Network Digital Twins for 6G: Defining Data Taxonomy and Data Models

As the telecommunications industry moves towards 6G, Network Digital Twins (NDTs) have emerged as a useful means for real-time monitoring, automation, and performance optimization in next-generation networks. This paper contributes to the ongoing research on NDTs within the framework of the 6G-TWIN project by presenting a comprehensive vision for NDT architecture and establishing baseline definitions for NDT data models, i.e., basic and functional models. We propose a structured taxonomy for the data required by these models to ensure a shared semantics consistent with existing standards. Furthermore, we introduce a graph-based modeling approach that provides a foundation for constructing basic models within NDTs, representing the physical network. Lastly, we discuss the challenges related to constructing basic models and propose future directions to address them.

IEEE Conference on Standards for Communications and Networking