Re: [nmrg] network digital twin vs. digital twin network

[Jürgen Schönwälder <[e-mail]>]

Thanks for the explanation. I started this thread because I saw
students investing time trying to understand the difference between
the terms DTN and NDT. I then checked the NMRG document and it defines
one term but then occasionally uses both. I am happy with whatever
term native English speakers consider the right term.

And even better would likely be explicit text saying that both terms
exist and that they effectively mean the same and thqt both terms are
used (or can be used) interchangeably. Then readers simply know.

/js

On Wed, Mar 08, 2023 at 01:50:17PM +0000, Christopher Janz wrote:
> Juergen, in your examples, "electric" is an adjective, as is the compound "software-defined" (properly takes a hyphen when used as an adjective). Adjectives precede the nouns they qualify in English. That is invariable: it is precisely the order which indicates what is the noun and what is the qualifier. It's a little awkward if common to use nouns where adjectives belong, but what is certain is that what precedes is the qualifier and what follows is the noun qualified. A "network digital twin" is a digital twin (noun) for or of a network (qualifier). A "digital twin network" is a network ... but the meaning of the qualification "digital twin" is unclear intrinsically. I don't think any English speaker would instinctively interpret DTN as meaning a digital twin of a network. 
> 
> Perhaps the construction "DTx" has been used, but if so, my guess is it has been used by non-native English speakers.
> 
> Not a hill to die on, but since the matter has been raised.
> 
> Chris
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jürgen Schönwälder <[e-mail]> 
> Sent: Wednesday, March 8, 2023 8:15 AM
> To: Cheng Zhou <[e-mail]>
> Cc: [e-mail]; 'Diego R. Lopez' <[e-mail]>; Christopher Janz <[e-mail]>
> Subject: Re: [nmrg] network digital twin vs. digital twin network
> 
> My naive understanding of the English language is that an "electric car" is a special kind of car and a "software defined network" is a special kind of a network, Hence, a special kind of a digital twin would be ...
> 
> /js
> 
> On Wed, Mar 08, 2023 at 09:04:12PM +0800, Cheng Zhou wrote:
> > Hi All,
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > As Diego mentioned, we have discussed this topic some time ago. I 
> > remembered that the conclusion was to remove acronym ‘DTN’ to avoid 
> > conflict with ‘Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking’ (a working group 
> > of IETF).  However, we didn’t decide to change the term of ‘digital twin network’.
> > 
> > As one of the coauthors, I am open on both names. However, I still 
> > prefer to use ‘digital twin network’ with below concerns.
> > 
> > 1)      Network is the target filed to implement Digital Twin technology.
> > As DT used in other industrial fields, similar terms  ‘DTxx ‘ are 
> > being used, such as ‘digital twin city’, ‘digital twin manufacturing’, 
> > ‘digital twin factory’, ‘digital twin energy’, etc. The terms are with 
> > same meaning as ‘DT for xxx’. And in definition of current draft, we 
> > also pointed that ‘digital twin network’ is also called digital twin 
> > for networks.’
> > 
> > Digital twin network: a digital twin that is used in the context of 
> > networking. This is also called, digital twin for networks.
> > 
> > 2)      If not considering the acronym confliction, DTN can be a better
> > acronym for a relatively systematic networking technology, such as SDN, CDN,
> > IBN, TSN, etc.   
> > 
> > 3)      In academy, both NDT and DTN can be seen. And, the there seems a bit
> > more papers using of ‘DTN/digital twin network’ or the extensions, 
> > such as ‘digital twin edge network’, ‘digital twin optical network’, 
> > ‘digital twin 5G network’, etc. And from extension perspective, DTN 
> > seems more easily to be extended to specific network domains, with terms of DTxN.
> > 
> > 4)      In some other SDOs such as ITU-T, 3GPP, the term of ‘Digital twin
> > network’ is being used. 
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Regarding the difference between ‘digital twin network’ and ‘network 
> > digital twin’ in this draft,  DTN can be the whole interactive 
> > virtual-real mapping system, building with the DT concept or 
> > techniques; and NDT can be the twinning entity of the physical 
> > network, focusing on data and models in digital twin layer. Hope this can help remove the confusion.
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > More comments are welcome. 
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Thank and Best Regards,
> > 
> > Cheng Zhou
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > From: nmrg [mailto:[e-mail]] On Behalf Of Diego R. Lopez
> > Sent: Tuesday, March 7, 2023 11:01 PM
> > To: Christopher Janz; Jürgen Schönwälder; [e-mail]
> > Subject: Re: [nmrg] network digital twin vs. digital twin network
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Hi,
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Thanks for the observation and the recommendations.
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > As one of the coauthors, let me say we already went through this 
> > discussion some time ago, and my reckoning is that the use of the term 
> > DTN, initially employed, was caused by some language misunderstanding, 
> > and that we all agreed on moving towards the more adequate NDT. If 
> > there are still remnants of the old naming in the document, this is 
> > something that obviously needs to be solved.
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Be goode,
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > --
> > 
> > “Esta vez no fallaremos, Doctor Infierno”
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Dr Diego R. Lopez
> > 
> > Telefonica I+D
> > 
> >  <https://www.linkedin.com/dr2lopez/> 
> > https://www.linkedin.com/dr2lopez/
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > e-mail:  <mailto:[e-mail]> 
> > [e-mail]
> > 
> > Mobile: [phone]
> > 
> > ---------------------------------
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > On 7/3/23, 15:38, <[e-mail]> wrote:
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Good observation Juergen. I'll let the authors of [1] speak with 
> > respect to their document, but looking elsewhere (e.g., ETSI ZSM, 
> > papers, etc.) as well as at normal English language usage:
> > 
> > - the digital twin of a network is properly a 'network digital twin' - 
> > this is the clear native interpretation of the term as well as the 
> > broadly used sense.
> > - 'digital twin network' does not broadly have the connotation you 
> > suggest (a network operated by a digital twin), nor does the term 
> > intrinsically suggest such a meaning. If anything, the term suggests a 
> > network used in the implementation of a digital twin. I'd thus suggest 
> > the term is not a very useful one.
> > 
> > Best
> > 
> > Chris
> > 
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nmrg <[e-mail]> On Behalf Of Jürgen Schönwälder
> > Sent: Tuesday, March 7, 2023 9:28 AM
> > To: [e-mail]
> > Subject: [nmrg] network digital twin vs. digital twin network
> > 
> > Hi,
> > 
> > I see both terms being used in [1] but only one of them is defined and 
> > I am a bit confused about what the exect difference is between these two terms.
> > Perhaps both should have a clear and explicit definition?
> > 
> > Naively, I assumed that the digitial twin of a network would be called 
> > a 'network digital twin' and that a network that is operated by using 
> > digital twins as a 'digital twin network' but that does not seem to 
> > align with what [1] says.
> > 
> > /js
> > 
> > [1] <draft-irtf-nmrg-network-digital-twin-arch-02>
> > 
> > -- 
> > Jürgen Schönwälder              Constructor University Bremen gGmbH
> > Phone: [phone]         Campus Ring 1 | 28759 Bremen | Germany
> > Fax:   [phone]         <https://constructor.university/>
> > 
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> > 
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> -- 
> Jürgen Schönwälder              Constructor University Bremen gGmbH
> Phone: [phone]         Campus Ring 1 | 28759 Bremen | Germany
> Fax:   [phone]         <https://constructor.university/>
> 

-- 
Jürgen Schönwälder              Constructor University Bremen gGmbH
Phone: [phone]         Campus Ring 1 | 28759 Bremen | Germany
Fax:   [phone]         <https://constructor.university/>