SLICES Summer School 2024

Open and programmable 6G networks in the cloud/edge continuum: research challenges and experimentation tools in SLICES Research Infrastructures

Aims and scope

The purpose of this Summer School is twofold. The first objective is to provide students with an up-to-date overview of the enabling technologies and fundamental research challenges of upcoming 6G systems and networks also considering the increasing synergies with the cloud-to-edge continuum. Tutorials will present the main technologies and tools for network and distributed systems programming, orchestration and virtualization. Lectures and keynotes will focus on the theoretical and practical aspects of network sensing, distributed intelligence at the edge, the intersection between AI and networking, and the design of disaggregated programmable networks, providing a spotlight on key emerging research topics in the overall framework of 6G networks. The second objective is to introduce the students to the tools and methodologies offered by SLICES-RI, the only ESFRI research infrastructure for computer and networking research, for conducting experiment-based research in such cutting-edge research areas. The school will provide dedicated hands-on training and sessions to permit the students to gain concrete experience through practical projects with SLICES tools.

Keynote

• Larry Peterson (Princeton University, USA): Democratizing 5G: Open Source and More

Tutorials

• Roberto Bruschi (University of Genoa/CNIT, Italy): Fundamentals of virtualization technologies
• Paolo Bellavista & Armir Bujari (University of Bologna, Italy): Fundamentals of orchestration for the cloud continuum

Lectures

• Raymond Knopp (Eurecom, France): 3GPP evolutions towards disaggregated architectures
• Tommaso Melodia (Northeastern University, USA): O-RAN: Towards openness and programmability in the RAN
• Jorg Widmer (IMDEA, Spain): Integrated Sensing & Communication (IAC) in 6G
• Giovanni Neglia (INRIA, France): Networking challenges with Federated Learning

Hands-on Training

• Nikos Makris (UTH, Greece) & Damien Saucez (INRIA, France): How to run reproducible post-5G experiments with blueprints
• Armir Bujari (University of Bologna, Italy): An introduction to the cloud-continuum component of the SLICES blueprint
• Salvatore D’Oro & Michele Polese (Northeastern University, USA): O-RAN:  An introduction to OpenRAN Gym and AI-based applications in O-RAN

School Directors

• Serge Fdida (Sorbonne Université, France)
• Raffaele Bruno (CNR, Italy)
• Andrea Passarella (CNR, Italy)
• Sergio Palazzo (University of Catania, Italy)

Travel and accommodation

The conference room (located at Hotel Giardino sul Mare, Via Maddalena, Lipari) is air-conditioned and equipped with all conference materials. In addition, special areas are reserved for students for the afternoon coursework and study. The island of Lipari can be easily reached from Milazzo, Palermo, Naples, Messina, and Reggio Calabria by ferry or hydrofoil (50 minutes from Milazzo).