Keynotes

AI/ML for Networking in the Era of Programmable Data Planes: Are We There Yet?

Abstract

In recent years, we have witnessed tremendous advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques and their broad adoption in nearly all societal fields. In computer networking, it is not different. As a research community, we are exploring opportunities to devise novel approaches using AI/ML (traffic classification, intrusion detection, etc.). Programmable data planes (PDPs) emerge in this context as a promising approach to carry out per-packet, low-latency AI/ML computations. The question is – are we there yet? In this talk, we will address how AI/ML and data plane programmability can work hand-in-hand to solve network/service operations and management problems. We will briefly revisit the progress, lessons learned, and challenges of designing innovative AI/ML-based management solutions on PDPs. We will also discuss ongoing work and opportunities for how our community can promote the advancement of the area.

Speaker

Prof. Luciano Paschoal Gaspary (INF-UFRGS, Brazil) holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science (UFRGS, Brazil, 2002). He is currently Deputy Dean and Full Professor at the Institute of Informatics, UFRGS. From 2019 to 2022, he served as the Editor-in-Chief for Springer’s Journal of Network and Systems Management (JNSM). From 2008 to 2014, he worked as Director of the National Laboratory on Computer Networks (LARC) and, from 2009 to 2013, was Managing Director of the Brazilian Computer Society (SBC). Prof. Gaspary has been involved in the area of network and service management for over 25 years. In 2023, he received the prestigious Dan Stokesberry Award from the IEEE Communications Society in recognition of his distinguished technical contributions to the growth of the field. In recent years, his group has worked mainly on cybersecurity and data plane programmability to solve long-standing and emerging management problems. Prof. Gaspary is the author of more than 160 full papers published in leading international peer-reviewed publications and has a history of dedication to a number of research activities. He served as General Co-Chair for LANOMS 2005, TPC Co-Chair of IFIP/IEEE DSOM 2009, TPC Co-Chair of IEEE/IFIP NOMS 2002, General Co-Chair for CNSM 2014, and in several other Organizing Committee roles of past IM, NOMS, and CNSM conferences. He also participated as an editorial board member of various journals. Additional information about Prof. Gaspary can be found here.

Towards Efficient Network and Service Management across the Cloud Continuum

Abstract

Containers have revolutionized application deployment and life-cycle management within contemporary cloud platforms. Applications have evolved from single monoliths to complex graphs of loosely-coupled microservices aiming to improve deployment flexibility and operational efficiency. Moreover, the emergence of the cloud continuum represents a compelling paradigm shift, facilitating the unified management of network and computation resources across the edge-cloud spectrum in a seamless manner. Despite significant advancements, several research questions remain unanswered. This keynote will introduce the challenges posed by containerized applications and the cloud continuum, while exploring some of the most promising research directions. For example, the keynote will focus on recent advances on container orchestration and auto-scaling, showcasing how novel heuristics and Reinforcement Learning (RL)-based methods can foster dynamic and proactive orchestration within distributed cloud infrastructures. Lastly, the keynote will discuss intriguing use cases such as cloud-native virtual reality applications, while outlining future trends in the field.

Speaker

José Santos (Ghent University – imec, IDLab, Gent, Belgium) obtained his M.Sc. degree in Electrical and Computers Engineering in July 2015 from the University of Porto, Portugal. Recently, he completed his doctoral studies at Ghent University in April 2022. He is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher in the IDLab Research Group at Ghent University – imec, Belgium. His research interests include Cloud Computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), Container Scheduling and Auto-scaling, Service Function Chaining, and Reinforcement Learning. His work has been published in more than 25 scientific publications. He received the PhD Excellence award 2022 from imec (Belgium), the Best Dissertation Award at NOMS 2023 (Miami, USA), and the fwo IBM Innovation Award 2023.