A QUIC-based proxy architecture for an efficient hybrid backhaul transport

Network Function Virtualization (NFV) allows a fast deployment of customized solutions when and where needed, supporting breakthrough operational models compliant to multi-tenancy and slicing paradigms. This approach enables challenging communication scenarios overcoming possible performance flaws as well as enabling new disruptive services within future 5G based networks. In this framework a virtual Performance Enhancing Proxy (vPEP) is proposed, to foster the efficient use of satellite links either as a supplementary or complementary backhauling. The vPEP objective is to efficiently manage both switch-over (for performance optimization) and failover (for service continuity) of end-to-end Web traffic within an hybrid terrestrial/satellite backhaul network. To this aim, vPEP leverages several features of the new QUIC protocol, such as the 0-RTT establishment of secure communications and the connection-oriented flow management over a UDP-based connectionless transport. In this paper we describe the vPEP implementation as well as a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) demonstrator used for the validation activities.