SIMUTools2010

The role of the simulation for a network operator: a survey

More about Antonio...

Antonio Elizondo - Telefónica I+D, Spain

Abstract: Simulation plays an important role for designing, planning and operating a telecommunication network while assuring the quality of service since they allow one to:

• evaluate different design alternatives, ensuring the choice of the most appropriate option.
• identify and avoid potential system bottlenecks.
• evaluate the performance, capacity and scalability of networks and systems.
• elaborate dimensioning and planning rules in function of the foreseen traffic.

Telecommunications are in a constant and continuous process of transformation due to the proposal, introduction and evolution of new technologies. These technologies are more and more complex, and simulations are frequently the only means for evaluating and analyzing them before they are available to be tested.

In this talk, I will make a survey of the applications of the simulations made by a network operator such as Telefónica as a support of the network evolution. We will start with the application of simulations in legacy circuit switched networks, passing through ATM networks, and arriving to IP networks and future LTE technology. I will describe the simulations of these technologies covering topics such as traffic control (network management, admission controls, TCP protocol), routing strategies and mechanisms, P2P networks, radio access technologies, OSS and BSS systems, and service platforms.

Full presentation

Bio: Antonio earned a Master's degree in Telecommunications Engineering at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) in 1998 and a Master's degree in Economics at the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED) in 2005. He started his professional career in 1998, in the Telefónica I+D (R&D) Broadband Networks Division, where he started to work on traffic engineering and traffic controls for IP networks, paying particular attention to the problem of Quality of Service.

One of his first tasks was the development of an internal tool for simulating the TCP protocol over almost any kind of network. This tool was used and evolved by different people in his working group during many years. With this tool, he studied the performance of the TCP protocol under different scenarios, such as IP/ATM networks, satellite links, and DiffServ architectures, both for internal projects for Telefónica and for European projects where he participated.

He participated in the DISCMAN EURESCOM project as task leader, driving the performance research of DiffServ mechanisms, in the IST MUSE and IST NOBEL projects, focusing on QoS topics, and was leader of the IST AGAVE project, whose goal was the design of a lightweight architecture for providing QoS. As a result of this work, he has authored more than 30 conference and specialized journal publications, most of them focusing on the QoS topic.

Currently he is developing the strategy and coordination tasks within the Direction of Networks and Service Platforms of Telefónica I+D.