Professor Nicholas Race
Professor of Networked SystemsProfile
Nicholas Race is Professor of Networked Systems at Lancaster University. His research focuses on developing future networking services built upon Software Defined Networks and Network Functions Virtualisation. This includes new techniques to enhance the Quality of Experience of media streaming and support for the detection and remediation of network anomalies. He leads NG-CDI - a EPSRC/BT funded project that aims to develop a future network that is “autonomic”, with the capability to react and reconfigure infrastructure accordingly with minimal human intervention.
Research Overview
My research area is focused on the use of Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) for a range of new networking services, with a particular emphasis on the benefits to security, monitoring and media distribution.
The application of SDN for security builds upon my previous work in developing lightweight intrusion detection mechanisms and security monitoring for Wireless Mesh Networks. In particular, recent research considers new approaches to security detection and remediation that have been made possible through the introduction of Software Defined Networking. My current work investigates how the combination of multi-stage monitoring techniques alongside SDN allows for the dynamic provisioning of resources in response to evolving monitoring conditions. Notably, our work in this area has led to the TENNISON framework which has recently been published and released as open-source software for the benefit of the security community.
I am the principal investigator of NG-CDI, an EPSRC/BT funded Prosperity Partnership. I am also the principal investigator at Lancaster of AI4ME, an EPSRC/BBC funded Prosperity Partnership and MANY. Previously I was the principal investigator at Lancaster of the 5GRIT, INITIATE, MPAT, FI-CONTENT2, STEER, GN3plus, Fed4FIRE, OFELIA and P2P-Next EU projects.
Current Teaching
For the academic year 2021/22:
SCC365: Advanced Networking
Career Details
Academic Qualifications:
Doctor of Philosophy, Lancaster (2000)
1st Class B.Sc. Hons in Computer Science, Lancaster (1996)
Employment:
Associate Dean for Research, Faculty of Science & Technology, Lancaster University, 2020 - present
Professor, School of Computing and Communications, Lancaster University, 2017 - present
Reader in Networking, School of Computing and Communications, Lancaster University, 2015 - 2017
Senior Lecturer, School of Computing and Communications, Lancaster University, 2008 - 2015
Lecturer, Computing Department & ISS, Lancaster University, 2003 - 2008
Research Lecturer, Computing Department, Lancaster University, 2001 - 2003
Research Assistant, Computing Department, Lancaster University, 2000 - 2001
Professional Role
Editorial board member of Computer Communications
Programme Co-Chair of DE2013: Open Digital
PC Member of key conferences in my field: ACM Multimedia, Multimedia Systems (MMSys), EWSDN
PhD Supervision Interests
Software Defined Networks (SDN), Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV), Network Orchestration, Network Monitoring, Network Security, Fog / Edge Computing, P4.
Selected Publications
TENNISON: A Distributed SDN Framework for Scalable Network Security
Fawcett, L., Scott-Hayward, S., Broadbent, M.H., Wright, A., Race, N.J.P. 12/2018 In: IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications. 36, 12, p. 2805 - 2818. 14 p.
Journal article
Closing the gap: human factors in cross-device media synchronization
Mu, M., Fawcett, L., Bird, J., Trench-Jellicoe, J.M.E., Simpson, S., Stokking, H., Race, N.J.P. 02/2017 In: IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing. 11, 1, p. 180-195. 16 p.
Journal article
REF: Enabling Rapid Experimentation of Contextual Network Traffic Management using Software Defined Networking
Fawcett, L., Mu, M., Hareng, B., Race, N.J.P. 14/07/2017 In: IEEE Communications Magazine. 55, 7, p. 144-150. 7 p.
Journal article
Network service orchestration standardization: a technology survey
Rotsos, C., King, D., Farshad, A., Bird, J., Fawcett, L., Georgalas, N., Gunkel, M., Shiomoto, K., Wang, A., Mauthe, A.U., Race, N.J.P., Hutchison, D. 11/2017 In: Computer Standards and Interfaces. 54, 4, p. 203-215. 13 p.
Journal article
A scalable user fairness model for adaptive video streaming over SDN-assisted future networks
Mu, M., Broadbent, M., Farshad, A., Hart, N., Hutchison, D., Ni, Q., Race, N. 1/08/2016 In: IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications. 34, 8, p. 2168-2184. 17 p.
Journal article
Using software defined networking to enhance the delivery of video-on-demand
Georgopoulos, P., Broadbent, M., Farshad, A., Plattner, B., Race, N. 15/09/2015 In: Computer Communications. 69, p. 79-87. 9 p.
Journal article
All Publications
ICASE: Cloud XR QoE for Programable Networks at Lancaster University
01/10/2024 → 30/09/2028
Research
TUDOR: Towards Ubiquitous 3D Open Resilient Network
01/02/2023 → 31/03/2025
Research
HTTP version 3 for unicast delivery of video services over the Internet
01/01/2023 → 31/03/2027
Research
BBC Prosperity Partnership - Future Personalised Object-Based Media Experiences Delivered at Scale Anywhere
01/10/2021 → 30/09/2026
Research
BBC Prosperity Partnership - Future Personalised Object-Based Media Experiences Delivered at Scale Anywhere
01/10/2021 → 30/09/2026
Research
Future Places: A Digital Economy Centre on Understanding Place Through Pervasive Computing
01/10/2020 → 30/09/2025
Research
5G - Rural Connected Communities (MANY)
01/03/2020 → 30/06/2022
Research
5GRIT : 5G Rural Integrated Testbed
01/04/2018 → 30/09/2019
Research
NG-CDI : Next Generation Converged Digital infrastructure
01/11/2017 → 31/10/2023
Research
INITIATE : UK Interconnected Test Beds to support a research and innovation internet evironment
01/02/2017 → 31/01/2021
Research
MPAT: Multi-platform Application Toolkit
01/12/2015 → 31/12/2017
Research
Towards Ultimate Convergence of all Networks (TOUCAN)
11/08/2014 → 31/12/2020
Research
Fed4FIRE
01/12/2013 → 30/11/2014
Research
FI-Content2
01/11/2013 → 31/12/2014
Research
FP7: GN3plus: Cross-site Evaluation of an OpenFlow assisted Video-on-Demand Distribution Service
24/10/2013 → 31/03/2015
Research
FP7: FI Content 2: Future media Internet for large-scale CONTENT experimentation 2
01/04/2013 → 31/03/2015
Research
FP7: OFELIA open flow in Europe: Linking infrastructure & applications
01/09/2012 → 30/09/2013
Research
FP7: STEER; Social Telemedia Environment for Experimental research
01/09/2012 → 30/11/2014
Research
Telling Tales of Engagement: The Wray Broadband Project
01/06/2012 → 30/11/2013
Research
Towards socially aware content centric networking
01/10/2011 → 30/09/2014
Research
DART: Digital Advanced Rural Testbed
01/02/2011 → 31/07/2013
Research
FIRM
01/01/2010 → 30/06/2013
Research
FP7: P2P-NEXT
01/01/2008 → 30/04/2012
Research
Trials of mobile IP functionality and applications
01/12/2007 → 30/11/2008
Research
Towards robust attack detection in wireless mesh networks
01/11/2007 → 31/03/2008
Research
FP6: Content
01/07/2006 → 31/07/2012
Research
Wray Broadband Project
01/01/2004 → …
Research
SCC (Networking)
SCC (Networking)
- Cyber Security Research Centre (Networking)
- DSI - Foundations
- SCC (Networking)
- Security Lancaster
- Security Lancaster (Academic Centre of Excellence)
- Security Lancaster (Networks)
- Security Lancaster (Systems Security)