Publication Date
Periodically
Call for Papers
This Series Topic (ST) focuses on softwarization, management, and their integration in communication networks and services. “Network softwarization” advocates for architectures that separate the software implementing network functions, protocols and services from the hardware running them. Propelled by the maturity of technologies like Network Function Virtualization and Software-Defined Networking, softwarization is radically changing the way communication infrastructures are designed and operated, enabling rapid and innovative service creation. “Network management“ is about administering networks and supporting their operations. It aims to integrate fault, configuration, accounting, performance, and security management in the network, to leverage self-management, automation and autonomic capabilities of networks, and to move from a “managed object” paradigm to a “management by objective” one.
The key role that software and management are increasingly playing in telecommunications is enabling unprecedented levels of abstraction, disaggregation, operation, integration, and programmability in network infrastructures and services. This Series publishes in-depth, cutting-edge articles on state-of-the-art technologies and solutions bringing together the latest advances, innovations, open-source projects, case studies, research, and development in Network Softwarization and Management.
Authors are invited to submit manuscripts in all topics within the scope of this Series, including but not limited to the following:
Main Paradigms and Systems for Network Softwarization and Management
- Management of softwarized networks.
- Softwarization of network management.
- Network Operations and Automation, Autonomic and Self-management, Zero-Configuration Networking, Self-Driving Networking, Intent-based management, AI-assisted softwarization and management.
Architectures and Methodologies
- Software-Defined Networking, Network Function Virtualization, Service Function Chaining.
- Network Slicing, Edge/Cloud-native Networking, Softwarized network architectures/infrastructures.
- Management and orchestration architectures, platforms and systems including integrated management, policy-based management, model-driven management.
- End-to-end and multi-domain softwarized networks, multi-domain management, green operations and management.
- Network Programmability (Data, Control, Management, Service Planes).
- In-Network Computing.
- Service provisioning and management, service assurance, fulfillment and resilience, DevOps management.
- Security and Reliability issues in Network Softwarization and Management.
Software Approaches, Resources and Functions
- Network operating systems, network functions, cloud-native functions, interfaces, deployment and integration with software-based control, management and orchestration.
- Microservices, serverless computing and new software paradigms for managing and operating network functions.
- New Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance and Security (FCAPS) Management functions.
- New telecom software and tools for Operations Support Systems (OSS) and Business Support Systems (BSS).
Modelling, Measurement and Performance Analysis
- Performance measurements and evaluation, monitoring, data analytics, validation and debugging for network management and softwarized networks.
- Network and service quality, performance, reliability, scalability, elasticity, resilience, maintainability, safety and security with guarantees.
- Profiling and performance evaluation of softwarized network functions/components.
- High precision networking, management of cyber-networking systems supporting physical/digital twins.
Submission Guidelines
Manuscripts must be submitted through the magazine’s submissions Website, Manuscript Central. You will need to register and then proceed to the author center. On the manuscript details page, please select Network Softwarization and Management Series from the drop-down menu. Manuscripts should be tutorial in nature and should not be under review for any other conference or journal. They should be written in a style comprehensible and accessible to readers outside the specialty of the article. Mathematical equations should not be used. For detailed submission guidelines please refer to the magazine website for the list of Paper Submission Guidelines that must be followed by all submissions to the IEEE Communications Magazine.
Papers can be submitted anytime during the year. They will receive a review process, and, if accepted, they will be published in the first slot available for this Series.