Virtualization Technology for LoRaWAN Roaming Simulation in Smart Cities

Internet of Things (IoT) low power and long range wireless technologies play a key role as an enabling technology for the development of the communication backbone for future smart cities, which will be increasingly based on multi-sensor intelligent data analytics. At the current state-of-the-art, a number of technologies collectively known as Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs) can provide connectivity for IoT applications. Among LPWAN technologies, Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) has been effectively used in a wide range of application domains. An important factor that accelerates the process of LoRaWAN implementation in IoT systems is the use of LoRaWAN simulation tools. Most simulation tools are widely used to simulate various networking technologies. As for LoRaWAN, their focus is on simulation of PHY and MAC layers. In this chapter, we address the possible use of virtualization technologies to simulate LoRaWAN at the application layer. Virtual network laboratories based on virtual technologies have existed for over a decade. These laboratories have been used for the purpose of educational and test environments. This chapter presents a novel model based on virtualization technology for the design, development and testing of the application for roaming in LoRaWAN networks in the context of future smart cities to enable continuous intelligent infrastructure monitoring and surveillance using moving devices such as those wearables or installed on-board vehicles and drones. The virtual network and its architecture for the simulation of LoRaWAN applications are presented in this chapter together with example use case scenarios.