{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,4]],"date-time":"2026-07-04T17:02:28Z","timestamp":1783184548803,"version":"3.54.6"},"reference-count":61,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"13","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,30]],"date-time":"2023-06-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1688083200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This paper presents a novel approach for network slicing in 5G backhaul networks, targeting services with low or very low latency requirements. We propose a modified A* algorithm that incorporates network quality of service parameters into a composite metric. The algorithm\u2019s efficiency outperforms that of Dijkstra\u2019s algorithm using a precalculated heuristic function and a real-time monitoring strategy for congestion management. We integrate the algorithm into an SDN module called a path computation element, which computes the optimal path for the network slices. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm significantly reduces processing time compared to Dijkstra\u2019s algorithm, particularly in complex topologies, with an order of magnitude improvement. The algorithm successfully adjusts paths in real-time to meet low latency requirements, preventing packet delay from exceeding the established threshold. The end-to-end measurements using the Speedtest client validate the algorithm\u2019s performance in differentiating traffic with and without delay requirements. These results demonstrate the efficacy of our approach in achieving ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) in 5G backhaul networks.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s23136053","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,3]],"date-time":"2023-07-03T00:53:16Z","timestamp":1688345596000},"page":"6053","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":14,"title":["Efficient Network Slicing with SDN and Heuristic Algorithm for Low Latency Services in 5G\/B5G Networks"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7173-4405","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Robert","family":"Botez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Communications Department, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andres-Gabriel","family":"Pasca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Communications Department, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alin-Tudor","family":"Sferle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Communications Department, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5648-8442","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Iustin-Alexandru","family":"Ivanciu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Communications Department, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5917-4003","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Virgil","family":"Dobrota","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Communications Department, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400114 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2023, May 15). 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