Fully-funded PhD studentship in our lab (iCASE)

Posted on October 26th, 2017 by Prof Dimitrios Pezaros


 

Fully-funded PhD studentship in Computing Science (Computer Networks): Containerised NFV orchestration and management.


 

Project Description

Network Function Virtualization (NFV) has been gaining traction as a way to manage computer networks, and to enable fast and flexible service deployment on top of physical connectivity. Lightweight virtualization approaches such as, e.g., software containers, are also being increasingly explored as a platform for efficient orchestration and management of virtualised Network Functions at scale.

Current networks operations and management (O&M) solutions assume software containers are deployed within data centres with single geographic location, high speed communications and high performance infrastructure. However, many network benefits can be obtained if container network functions can be distributed around the network edge.

The project would address how to devise network-wide platforms that can manage and interconnect Network Functions for many customers at scale and over the Internet. We have been using platforms like Openstack as well as our own Glasgow Network Function (GNF) orchestrator, and would like to further investigate how such platforms can be designed to work at scale (e.g., billions of small IoT devices) and over heterogeneous environments where network resource utilisation becomes as significant as CPU and memory resource use.

For further technical information please see:
https://netlab.dcs.gla.ac.uk/projects/glasgow-network-functions

The resarch will be supported by and will be conducted in collaboration with BT, through an industrial CASE award.


 

Application and funding

Funding is available to cover tuition fees for UK applicants (EU applicants who have spent at least 3 years in the UK are also eligible), as well as paying a stipend of £18,000 per annum. Additional funding for conference attendance will also be available.

Informal enquiries should be directed to Dr Dimitrios Pezaros.

The successful candidate can start as soon as possible.