OVERVIEW

This course will be composed by two highly complementary parts: the 5th Generation of Radio Mobile Networks (5G) and the Internet of Things (IoT). The course will provide knowledge to understand the 5G core and the software technologies used to integrate novel vertical applications.  Concerning IoT, the course will deal with architectures and methodologies at the basis of the IoT including the Ambient Intelligence (AmI).

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at introducing the 5G radio mobile networks and IoT technologies from the point of view of the functional architecture, the definition of protocols and standard procedures, and the AmI related functions.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Attendance and active participation to the proposed training activities (lectures, exercises and laboratory experiences) and the individual work will allow students to:
•    acquire a correct terminology for the identification of the main components and functionalities of the 5G, cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT) and the related Ambient Intelligence (AmI) functions;
•    know in depth the 5G core network, its main functionalities, and how it can be dynamically applied to offer network slices to vertical applications;
•    know in depth the structure and functions of the IoT and understand how its components are used to design AmI applications used in many applicative scenarios in the framework of the so called Industry 4.0 paradigm;
•    know the main mechanisms that guarantee reliable information extraction and exchange over the IoT in particular concerning localization, tracking and positioning;
•    know cloud computing, edge computing and NFV technologies at the foundations of the 5G functional/architectural specification;
•    identify the main components and functions within or interfaced with the 5G ecosystem;
•    identify the main components and functions that characterize the IoT and allow enabling AmI functions;
•    apply the different communications and networking solutions to exploit the 5G, cloud/edge computing, IoT, as well as the main functionalities to make an ambient intelligent;
•    provide example of different 5G core configurations and operations to meet heterogeneous vertical applications.
•    provide examples of applications of IoT and AmI in the wide framework of the Industry 4.0 paradigm.

TEACHING METHODS

Classroom-taught lesson, practical examples and exercises also within real cloud/5G/IoT systems, laboratory experiences.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Introduction to Radio-Mobile Networks: the generations specified by 3GPP, the anatomy and basic concepts in a radio mobile network, the role and the functionalities of the radio-mobile core: authentication, authorization, accounting, Quality of Service, mobility management and handovers. ICT Virtualization: an overview on Operating Systems, Virtual Machines, Containers and virtualization acceleration technologies. Cloud Computing and IaaS, PaaS and SaaS models, example of cloud systems (OpenStack, Kubernetes, etc.); the role of Orchestrators; introduction to cloud-native microservices, sidecars, and service meshes. Introduction to edge computing technologies and infrastructures. Introduction to the 5G, the 5G core network and its design principles; 5G functions and their roles; mobility management procedures; network slicing and vertical applications.
Introduction to IoT systems: definitions, applications, enabling technologies; IoT components: from sensors to gateway (sensors and actuators, sketchy illustration of design principles of electronic circuit boards, sensing and data acquisition policies); Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications (technologies for WPAN such as BLE, IEEE 802.15.4, Z-Wave, WLAN and WSAN such as LoRA); Network architectures and routing (6LoWPAN, RPL); IoT components: from gateway to cloud (data acquisition protocols: XMPP, CoAP, MQTT, AMQP, etc.); Machine learning application to AmI (classification, clustering, regression, anomaly detection, etc.) and applications for sensor signals and data analysis; Positioning, Tracking and Localization (measurements, existing technologies, sensors for wireless positioning, basics such as limits, trilateration, triangulation, fingerprinting and Cramer-Rao bounds, time transfer positioning approaches such as TOA, TDOA, Ultrawideband, WiFi Positioning with fingerprinting, RFID, Bluetooth, GPS); IoT Open Issues and bottlenecks (privacy and security management, energy efficiency for end-devices and power saving techniques, scalability).

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Slides, link to book chapters, scientific papers, online resources indicated on the course's page on AULAWEB.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

ROBERTO BRUSCHI (President)

RAFFAELE BOLLA

FRANCO DAVOLI

ANDREA SCIARRONE

IGOR BISIO (President Substitute)

LESSONS

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Written exam with multiple-choice, open-ended questions and exercises/problems. Oral examination can be also handled.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The written exam in the part related to multiple choice tests will verify the effective acquisition of basic knowledge on the technologies presented during lectures. The exercises/problems and/or open-ended questions will allow to evaluate the ability to apply the acquired knowledge in practical and applicative situations.

Exam schedule