Abstract: Artificial Networking: From Best-Effort Networking (BEN) to Knowledge Aware Networking (KAN)
Presenter: Prof. B. Antoine Bagula
ISAT Laboratory (Head)
Department of Computer Science
University of the Western Cape
South Africa
Abstract:
The Internet, the backbone of modern communication, was originally built on the principle of an intelligent edge and a core dump using a best-effort routing model, facilitating its immense scalability to support hundreds of millions of nodes. The evolution towards a more intelligent Internet began with the advent of virtualization and the Software-Defined Networking (SDN) paradigm, which effectively separated the control and data planes. A significant leap occurred with the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into networking through the Knowledge-Defined Networking (KDN) paradigm, enabling networks to derive valuable insights from data processed by machine learning models. Building on this foundation, Knowledge Aware Networking (KAN) represents a revolutionary paradigm that leverages multi-controller SDN architectures to develop innovative learning models for cooperative, competitive, and diversity contexts. This approach aims to enhance the security, resilience, and intelligence of next-generation networks (NGNs).
In KAN, cooperative learning follows the Federated Learning model, where machine learning models are collaboratively trained by multiple clients. Competitive learning focuses on selecting the best model for a specific use case from a set of models. Diversity learning replicates the same model on different servers and employs a voting mechanism for fault tolerance.
Knowledge Aware Networking promises to be the future of networking, where intelligence, optimality, and resilience are built into the very fabric of our communication infrastructure. In this keynote, we will explore the KAN architecture, detailing its various layers and the diverse learning models it supports. We will also discuss how KAN enables more intelligent, autonomously manageable networks by fostering cooperative learning, competitive learning, and diversity learning.
Bio
Bigomokero Antoine Bagula, holds a Ph.D. in Communication Systems from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden. He also obtained two MSc degrees: one in Computer Engineering from the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) in Belgium, and another in Computer Science from the University of Stellenbosch (SUN) in South Africa. Presently, Dr. Bagula serves as a full professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in South Africa, where he leads the Intelligent Systems and Advanced Telecommunication (ISAT) laboratory. Additionally, he holds a professorial position at Université Nouveaux Horizons (UNH) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where he is responsible for driving the institution’s faculty of Informatics research agenda and enhancing its teaching curriculum. Dr. Bagula’s research interests encompass various areas such as Data Engineering with a focus on Big Data Technologies, Cloud/Fog Computing, and Network Softwarization, including concepts like NFV and SDN. He actively explores the potential of the Internet of Things (IoT), covering both the Internet-of-Things and Tactile Internet-of-Things. Moreover, he delves into Data Science, particularly Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and their applications in Big Data Analytics. Dr. Bagula’s expertise extends to Next Generation Networks (NGN), including 5G/6G. Through his academic accomplishments and research pursuits, Dr. Bagula significantly contributes to the fields of computer science, data engineering, and telecommunications.