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International Conference on Quantum Communications, Networking, and Computing (QCNC)

Monitoring Strategy for Enhanced Adaptability in QKD Networks

Blanca López, Angela Diaz-Bricio, Iván Vidal, Francisco Valera, Diego R. Lopez

Published Mar 31, 2025• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

Monitoring mechanisms are essential in modern telecommunications networks, ensuring reliability, performance, and security by continuously tracking network health and status. These mechanisms enable real-time anomaly detection and response, allowing for fast intervention and dynamic optimization of network resources. To advance Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) networks toward becoming a mainstream service within current telecommunication infrastructures, comprehensive monitoring mechanisms must be available. This paper explores the integration of such a monitoring approach for QKD. Leveraging a recently proposed model that utilizes virtualization to create an abstraction layer over the highly heterogeneous array of quantum and classical hardware, this monitoring mechanism offers significant advantages. These include the continuous provisioning of real-time data and traffic statistics on network segments, as well as the detection of potential attacks or failures on critical network elements, enabling dynamic, data-driven routing, operations, and management. The proposed monitoring strategy, which incorporates both passive and active measurements, enables proactive and immediate actions when any network irregularity is detected. Beyond detailing the monitoring mechanism, we demonstrate its feasibility through a virtual environment test, validating its effectiveness in a controlled setting.

