Research Summary

Since 1997, Nikolai has been working in the area of Internetworking and Network Function Virtualization.
His contribution to electrical engineering and communication systems, especially investigations and applied science of virtual system performance led to creation of modern cloud-based scalable networks and communication systems.
He has almost fanatical conception of virtualized network elements, writing: “Scalable and reliable virtual network functions are like a good referee in a game - you will not pay attention to him unless he will fail. Same is true for virtual network functions: you do not see them, they are virtual somewhere in the cloud, but if they fail, you cannot communicate, work or even live”.
Nikolai continued research direction from his father. His father was leading research of semiconductor lasers with Nobel Prize winner Zhores Alferov, which were used in first 40G DWDM communication systems. While his father worked on Layer I of the ISO/OSI model, Nikolai extended family research areas to levels 2-5 of the IOS/OSI Model. And his wife Anna is a Software Developer Engineer, operating on Layers 5-7. So, all 7 ISO/OSI Layers are covered in the Pitaev's family.
 

Timeline and detailed Research topics

1997 - 1999 FPGA-base Hardware Test Equipment for IP and ATM-Networks. Student research project at T-Systems - research pillar of Deutsche Telekom. IP-based Telephony.
2000 - 2005 Simulation of IP Networks with focus on 40 Gig Systems and Broadband Aggregation. First Research Project in Germany with OPNET.
2006 - 2010 New technologies in Broadband Aggregation
2010 - 2015 Impact of new Broadband Solutions to IP Core
2015 - 2018 Network Function Virtualization: Solutions and Performance. Generic methods and applied science for vBNG and SDWAN.
since 2018   Virtual Network Function (VNF) Service Chaining
 

Awards

2020 - Best Presentation Award at IEEE 21st International Conference on High Performance Switching and Routing (HPSR)
2018 - Best Paper Award at ICPE 2018 Conference.
2016 - Distinguished Speaker Award at Cisco Live Berlin, Germany in March 2016
 

Annotated  Bibliography

See Annotated Bibliography of Nikolai