Network Slicing to Enable Resilience and High Availability in 5G Mobile Telecommunications

In the upcoming fifth-generation (5G) ecosystem, the delivery of a variety of personalized services is envisioned. With the development of software-defined networks and network function virtualization technologies, networks display increasingly flexible features, such as programmability. Network slicing is a state-of-the-art technology that provides services tailored to the specific demands of users, such as smart grids and e-health applications. In this article, we introduce the network slicing concept and its application and discuss related work. In addition, we propose an architecture for network slicing by combining software-defined networks and network function virtualization technologies. Finally, we note important challenges and open issues in the development and application of these technologies