A survey of QoE assurance in converged networks

doi:10.1016/j.comnet.2011.02.004

Computer Networks

Volume 55, Issue 7, 16 May 2011, Pages 1459-1473

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comnet.2011.02.004 Get rights and content

Abstract

High user satisfaction with using an application or service is the most meaningful quality evaluation criterion. For this reason the set of issues encompassed by the term quality of experience (QoE), i.e., the quality perceived subjectively by the end-user, is key to Internet service providers, network and software engineers, developers and scientists. From the technical point of view, to assure a high level of QoE, an appropriate level of quality of service (QoS), grade of service (GoS), and quality of resilience (QoR) must be provisioned by the network involved in service delivery. This paper studies QoE provisioning approaches with respect to the following convergence requirements: any service, anywhere, anytime, any user device, any media and networking technology, and by any operator. Challenges related to QoS, GoS and QoR provisioning in converged networks and implications on QoE provisioning are discussed. Convergence between fixed and wireless networks as well as within wireless networks based on different technologies, are considered. A variety of technologies and concepts for future converged networks are discussed.

Introduction

Assurance of quality of experience (QoE), that is, service quality as subjectively perceived by the user, is an important challenge facing network operators and service providers in current heterogeneous networks. Convergence between fixed and wireless networks as well as within wireless systems using different technologies makes it possible to use a large variety of applications that include surfing the web, sending emails, listening to music, watching movies, playing games, or GPS navigation, on a variety of terminals located in different geographical environments. Customers require high quality telecommunication services regardless of localization and time constrains. In other words, they want to receive any service, anytime, anywhere, and on any device.

In general, these four user requirements motivate the need for convergence from the user point of view. From the network point of view, the situation is more complex. The user perception of the quality is influenced by several elements associated with end-to-end service delivery, namely: network, equipment, data encoding, protocols, terminals, etc. Each of the end-user requirements translates to various technological and business challenges that, in general, constitute additional groups of requirements related to the provisioning of end-to-end services. Accordingly, services must be provided over any medium and networking technology, and by any operator.

Addressing the six requirements mentioned above together while guaranteeing high quality services is a strong challenge in terms of network convergence. Sets of issues related to each of the requirements intersect with each other. For instance, the interworking of a variety of networking technologies impacts the ability to meet each of the requirements. The significance of all these requirements and related challenges will be discussed in the paper.

It is expected that a variety of services, from low demanding to real-time broadband, will be delivered to the end-user regardless of the type of access network, user location, or end-user device. Services must be provided in a multi-domain and multi-operator environment. As a result, various technological challenges must be faced and business model issues need to be addressed. Moreover, users expect to be able to use a given service continuously while on the move without a noticeable deterioration of service quality.

The main goal of this paper is to discuss existing and emerging technologies that have the potential to address various network convergence requirements, and that can play a role in QoE assurance in future converged networks. Since QoE is not provisioned directly, we discuss QoS, GoS and QoR provisioning mechanisms and frameworks as well as their mutual relations. The requirements, challenges and performance measures are presented from the network provider and customer perspectives. The paper also elaborates on possible business models and related issues such as network neutrality.

The paper is organized as follows. Section 2 presents basic definitions associated with intrinsic network features, namely QoS, GoS, and QoR, and relates them to QoE, i.e., the service quality perceived by a user. Section 3 discusses the six requirements that are the driving forces behind network convergence. The implications of the need to meet these requirements for provisioning of various services with differentiated QoS, GoS, and QoR are discussed. Finally, the main technologies, concepts and frameworks enabling network convergence are presented in Section 4. Section 5 concludes the paper.

Section snippets

Basic definitions

All intrinsic network features and performance measures are categorized as quality of service (QoS), grade of service (GoS), and quality of resilience (QoR). These three notions reflect different aspects of networking. Providing high QoS, GoS and QoR at the network level is crucial for high user-perceived service quality, i.e., quality of experience (QoE). These terms and the relationships between them are briefly defined below for clarity and are related to the provisioning of high quality

QoE provisioning with respect to convergence requirements

To ensure that customers receive a service with a high QoE – that is they are satisfied with the service – all factors influencing QoE must be taken into account. QoE expectations related to different applications and services translate into differentiated QoS, GoS, and QoR performance offered by the network. There are no mechanisms in place provisioning QoE directly. Instead, in order to achieve a desired QoE level, QoS/GoS/QoR provisioning mechanisms must be selected and designed

Technologies and approaches for future converged networks

Heterogeneity of networks is inevitable. The expectation of network convergence requires a common framework for provisioning a variety of services over various media and networking technologies.

The main goal of network convergence is bringing any service, anytime and anywhere to customers. A key requirement is to achieve a high QoE. As discussed earlier, QoE depends on intrinsic QoS/GoS/QoR characteristics of a network and various additional factors. In turn, to provide end-to-end services with

Conclusion

Growing user expectations related to perceived quality of services accessible anywhere, anytime, on any user device and on any media are setting new challenges for technology developers and service providers. These expectations can only be fulfilled if an appropriate set of metrics reflecting quality of experience is defined and interoperability between different converging networks is assured. Harmonization between different standards and mappings between varying metric definitions have been

Acknowledgments

This work has been partially supported by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education under the European Regional Development Fund, Grant No. POIG.01.01.02-00-045/09-00, Future Internet Engineering.

Authors would like to thank Piotr Chołda, Marek Sikora, Piotr Pacyna and Michał Wągrowski for their helpful comments on this paper.

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Rafał Stankiewicz received the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Telecommunications from AGH University of Science and Technology, Kraków, Poland in 1999 and 2007, respectively. Since 1999, He is employed as at the Department of Telecommunications of AGH University of Science and Technology. Currently he delivers lectures on data base systems, operating systems as well as P2P and overlay networks. His research interests focuses on reliable optical transport networks and advanced methods of ensuring quality of service (IntServ, DiffServ, MPLS) performance analytical modelling (mainly of QoS supporting mechanisms), statistical analysis of telecommunications traffic, and traffic management concepts for peer-to-peer networking. He is an author of several conference and journal research papers and co-author of one book. He was involved in several European research projects including IP BTI, IP LION, IP NOBEL, NoE EuroNGI/EuroFGI. Currently, He is involved in EU Projects SmoothIT and Euro-NF. He also served as a reviewer of papers submitted to journals (e.g. IEEE Communications Magazine) as well as top telecommunications conferences (e.g. IEEE Globecom) in the area of DiffServ, performance modeling and analysis. He is a member of IEEE.

Andrzej Jajszczyk is a professor at AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, Poland. He received M.S., Ph.D., and Dr. Hab. degrees from Poznan University of Technology in 1974, 1979 and 1986, respectively. He is the author or co-author of seven books and more than 260 research papers, as well as 19 patents in the areas of telecommunications switching, high-speed networking, network management, and reliability. He has been a consultant to industry, telecommunications operators, and government agencies in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Poland, and the USA. He is a member of advisory or editorial boards of several journals and magazines, including Security and Communication Networks, China Communications, and Annals of Telecommunications. He was editor of IEEE Transactions on Communications, and editor-in-chief of IEEE Communications Magazine. In 2008–2009 he served as Vice-President of IEEE Communications Society. He has been involved in organization of numerous technical and scientific conferences. He is a Fellow of the IEEE.

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