Evolving to 5G: A fast and near-optimal request routing protocol for mobile core networks

Mobile networks are undergoing fast evolution from the fourth-generation (4G)/Long Term Evolution (LTE) to the fifth generation (5G) so as to keep pace with the ever-increasing data traffic, mainly fueled by large-object delivery, such as video streams. To cope with the traffic growth, next evolution will integrate functionalities of content distribution networks (CDNs) in various manners, from in-network caching and mobile CDNs to virtualized source-service points in a software-defined mobile core. In accordance with these developments, we consider the emerging request routing problem of joint source redirection and flow routing in mobile networks with built-in content sources. We develop a fast request routing protocol, which intelligently distributes traffic demands among sourcing nodes and strategically routes flows through intermediate nodes. Theoretical analysis and computer simulations show that our protocol achieves (1 +ω)-optimal of traffic engineering for any ω > 0. Advanced features of source virtualization and data aggregation are also supported in the protocol.