The next generation of networks will need to support massive requests for services that have very stringent performance requirements, and their delivery involves significant computing and storage resources. Prominent examples are the mobile augmented and virtual reality services, processing of large-scale IoT data, and mobile data analytics. In order to address these arising challenges, mobile network operators need innovative solutions, and one such is the close collaboration with the cloud service providers. In this article, we propose a novel system architecture that integrates the infrastructure of Mobile Network Operator (MNO) and Cloud Service Provider (CSP), leveraging recent developments in network softwarization that allows the unified control of the network, computing, and storage resources. We envision a multi-tier architecture where the CSP and MNO exchange real-time information about their resource availability and the users' needs, and jointly devise the servicing policy. We present a blueprint of the architecture, several application examples, and a numerical case study that focuses on distributed computing.

中文翻译：

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网络运营商和云提供商在软件控制网络中的协作


下一代网络将需要支持对性能要求非常严格的大量服务请求，并且它们的交付涉及大量的计算和存储资源。突出的例子是移动增强和虚拟现实服务、大规模物联网数据的处理以及移动数据分析。为了应对这些挑战，移动网络运营商需要创新的解决方案，其中之一就是与云服务提供商的密切合作。在本文中，我们提出了一种新颖的系统架构，集成了移动网络运营商（MNO）和云服务提供商（CSP）的基础设施，利用网络软件化的最新发展，允许统一控制网络、计算和存储资源。我们设想了一个多层架构，其中 CSP 和 MNO 交换有关其资源可用性和用户需求的实时信息，并共同制定服务策略。我们展示了该架构的蓝图、几个应用示例以及一个专注于分布式计算的数值案例研究。