Quality of Service Negotiation in Next Generation Networks

This paper addresses different aspects of quality of service (QoS) negotiation in next generation networks. The differentiated services (DiffServ) framework is assumed in a multi-domain network core, while access networks may implement other QoS models. QoS negotiation results in service level agreement (SLA), i.e., a contract between the provider and the user, which defines technical, financial and legal aspects related with particular service. Solutions for SLA structure and format are discussed, with respect to mapping algorithms on the network-to-network interface. Considering conditions of contract violation, different traffic conditioning policies have been compared by computer simulation. We further provide a brief overview of the recently proposed next steps in signaling (NSIS) framework. The paper also addresses possibilities to achieve efficient usage based pricing in accordance with negotiated technical parameters from the SLA. Finally, we briefly present the object-oriented design and implementation of the application SLA Manager (SLAM), which is intended for QoS negotiation in DiffServ IP network.