Postdoctoral Position in Resource Orchestration for 5G network slicing

Dear colleagues,

We have opened a postdoctoral position in the area of 5G wireless communication systems, focusing on the modeling and the design of innovative function for managing network resources in 5G network slicing.

CEA LETI

CEA-Leti, one of the three advanced-research institutes within CEA Tech, is focusing on creating value and innovation through technology transfer to its industrial partners. It is specialized in nanotechnologies and their applications, from wireless devices and systems, to biology, healthcare and photonics. With a staff of more than 1,900, Leti is based in Grenoble, France, and has offices in Silicon Valley, California, and Tokyo.

Located in Grenoble at the heart of the MINATEC Campus, the wireless broadband systems laboratory (LSHD) is conducting cutting-edge research in wireless communications for broadband and 5G systems, including advanced channel coding and modulation, transceiver design, access control protocols, and radio and network resource management. Its activities cover a large spectrum, from the specification, simulation and characterization, to the design of both SW and HW components for wireless communications.

As part of these activities, a postdoctoral position is open in the area of 5G wireless communication systems.

Technical Context

To support different services within a common infrastructure, 5G architecture will natively implement the concept of network slicing. This concept enables one operator to deploy, on demand, multiple logical instantiations (i.e., a slice) of its physical network, each one implementing a specific set of functionalities fully dedicated to a specific service. In this evolution, network slicing will also allow different services to virtual mobile operators for accessing and sharing a common infrastructure, and adapt the network configuration to the individual use cases and services.

Although network functions and related computational, storage, and radio resources dedicated to a single slice are independently managed, shared network functions and resources have to be orchestrated in a way that accommodates the requirements of multiple services. Indeed, a new design paradigm is needed to allow specific inter-slice control and management functions.

In addition, the demand and traffic characteristic of each service may change significantly over time and space thus imposing the challenge of providing sufficient resources where and when they are needed. Being able to simultaneously and efficiently provide multiple service with a single 5G network is a key goal to optimize the infrastructure sizing and the network operations in a cost efficient way.

This flexibility has been traditionally implemented in the context of communication resources, where the network gracefully down-grades the quality for all users if its communication resources (e.g., spectrum) are insufficient. In this framework, the concept of resource orchestration needs to be expanded to consider computational and storage resources together with radio resources.

Description of the Work

The objectives of this postdoc are as follows:

• Study the optimal integration strategy for mobile networks and cloud computing services in future 5G networks.
• Investigate the fundamental trade-offs that determine the axes of optimization of the proposed integrated mobile networks and cloud computing. We will accurately model the behavior of the system, consumed resources (like energy, storage, and processing), and performance (such as latency, coverage, and data rate).
• Propose accurate modelling and management strategies based on mathematical tools (e.g., machine learning, reinforcement learning, Markov decision process, stochastic programming) to improve the resource usage and enhance the user Quality of Experience.
• Contribute to the integration of the proposed solutions in a realistic testbed.
• Achieve a strong scientific dissemination though publications and patents.

The research will be conducted in the framework of H2020 European projects. The start date for the job position is June 2017.

Applicant Profile

• Academic excellence – PhD in wireless communications, with a strong record of publications in major international journals and conferences;
• Excellent knowledge of 4G/beyond 4G cellular networks;
• Solid mathematical background with a focus on some of the following aspects: reinforcement learning, (partially observable) markov decision process, neural network, queuing theory, stochastic optimization, and resource allocation in heterogeneous networks;
• Excellent knowledge in Matlab and C/C++;
• Proficient in English (written and spoken), French is a plus;
• Excellent analytical and research skills, ability to work autonomously and as part of a team.

Contact Details

Applications should be sent by email to Antonio De Domenico (antonio.de-domenico@cea.fr) and Dimitri Kténas (dimitri.ktenas@cea.fr), including:

• A cover letter indicating the candidate's research interests;
• Detailed curriculum vitae, including a list of publications;
• Contact details of at least two referees.