DOI
10.1109/qcnc64685.2025.00048

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Monitoring mechanisms are essential in modern telecommunications networks, ensuring reliability, performance, and security by continuously tracking network health and status. These mechanisms enable real-time anomaly detection and response, allowing for fast intervention and dynamic optimization of network resources. To advance Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) networks toward becoming a mainstream service within current telecommunication infrastructures, comprehensive monitoring mechanisms must be available. This paper explores the integration of such a monitoring approach for QKD. Leveraging a recently proposed model that utilizes virtualization to create an abstraction layer over the highly heterogeneous array of quantum and classical hardware, this monitoring mechanism offers significant advantages. These include the continuous provisioning of real-time data and traffic statistics on network segments, as well as the detection of potential attacks or failures on critical network elements, enabling dynamic, data-driven routing, operations, and management. The proposed monitoring strategy, which incorporates both passive and active measurements, enables proactive and immediate actions when any network irregularity is detected. Beyond detailing the monitoring mechanism, we demonstrate its feasibility through a virtual environment test, validating its effectiveness in a controlled setting.
The advent of softwarization and disaggregated architectures has transformed modern communication networks, sparking innovation by separating network functionalities from the underlying hardware. Following this trend, in future quantum networks, the virtualization and softwarization of critical components will be essential to achieve global interoperability and enhance adaptability. Virtualization allows for the abstraction of hardware resources, making it easier to manage and scale networks dynamically, while softwarization promotes flexibility, reconfigurability, and interoperability by enabling the use of standardized, software-defined protocols that can be easily updated and modified to work across diverse and evolving network environments. In this paper, we introduce and examine an operational model for QKD networks that leverages the virtualization of control and key management functionalities. We detail its elements and procedures to optimize QKD services. The design paves the way for the integration of quantum network with functions already established in modern mobile networks while adhering to established QKD network standards. The proposed operational model has been validated at the 5G Telefonica Open Network Innovation Centre (5TONIC) using an environment that deploys digital twins of QKD networks.
Softwarization and disaggregated architectures have transformed traditional communication networks by separating network control functions from the hardware, catalyzing innovation, and dramatically reducing deployment and operation costs. This paper extends these concepts to Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) networks, emphasizing the importance of virtualizing key management functions with advanced cloud-native technologies for enhanced global interoperability and flexibility. Our approach advocates for a fully disaggregated key management plane supported by softwarization and virtualization technologies, without losing sight of the established standards. The proposed model unlocks multiple benefits, including the facilitation of tailored access control mechanisms for QKD network administrators, the ability to apply real-time performance monitoring and base the control and management of the network on the gathered data, as well as conducting different key generation Quality of Service (QoS) admission control mechanisms on the QKD network. Moreover, a disaggregated model of the key management functions facilitates the implementation of different strategies for cross-domain collaboration between QKD network providers, as well as continuous key provisioning even in the midst of quantum infrastructure outages. The model has been validated through experiments in a virtualized environment, leveraging software tools to create customizable digital twins of QKD networks.
This paper emphasizes the development of network monitoring appliance for monitoring network health, network resources and for further analysis of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) performance where QKD devices located in different locations. It provides tools and services for end users who enable to view real time QKD performance statistics on the network. As it is very important to keep track of each key parameter involved with device status and QKD temporal evolution to perform traffic analysis and to determine the error probability during the phase of key generation. The system has been developed from a Network Health Analysis and Monitoring system (NetHAM) [1] implemented under an open source platform, offered more features both graphical statistics display and user friendly interface. In addition, this paper proposed a conformance passive monitoring method to analysis the QKD performance. The log from QKD layer has been converted to well organized database format before storing it in the database server. The relevant information will be invoked for network topology display, link and device status that would be helpful for end user can easily view the QKD performance with frequently updated through the dynamic graphical display and for further historical data analysis.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) offers a revolutionary approach to secure communication, leveraging the principles of quantum mechanics to generate and distribute cryptographic keys that are immune to eavesdropping. As QKD systems become more widely adopted, the need for robust monitoring and management solutions has become increasingly crucial. The Cerberis3 QKD system from ID Quantique addresses this challenge by providing a comprehensive monitoring and visualization platform. The system’s advanced features, including central configuration, SNMP integration, and the graphical visualization of key performance metrics, enable network administrators to ensure their QKD infrastructure’s reliable and secure operation. Monitoring critical parameters such as Quantum Bit Error Rate (QBER), secret key rate, and link visibility is essential for maintaining the integrity of the quantum channel and optimizing the system’s performance. The Cerberis3 system’s ability to interface with encryption vendors and support complex network topologies further enhances its versatility and integration capabilities. By addressing the unique challenges of quantum monitoring, the Cerberis3 system empowers organizations to leverage the power of QKD technology, ensuring the security of their data in the face of emerging quantum computing threats. This article explores the Cerberus3 system’s features and its role in overcoming the monitoring challenges inherent to QKD deployments.
The rapid evolution of digital infrastructure has raised significant concerns about the security of data transmission, particularly with the advent of quantum computing. Traditional cryptographic algorithms are vulnerable to attacks, highlighting the need for quantum-resistant solutions. This paper presents the integration of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) with Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and network slicing to build a secure, programmable, and flexible network architecture. QKD ensures unconditional security based on quantum mechanics by enabling key distribution with the ability to detect eavesdropping through quantum bit error rates (QBER). SDN provides centralized control and real-time traffic management, while network slicing allows isolation, reliability and customization of traffic flows for specific applications such as URLLC, eMBB, and mMTC. When abnormal QBER or decryption failures are detected, mitigation actions such as Quantum key refresh, traffic rerouting, or attacker isolation are triggered and Performance evaluation of the system is based on Latency and throughput Experimental validation using Mininet and Ryu demonstrates secure key distribution, attack detection, and slice-specific threat mitigation. This integrated approach enhances end-to-end security for next-generation networks, with strong applicability to5G/6G\mathbf{5 G} \boldsymbol{/} \mathbf{6 G}5G/6G, IoT, and mission-critical services.
As wireless networks become increasingly integral to modern communication infrastructures, the need for robust security mechanisms to protect sensitive information has never been more critical. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) presents a revolutionary approach to secure communications by leveraging the principles of quantum mechanics to ensure the theoretical unbreakability of cryptographic keys. This study provides a comprehensive review of the current status of QKD technologies within the context of wireless networks, utilizing secondary data sources to analyze recent advancements, implementations, and challenges. The paper begins by outlining the fundamental principles of QKD and its superiority over classical cryptographic methods. It then examines recent developments in QKD protocols and their adaptability to wireless environments, highlighting successful case studies and experimental trials. Key challenges, including technological limitations, integration hurdles with existing network infrastructures, and cost considerations, are discussed in detail. The review also explores emerging trends and innovations, such as hybrid QKD systems and satellite-based implementations, which promise to expand the applicability and feasibility of QKD in wireless networks. Finally, the study delineates future prospects and potential research directions, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to overcome existing limitations and fully realize the potential of QKD in enhancing wireless network security.