Efficient flexibility and higher system scalability call for enhanced network performance, better energy consumption, lower infrastructure cost, and effective resource utilization. To accomplish this, an architectural optimization and reconstruction of existing cellular network is required. Network slicing is considered to be one of the key enablers and an architectural answer of communication system of 2020 and beyond. Traditional mobile operators provide all types of services to various kinds of customers through a single network, however, with the deployment of network slicing operators are now able to divide entire network into different slices each with its own configuration and specific Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. In a slice-based network, each slice will be considered as a separate logical network. In this way, the infrastructure utilization and resource allocation will be much more energy and cost efficient in comparison to traditional network. In this paper, we provided a comprehensive discussion on concept and system architecture of network slicing with particular focus on its business aspect and profit modeling. We throughly discussed two different dimensions of profit modeling, so called Own-Slice Implementation and Resource Leasing for Outsourced Slices. We further addressed open research directions and existing challenges with the purpose of motivating new advances and adding realistic solutions to this emerging technology.
The concept of network slicing has exclusively been studied in literature. For instance, authors in @cite_7 explained a detailed end-to-end framework of network slicing implementation in 5G communication system. The paper deals with deployment of vertical and horizontal slicing over the air-interface, Radio Access Network (RAN), and Core Network (CN). It further focuses on how to horizontally slice both computation and communication resources to from virtual computation platforms in order to improve scalability, enhance device capability, and increase end user experience.
@cite_7
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Network slicing addresses the deployment of multiple logical networks as independent business operations on a common physical infrastructure. The concept has initially been proposed for the 5 th Generation (5G) core network (CN) however, it has not been investigated yet what network slicing would represent to the design of the 5G radio access network (RAN). The paper explains how network slicing may impact several aspects of the 5G RAN design such as the protocol architecture, the design of network functions (NFs) and the management framework that needs to support both the management of the infrastructure to be shared among the slices and the slice operation. Wireless industry nowadays is facing two major challenges: 1) how to support the vertical industry applications so that to expand the wireless industry market and 2) how to further enhance device capability and user experience. In this paper, we propose a technology framework to address these challenges. The proposed technology framework is based on end-to-end vertical and horizontal slicing, where vertical slicing enables vertical industry and services and horizontal slicing improves system capacity and user experience. The technology development on vertical slicing has already started in late 4G and early 5G and is mostly focused on slicing the core network. We envision this trend to continue with the development of vertical slicing in the radio access network and the air interface. Moving beyond vertical slicing, we propose to horizontally slice the computation and communication resources to form virtual computation platforms for solving the network capacity scaling problem and enhancing device capability and user experience. In this paper, we explain the concept of vertical and horizontal slicing and illustrate the slicing techniques in the air interface, the radio access network, the core network and the computation platform. This paper aims to initiate the discussion on the long-range technology roadmap and spur development on the solutions for E2E network slicing in 5G and beyond. Network slicing has been identified as the backbone of the rapidly evolving 5G technology. However, as its consolidation and standardization progress, there are no literatures that comprehensively discuss its key principles, enablers, and research challenges. This paper elaborates network slicing from an end-to-end perspective detailing its historical heritage, principal concepts, enabling technologies and solutions as well as the current standardization efforts. In particular, it overviews the diverse use cases and network requirements of network slicing, the pre-slicing era, considering RAN sharing as well as the end-to-end orchestration and management, encompassing the radio access, transport network and the core network. This paper also provides details of specific slicing solutions for each part of the 5G system. Finally, this paper identifies a number of open research challenges and provides recommendations toward potential solutions. Network slicing is a fundamental capability for future 5G networks to properly support current and envisioned future application scenarios. Network slicing facilitates a cost-effective deployment and operation of multiple logical networks over a common physical network infrastructure such that each network is customized to best serve the needs of specific applications (e.g., mobile broadband, Internet of Things applications) and or communications service providers (e.g., special purpose service providers for different sectors such as public safety, utilities, smart city, and automobiles). Slicing a RAN becomes particularly challenging due to the inherently shared nature of the radio channel and the potential influence that any transmitter may have on any receiver. In this respect, this article analyzes the RAN slicing problem in a multi-cell network in relation to the RRM functionalities that can be used as a support for splitting the radio resources among the RAN slices. Four different RAN slicing approaches are presented and compared from different perspectives, such as the granularity in the assignment of radio resources and the degrees of isolation and customization.