Stefan Covaci

• PhD
• Senior Solutions Architect Future Internet Services Platforms at Technische Universität Berlin

The Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as a key horizontal technology enabler within the 5G ecosystem, characterized by supporting the heterogeneity of end-devices, radioaccess technologies, and services. Network slicing techniques allow to configure dedicated networks with assured resources to specific users or applications over a common physica...

This paper creates a vision for 5G and beyond satellite connectivity and discusses use cases where development is needed. We define a layered architecture for future integrated terrestrial-nonterrestrial networks and discuss what the key communications technologies needed to make the operation reliable and efficient are. We outline research challen...

Internet of Vehicles (IoV) is a hot research niche exploiting the synergy between Cooperative Intelligent Transportation Systems (C-ITS) and the Internet of Things (IoT), which can greatly benefit of the upcoming development of 5G technologies. The variety of end-devices, applications, and Radio Access Technologies (RATs) in IoV calls for new netwo...

A novel security management framework is presented in this paper leveraging the current ETSI NFV MANO architecture and taking into account Software Defined Security principles. Specifically, the proposed VISECO framework allows developers, service providers to consider security across lifecycle: from embedding of security properties in the source c...

5G infrastructures will heavily rely on novel paradigms such as Network Function Virtualization and Service Function Chaining to build complex business chains involving multiple parties. Although virtualization of security middleboxes looks a common practice today, we argue that this approach is inefficient and does not fit the peculiar characteris...

With the increasing interest into a convergent satellite terrestrial 5G system, the new 5G developments should move to the practically oriented integration of the technologies, especially towards the most promising use cases, as to be able to insure a competitive market share to the satellite networks. With all the efforts of the satellite communit...

In this paper we evaluate the feasibility of seamless and efficient integration of terrestrial communication systems with satellite networks. This aspect is considered by standardisation bodies such as ETSI [1], 5G-PPP [2] and 3GPP [3]. A comprehensive system is designed and implemented in an emulation prototype, including standard 3GPP LTE core ne...

Service function chaining is a network capability that provides support for application-driven-networking through the ordered interconnection of service functions. The lifecycle management of service function chains is enabled by two recently emerged technologies, software defined networking and network function virtualization, that promise a numbe...

This paper introduces an approach allowing cloud application developers, service providers to consider security and privacy requirements across the application lifecycle. Specifically, a DevOps framework has been described that took into account several emerging technologies such as Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Microservice Pattern De...

This paper introduces an approach allowing cloud application developers, service providers to consider security and privacy requirements across the application lifecycle. Specifically, a DevOps framework has been described that took into account several emerging technologies such as Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Microservice Pattern De...

The rapid emergence of Software Defined Networks (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) concepts is enabling the innovation of cloud infrastructures for supporting real time services and applications. Interconnecting Service Functions (SFs) in a specific ordered way to support applications’ requirements is defining the concept of Service F...

Research around Future Internet technologies such as Internet of Thing (IoT), Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), and Software Defined Networking (SDN) is constantly growing, and more tools are required to verify novel concepts. In this paper, we introduce our view and experiences on building Future Internet (FI) testbeds based on open source s...

Research around Future Internet technologies such as Internet of Thing (IoT), Network Function Virtualization (NFV), Software Defined Networking (SDN) is constantly growing and related tools are required to test novel concepts. In this paper, we introduce our view on building a Future Internet (FI) testbeds based on existing open source solutions....

Cost reducing, ubiquitous access, are foreseeable benefits when organizations outsourcing applications, services to the cloud. However, security is current major challenge that limits their widespread deployments. In this paper, a RESTful security service enabler is proposed to provide authentication, authorization and audit logging services for cl...

Nowadays, there is an increasing consensus that the impact of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) on healthcare organizations could be considerable due to the emergency of the Future Internet concept that is established over innovative technologies such as cloud computing and Internet of Things (IoT). The FI-STAR project aims to impl...

Worldwide a large number of Future Internet and Smart City infrastructures exist. To provide a global view on these infrastructures in Europe, the Infinity Project has developed an on-line catalog called the XiPi portal. Its main objective is to facilitate the construction of a sustainable market for infrastructure providers to advertise their capa...

This paper focuses on the evolution of communication networks and service delivery. It identifies major trends that will drive the evolution of networks and service delivery in the next years. Among them Software Defined Networking (SDN) is probably the single most important technology evolution trend that will change networking. Based on the ident...

The global trend of Future Internet related experimentally driven research has gained a strong momentum. In this context sustainability and the best use of developed infrastructures are highly critical. While many facilities have reached a level of maturity that allows them to be opened up to a wider use, mainly the academic sectors have been targe...

The emergency of cloud computing and Generic Enablers (GEs) as the building blocks of Future Internet (FI) applications highlights new requirements in the area of cloud services. Though, due to the current restrictions of various certification standards related with privacy and safety of health related data, the utilization of cloud computing in su...

