A Flexible In-band Network Telemetry Framework for Heterogeneous Private Networks

Abstract

As network management operations increasingly rely on automation and finer control actions, there is a need for precise telemetry systems. In-band Network Telemetry (INT) methods use data packets to carry telemetry and give real-time insights about network performance. Existing solutions often require specialized hardware or offer limited runtime configuration options. This work presents an INT Framework for heterogeneous private networks, targeting industrial and multimedia applications. The framework is designed to be flexible and runtime-reconfigurable, addressing challenges in real-world applications. We provide implementation details of our elements supporting the configurability and the consolidation of raw telemetry into high-level Quality of Service (QoS) metrics. We evaluated the framework in a testbed with wired and wireless devices. The results show the accuracy in monitoring QoS, as well as an analysis of synchronization requirements, showcasing the feasibility of our framework for solutions requiring precise and flexible QoS monitoring.