Huawei Envisions Application-driven Network Architecture for Future Application Demands

SAN DIEGO, CA: Huawei introduces a new concept for carrier network architecture, the Application-driven Network (ADN). The ADN is designed to prioritize network applications and service demands in network design and evolution.

Developed in Huawei’s Future Network Theory Lab, ADN stands out over traditional approaches that concentrate on resource utilization and network optimization. The top-layer network architecture design in ADN enables end-to-end customizable networks based on application demands to offer seamless user experience. The flexible architecture for hierarchal management empowers ADNs to dynamically adapt to network changes that follow power law effect.

Huawei Fellow, Dr. Wen Tong says,” Our innovative ADNarchitecture vision puts applications at the network’s core to deliver significant application-efficiency gains for networks. Unlike traditional architectures, AND’s will support application abstraction, network re-programmability, global and local coordination of network resources, and application decoupling by service layering. With these advantages, ADN is poised to meet a variety of future application demands, for example, in 5G networks.”

A theoretical study conducted by the company shows that ADN architecture can offer more stable networks, accommodate application driven change demands and effectively handle service related uncertainties.

The fundamental shift ADN provides is the transformation from network-led Key Performance Indicator (KPI) to service experience-led KPI which allows the carriers to improve and build new network revenue streams.

ADN is different from Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software Defined Network (SDN) technologies but it incorporates the advantages of both NFV and SDN into a comprehensive network architecture focusing on user experience providing the future economic benefits. The ADN supports the 5G network slicing and will strengthen the network evolutions of near and long term concerning network architecture.