2024 IEEE NFV-SDN conference is an important forum for the ongoing exchange of the latest ideas, developments, and results amongst ecosystem partners in both academia and industry. The conference fosters knowledge sharing and discussion on new approaches and works addressing gaps and improvements in virtualized enabled architectures, algorithms, and operational frameworks for virtualized network functions and infrastructures.

TOPICS

The IEEE NFV-SDN conference invites researchers from around the world to share ideas influencing the evolution and operation of NFV and SDN technologies. The following is a non-exhaustive list of topics:

NFV, CNF, and SDN Architectures, Infrastructure, and Elements

    Emerging improvements, including Network Slicing and the unikernel paradigm
    Improvements in the design of forwarding elements, e.g., switches/routers, wireless systems
    Optimizing virtualized infrastructures, including hardware acceleration technologies
    Heterogeneous server platforms and the detailed element-level CPU/GPU/FPGA mapping of network functions
    SDN/CNF/NFV in recent and novel architecture paradigms
    Architectural design aspects toward Next-Generation wireless networks,
    Virtualization Technologies for Edge/Fog Computing
    Microservice-based and agent-based SDN/NFV
    SDN/NFV in 6G three-dimensional networking
    Energy-efficiency driven architectures
    New network programmability paradigms

NFV, CNF, and SDN Operations

    Protocols for virtual network orchestration
    Dynamic license management, autonomics, machine learning, monitoring, resiliency, fault management, and self-healing
    Network security and isolation impacts of virtualization technologies
    Advanced tools for automated design, deployment, validation, and management
    Application of machine learning and big data analytics to manage to simplify deployment and operation of SDN/CNF/NFV networks
    SDN/NFV orchestration and operations in 6G network and cloud continuum

AI/ML in SDN/NFV Networks

    AI/ML techniques and network softwarization
    AI/ML network automation
    AI/ML applications for SDN and NFV
    AI/ML enabled SDN/NFV deployments
    Design and performance evaluation of AI/ML techniques in softwarized networks

Performance Analysis and Optimization

    Costs of migration of application containers and workloads
    Experience building network virtualization testbeds
    Data/control plane performance, interoperability, and scalability studies
    Resource dimensioning and optimization (e.g., cloud-native design), workload isolation, and tradeoffs
    Design guidelines for modularity, scalability, high availability, and interoperability (e.g., container and micro services implementations)
    SDN/NFV new KPIs and trade-offs in 6G architecture

Results and Evaluations in Application Scenarios

    Comparative studies on different virtualization technologies
    Usage scenarios such as SD-WAN, IoT or  Smart Grid
    Use of virtualization technologies for Smart Cities, Smart and Connected Communities, Smart and Connected Health, Industry Digitalization, other verticals, etc.
    Improvements in future communication infrastructure enabled by SDN, CNF, and NFV, including fixed and wireless access, public, private and hybrid clouds
    Social and regulatory impacts (e.g., network implications of data location and privacy)
    Operational experience in operational networks (e.g., 5G deployments, AI in Radio Interface Controller)
    Standardization efforts on NFV/SDN advancement, and in their operational deployment