BLOCKCHAIN-ORIENTED ARCHITECTURE FOR MONITORING AND ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT OF A FUNCTIONALLY RESILIENT HETEROGENEOUS TELECOMMUNICATION NETWORK

Abstract

This paper addresses the problem of ensuring the functional resilience of heterogeneous telecommunication networks under conditions of increasing network infrastructure complexity, growing traffic volumes, and the widespread adoption of cloud computing, edge computing, software-defined networking, and the Internet of Things. It is determined that traditional centralized monitoring systems are characterized by the presence of a single point of failure and do not provide a sufficient level of trust in telemetry data, which may lead to incorrect management decisions in the presence of cyberattacks, equipment failures, or deliberate information falsification. The feasibility of using blockchain technology to ensure the reliability of monitoring data and support adaptive network management processes is substantiated.

A blockchain-oriented architecture for monitoring and adaptive management of a functionally resilient heterogeneous telecommunication network is proposed. The architecture integrates telemetry tools, distributed data verification mechanisms, network state assessment modules, forecasting of destabilizing impacts, and decision-making components. A distinctive feature of the proposed approach is the use of a permissioned blockchain for storing aggregated telemetry events, trust assessment results, and information on applied control actions. This ensures record immutability, decision traceability, and an increased level of trust in management processes.

A methodology for network monitoring and adaptive management has been developed, implementing a closed-loop cycle of “monitoring – verification – assessment – forecasting – control.” The methodology includes the collection and normalization of telemetry data, assessment of their reliability based on decentralization indicators, consensus reliability, transaction integrity, auditability, and data source reputation, as well as the calculation of an integral indicator of network functional resilience. To enable a transition from reactive to proactive management, it is proposed to use forecasting of functional state degradation risks and the selection of optimal control actions considering expected effectiveness, implementation cost, and residual risk.

The results of the experimental study confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed approach compared to centralized monitoring systems and conventional SDN/NFV solutions. An increase in the integral indicator of network functional resilience, improved reliability of telemetry data, reduced detection and response times to destabilizing impacts, and a decrease in the number of incorrect management decisions were observed. The obtained results demonstrate the potential of blockchain technologies for building trusted monitoring and adaptive management systems for next-generation telecommunication networks.