Analysis of VNF Control Traffic in 5G Scenarios extended with LPWA Networks

In 5G networks, the NFV (Network Function Virtualization) concept provides flexible and reconfigurable conditions for applications and operators, however, the virtualized environment can suffer degradation over time. In NFV, control traffic flows serve to manage the NFV infrastructure and provide flexibility of resources. This work presents the implementation of an evaluation testbed based on the ETSI architecture for 5G, to analyze control traffic with focus in 5G scenarios that can be extended with LPWA networks. The analysis uses 4 scenarios with variations in the number of compute nodes and VNFs (Virtual Network Functions) to allow control traffic characterization in the NFVI (NFV Infrastructure) and analyse the impact of adding new compute nodes and new VNFs. Based on the experimental results, this work also proposes possible approaches to decrease and optimize control traffic to achieve rates compatible with LPWA networks.