Time-Sensitive Networking Experimentation on Open Testbeds

Abstract

Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) is vital to enable time-critical deterministic communication, especially for applications with industrial-grade requirements. IEEE TSN standards are key enablers to provide deterministic and reliable operation of Ethernet networks. However, much of the research is still done in simulated environments or using commercial TSN switches lacking flexibility in terms of hardware and software support. In this work, we evaluate two different Cloud testbeds for TSN experimentation, analyzing their hardware features, the influence of the testbed management infrastructure, and the data plane performance. Furthermore, we present a prototype of a modular Software-Defined Networking (SDN) controller that facilitates the deployment of Linux-based TSN networks. We identify and discuss the controller modules and evaluate its feasibility by using it to deploy TSN networks on different testbeds. Finally, we provide insights for researchers interested in experimenting with TSN features on open Cloud testbeds and discuss the features and limitations that we found during our experiments.