Experiments to move sensitive patient data into cloud based solutions, and their usage in mobile applications, were seen skeptically by users and authorities, as concerns about long-term safe storage as well as protected communication could not been addressed convincingly in these initial approaches. This paper introduces a new approach of a “hybri...

Health care providers have over years continuously rejected Public Cloud technology for understandable concerns regarding privacy and confidentiality. The pick up rate on cloud computing in health care has been very poor reminding at the typical hype curve profile. Coincidentally Google Health has been discontinued and Microsoft Health Vault has sw...

CyMON is an industrial platform for one-to-one customer care applications. It compromises facilities to implement user-friendly websites with an emotional, learning interface. The CyMON Natural Language Processing Engine can understand written input and react accordingly. It is based on hybrid linguistic and statistical algorithms to analyze natura...

The paper presents the current status in the development of a pan-European Trouble Ticketing management system, undertaken by a number of European Public Network Operators inside the EURESCOM1 P612 project. This system has the goal of harmonising the requirements for a customer/provider trouble management system at a European level without affectin...

this paper. The service provided by the ATM CP is an end-to-end Virtual Path (VP) service offering PVPs (permanent VPs) between specified termination points. Associated with each VP is a number of parameters which defines the capacity of the connection and the level of performance to be provided in terms of end-to-end delay, delay variation and tol...

This paper presents a new approach that combines the neural network technology with the semantic network-based knowledge representation in realizing the intelligent, emotional, adaptive and believable behaviors of consulting personal agents. This knowledge representation framework is deployed in the CyMON agent platform to develop intelligent assis...

. Security in Active Networks is still in its infancy! This paper presents a new Agent-Based Security architecture for the Active Network Infrastructure (ABSANI). It is explained why agents in combination with Java are considered the appropriate solution for security architecture and how this can be applied in the Active Networks. An agent-based Ac...

Today's network infrastructures are inadequate to cover the needs of small groups or new requirements that popup daily from the ever-increasing demand for more sophisticated services. Place-Oriented VPNs are based on the agent technology and can be built on top of existing infrastructure by any user. We expect that in the future this flexible, dyna...

This paper discusses the applicability of mobile and intelligent agent technology for the development of active networks (AN). Agent technology has the potential to enhance the autonomy and decentralization of both deployment and execution solutions in an AN environment. The roles involved in an active network business scenario along with the actor...

This paper focuses on the role of the convergence of network and service management technologies in providing a support for the increased intelligence required in the provision of management solutions, and the mobility of such solutions. Such convergence benefits the interoperable services characterised by high distribution, a dynamic nature, and t...

This paper discusses the applicability of mobile and intelligent a gent technology for the development of active networks (AN). Agent technology has the pot ential to enhance the autonomy and decentralization of both deployment and execution solutions in an AN environment. The roles involved in an active network business scenario along with the act...

The growing intelligence of communication equipment and the advances in communication services created a demand for more complex and flexible network management functions. It becomes difficult to handle such a demand by the traditional, simple manager-”management agent” paradigm for network management systems. Mobile agent technology is regarded as...

A collaborative case based study has established that Active Networks will have a very significant impact on Network operators. Active Networking appears to be the only route to adding integrated mobility, security, QoS and management services to existing networks. In the short to medium term operators will be keen to use Application Layer Active N...

A Mobile Intelligent Agent based dynamic framework, which supports the automatic development and deployment of virtual enterprises in a competitive market driven environment is proposed. The framework comprises a visual interactive virtual enterprise creation and administration tool and a dynamically programmable information infrastructure providin...

The growing intelligence of communication equipment and the advances in communication services created a demand for more complex and flexible network management functions. It becomes difficult to handle such a demand by the traditional, simple "management agent" paradigm for network management systems. Mobile agent technology is regarded as one of...

The first question addressed in the paper is “Why and how agent technology supports the design and implementation of Autonomous Decentralised Systems?” Subsequently, based on the main characteristics of the intelligent and mobile agents we assess the specific support agent technology collectively can offer. Finally a glimpse into the future of this...

The paper discusses the use of the WWW and Java in the provisioning of broadband connectivity to a big number of customers by a public network operator. Several options are analysed, ranging from a simple interface for service activation and usage to an integrated solution including outsourcing of customer network management by means of components...

Today distributed object technology/object-oriented middleware, such as OMG's Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA), has gained considerable acceptance in the telecommunications systems. In addition, mobile agent technology is currently gaining momentum in the telecommunications domain, too. Up to now, various mobile agent platforms hav...

MASIF is a standard for mobile agent systems which has been adopted as an OMG technology. It is an early attempt to standardize an area of industry that, even though popular in the recent past, still has not caught on. In its short history MASIF has raised interest in industry and academia. There are already a number of projects pursuing MASIF refe...

The paper outlines the work that has been carried out by European Telecommunications Network Operators within a EURESCOM project. EURESCOM project P612 was initiated in order to study and improve the level of automation between telecommunications network operators (TNO) within Europe by making practical progress, in the form of laboratory trials, w...

