The Network Virtualisation Equation Diego R Lopez Telefnica

The Network Virtualisation Equation_ Diego R. Lopez Telefónica I+D March 2014

Enter the Software Era Telco players • Very intensive in hardware • Capital intensive • Software is not at the core + HARDWARE Internet players x • Very intensive in software • Can have global impact with not too much capital • Hardware is a support, and is located in the network periphery SOFTWARE + - Network Virtualisation takes the “Software-defined” as a key tool for transforming the industry DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER

The Network Dystopia… Segmented management: High OPEX, often with low utilization of resources, high complexity, and slow time-tomarket for deploying any kind of network service… DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER

…Makes IT Nonsense Mapping to computers how networks have evolved… DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER

The Key Role of Virtualisation A layered model virtualising devices and resources DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER

The Virtualisation Equation Network Virtualisation = SDN + NFV 0 SDN: Software Defined Networking NFV: Network Functions Virtualisation DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER

Software Defined Networking SDN Open interfaces (Open. Flow) for instructing the boxes what to do Network equipment as Black boxes FEATURE OPERATING SYSTEM FEATURE SPECIALIZED PACKET FORWARDING HARDWARE FEATURE OPERATING SYSTEM SPECIALIZED PACKET FORWARDING HARDWARE FEATURE OPERATING SYSTEM SPECIALIZED PACKET FORWARDING HARDWARE SDN Boxes with autonomous behaviour FEATURE OPERATING SYSTEM FEATURE SPECIALIZED PACKET FORWARDING HARDWARE OPERATING SYSTEM SPECIALIZED PACKET FORWARDING HARDWARE FEATURE OPERATING SYSTEM FEATURE Decisions are taken out of the box SDN SPECIALIZED PACKET FORWARDING HARDWARE OPERATING SYSTEM SPECIALIZED PACKET FORWARDING HARDWARE Adapting OSS to manage black boxes DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER Simpler OSS to manage the SDN controller

Making the Network *A* Computer • We can apply software development techniques and tools • Software development and SDN Controller operation being multifaceted § Different tools for different tasks • Static and dynamic verification • Translation: assemblers, compilers, interpreters, linkers • Testing and debugging • Version and configuration control • Dynamic composition and linking • Development flows • And any other abstraction capability DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER SDN Forwarder OVS OVS

The NFV Concept A means to make the network more flexible and simple by minimising dependence on HW constraints v v Traditional Network Model: APPLIANCE APPROACH Virtualised Network Model: VIRTUAL APPLIANCE APPROACH DPI GGSN/ CG-NAT BRAS SGSN Firewall PE Router DPI BRAS Firewall CG-NAT GGSN/SGSN Session Border Controller ORCHESTRATION, AUTOMATION & REMOTE INSTALL PE Router § Network Functions are based on specific HW&SW § One physical node per role DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER VIRTUAL APPLIANCES STANDARD HIGH VOLUME SERVERS § Network Functions are SW-based over well-known HW § Multiple roles over same HW

It Ain’t Carrier-grade Cloud Computing The network differs from the computing environment in 2 key factors: 1 2 Data plane workloads (which are huge!) NEED OF HIGH AND PREDICTABLE PERFORMANCE (as with current equipment) Network requires shape (+ E 2 E interconnection) GLOBAL NETWORK VIEW IS REQUIRED FOR MANAGEMENT …which are big challenges for vanilla cloud computing …and most of what industry is offering to Telcos just IT based cloud products as network virtualization environments DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER

The ETSI NFV ISG • Global operators-led Industry Specification Group (ISG) under the auspices of ETSI § ~200 member organisations • Open membership § ETSI members sign the “Member Agreement” § Non-ETSI members sign the “Participant Agreement” § Opening up to academia • Operates by consensus § Formal voting only when required • Deliverables: White papers addressing challenges and operator requirements, as input to SDOs § Not a standardisation body by itself • Produce a set of requirements/specifications, quick turnaround (24 month timeline) § Enter then into a new, more focused Phase 2 • Develop and publicly demonstrate Proof-of-Concepts (Po. Cs) to encourage implementation, interoperability and growth of an open ecosystem DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER

Forces Pulling NFV in Different Directions A standards organization Fast Track Implementation NFV Monitoring & Coordination Committee DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER

The Position of NFV Phase 2 A standards organization Fast Track Implementation NFV Phase 2 Monitoring & Coordination Committee DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER

Architectural Use Cases • Network Functions Virtualisation Infrastructure as a Service § Network functions go cloudlike • Virtual Network Function as a Service § Ubiquitous, delocalized network functions • Virtual Network Platform as a Service § Applying multi-tenancy at the VNF level • VNF Forwarding Graphs § Building E 2 E services by composition DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER

Service-Oriented Use Cases • • • Mobile core network and IMS § § Mobile base stations § § • Evolved Cloud-RAN Enabler for SON Home environment § § • Elastic, scalable, more resilient EPC Specially suitable for a phased approach L 2 visibility to the home network Smooth introduction of residential services CDNs § § Better adaptability to traffic surges New collaborative service models Fixed access network § § Offload computational intensive optimization Enable on-demand access services DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER

The NFV Framework End Point E 2 E Network Service Logical Abstractions VNF Logical Links End Point VNF VNF Instances SW Instances VNF VNF VNF : Virtualized Network Function NFV Infrastructure Virtual Resources Virtual Compute DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER Virtual Network Virtualization Layer Virtualization SW HW Resources Virtual Storage Compute Storage Network

The NFV Reference Architecture Os-Ma OSS/BSS Orchestrator Se-Ma Service, VNF and Infrastructure Description EMS 1 EMS 2 EMS 3 VNF 1 VNF 2 VNF 3 Or-Vnfm Ve-Vnfm VNF Manager(s) Or-Vi Vn-Nf NFVI Virtual Storage Virtual Computing Vi-Vnfm Virtual Network Nf-Vi Virtualisation Layer Vl-Ha Computing Hardware Storage Hardware Execution reference points DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER Hardware resources Network Hardware Other reference points Virtualised Infrastructure Manager(s) Main NFV reference points

Xaa. S for Network Services User NSP VNF Forwarding Graph VNFaa. S Admin User VNF VNF Admin User VNPaa. S VNF Hosting Service Provider VNF VNF VNF Tenants NFVIaa. S NFVI Provider Iaa. S DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER Naa. S Paa. S Saa. S

Counting a Few • Orchestration has the key • • • Pieces at all infrastructure layers Need to go beyond just fitting them together Big data in the loop • • Avoid he trap of just adding software appliances Seize the opportunity to simplify systems and processes • The impact on operations • Identify interstitial security threats • • • Topologies Trusted boot Several identity layers and accounting • • • Big multi-user VMs vs small single-user ones Componentization Building services by composition • Up to three: infrastructural, virtualized, and service Mapping to current practices and protocols • Design patterns • Dealing with topology layers • DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER

Achieving Network Plasticity • User-centric connectivity experience § Collaboration among the applications and the network(s) § Networks based on different technologies § Networks in different realms • Mutual awareness between network and IT § Bidirectional flows • Blurring the limits § Software in the network § Networks in software § Northbound • Application-to-network § Eastbound • Network-realm-to-network-realm • Abstraction ability is key § Complexity hiding § Coopetition DISCOVER, DISRUPT, DELIVER