Service specification and negotiation in multi-provider networks: The bilateral approach

In this paper, we propose a framework for SLA specification and negotiation in next generation networks. The framework encompasses a general service level specification format and conformance matching rules. The proposed specification format allows administrators to describe service classes in their own domains independently of the network technology and the applied QoS model. We further define and investigate a conformance matching scheme (CMS). The objective of CMS is to assess the degree of correspondence between the required and offered QoS at the network-to-network interface. We also present a numerical example and the prototype implementation that demonstrate operating of the proposed framework.