Management within the emerging Information Infrastructure requires new paradigms for coping with the heterogeneity, distribution, dynamic nature and complexity of the managed resources. Traditional, RPC-based management approaches are not sufficient in this context. The paper discusses the use of Java-based mobile intelligent agents in the field of...

Traditional approaches for network and service management are not suitable for heterogeneous, rapidly changing and extending telecommunications environments. The paper discusses the use of Java based intelligent mobile agents in the field of open system management It first presents a Java based mobile agent platform supporting the mobile management...

This paper proposes a new framework for developing, marketing and deploying network and service management solutions using Java-based Mobile Intelligent Agents. The management solutions are regarded as knowledge, defined as Java object classes and structured into a hierarchy by the hierarchical specialization relationship among the problem situatio...

GMD FOKUS, IBM and The Open Group have jointly submitted to the OMG a specification on the Mobile Agent Facility for evaluation and adoption. This paper gives an overview of the technical requirements of the OMG Request for Proposal, the design goals of the joint submission, the architecture of the proposed Mobile Agent Facility, and the salient fe...

This paper reflects the initial work of the ACTS Project AC080 MISA, a three year project, started at the beginning of 1996, whose main task is to accomplish and validate an integrated end-to-end management of hybrid SDH and ATM networks in the framework of open network provision (ONP) via European field trials. This paper provides the initial des...

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This paper deals with the problems associated with the evolution from existing fixed and mobile telecommunications systems towards the support of third generation mobile system capabilities. In this context the EURESCOM Project P507 “Mobility Applications Integration in Intelligent Networks” has investigated a set of scenarios for the evolution fro...

This paper proposes a new approach for constructing intelligent agents in the context of network and service management, which is based on, and extends, the ITU-T TMN framework. This knowledge-based approach for intelligent agents in management uses the semantic extensions of network management information for knowledge representation. Different fr...

ACTS Project AC080 MISA has embarked upon the task of realizing and validating via European field trials integrated end-to-end management of hybrid SDH and ATM networks in the framework of open network provision. This paper reflects the initial work of the project and gives an overview of the proposed MISA system architecture and initial design. We...

During the last years EURESCOM has launched a set of projects in the area of TMN addressing the problems of pan- European broadband networks and services management. The X interfaces, which provide the means for co-operative management of different domains, are the emphasis in this context. Two such X interfaces are developed for the pan- European...

ACTS Project AC080 MISA has embarked upon the task of realizing and validating via European field trials integrated end-to-end management of hybrid SDH and ATM networks in the framework of open network provision. This paper reflects the initial work of the project and gives an overview of the proposed MISA system architecture and initial design. We...

During the last years EURESCOM has launched a set of projects in the area of TMN addressing the problems of pan- European broadband networks and services management. The X interfaces, which provide the means for co-operative management of different domains, are the emphasis in this context. Two such X interfaces are developed for the pan- European...

Currently, international broadband ATM communication networks are managed mostly by manual operations. The situation is certainly not adequate to the increasing demands and the versatility of the broadband applications. The ATM virtual path service can be regarded as one step towards co-operative, automatic management of the international ATM broad...

Semantics plays an important role in the context of network management, both for clearing out ambiguities and for supporting management decisions. The current behavior-oriented semantic frameworks do not find wide acceptance in this context due to their complexity and lack of support for management applications. We propose a new semantic approach t...

The Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) representing the major third generation mobile communications system is currently under development. One important aspect for the implementation of UMTS is the evolution from existing fixed and mobile telecommunications systems towards the support of UMTS capabilities. In this context the EURESC...

Advances in optical networking technology provide the network with unique storage capabilities enabling the creation of a physical shared memory in a wide area distributed system. This has implications on the overall systems' architecture as well as on the host. From the user perspective the end-system will be shaped by the application and become a...

The authors present two scenarios of a target data processing/communication architecture that alleviate the main identified bottlenecks and pave the way towards a global distributed system supporting multimedia-based applications. The proposed processing/communication paradigm is based on the shared-memory capabilities offered by the optical networ...

This paper addresses the problem of fairness for the queued arbitrated traffic in DQDB MANs. A solution to this problem in the form of a distributed management process called fairness management is proposed. The OSI management and the DQDB specific management functionality are overviewed, and alternative management architectures based on standardiz...

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The paper describes a set of efficient programs for the modelling and evaluation of avalanche diode oscillators. The programs have been tested thoroughly and results compared with those of other simulations as well as with practical measurements. The influence of minority saturation currents on TRAPATT oscillators is analysed. Also the effect of mi...

Relatório Técnico IC -98 -28 O conteúdo do presente relatório é de única responsabilidade do(s) autor(es). Abstract. Location and migration distribution transparencies are considered in the context of multi agent systems. The extension of a mobile agent facility architecture is proposed with the addition of an availability service and a transparenc...