Methodology towards Integrating Scenarios and Testbeds for Demonstrating Autonomic/Self-managing Networks and Behaviors Required in Future Networks

In this paper we report an insight of our experiences gained in devising a methodology for validating Scenarios demonstrating autonomic/self-managing network behaviors required in Future Networks-powered by IPv6 and its evolution along the path to the Self-Managing Future Internet. Autonomic networking introduces "autonomic manager components" at various levels of abstraction of functionality within device architectures and the overall network architecture, which are capable of performing autonomic management and control of their associated Managed-Entities (MEs) e.g. protocols and mechanisms, as well as co-operating with each other in driving the self-managing features of the Network(s). MEs are started, configured, constantly monitored and dynamically regulated by the autonomic managers towards optimal and reliable network services. There are some challenges involved when designing and applying a framework for integrating and validating Scenarios demonstrating autonomic behaviors we share in this paper, and show how we have addressed them. In this paper, we present the EU funded FP7 EFIPSANS Integration and Validation Framework that we designed for demonstrating a substantial selection of essential autonomic behaviors of "autonomic managers" whose implementations are based on the principles of the GANA architectural Reference Model for Autonomic Networking and Self-Management, and on the IPv6 protocols and associated extensions proposed and developed in the frame of the EC funded FP7 EFIPSANS Project.