Huawei explains the NFV construction model: Hierarchical decoupling and open interconnection. In recent years, global operators have been hotly discussing NFV (network function virtualization). Some operators have begun large-scale NFV network construction, hoping to use NFV technology to improve software and hardware. On the basis of decoupling, hardware generalization, resource virtualization, and management cloudization, the telecom network architecture is made more open and agile, speeding up business rollout, accelerating business innovation, and at the same time improving operation and maintenance efficiency and reducing operating costs.
Huawei believes that only hierarchical decoupling and DC-centered hierarchical deployment can meet the open and open source requirements of NFV and truly help operators build open and agile telecom networks and achieve ICT transformation.
The origin and driving force of NFV
NFV is a network evolution technology initiated by 13 top operators in 2012. The original intention was to reduce capex (capital expenditure) and opex (operational cost) through decoupling software and hardware and generalizing hardware.
With the continuous research and practice of global operators in the field of NFV and the cooperation of open source/standard organizations, the driving force for telecom operators to deploy NFV has also changed significantly.
Recent survey results from industry consulting firm Currentanalysis show that mainstream operators’ focus on NFV has shifted from how to save money to how to make money. Building elastic networks enables business innovation and obtains rapid service provisioning and flexibility. Orchestration ability becomes luckThe biggest driving force for business deployment of NFV.
Hierarchical decoupling, hierarchical deployment of NFV with DC as the center
NFV is an open network architecture, divided into VNF, CloudOS, COTS and MANO management components.
The industry currently has a variety of ideas for building NFV networks, among which silo and hierarchical decoupling are the main ones.
In Silo mode, although CloudOS and VNF are deployed on x86 servers to implement network functions, which seems to be in line with the NFV open architecture, the VNF, CloudOS, COTS, and MANO layers are not completely decoupled, and their construction ideas are different from traditional There is essentially no difference in the network construction ideas, and the essence is still the chimney network construction model.
The coupling and non-standard interfaces between VNF, CloudOS, COTS, and MANO layers in the Silo model make it very difficult to connect and interoperate between different manufacturers, and operators cannot flexibly choose more competitive ones at each layer. The solution is closed in nature.
Huawei believes that the Silo model cannot build an open and agile telecommunications network and is not true NFV.
The layered decoupling model is not just about migrating network function software to general COTS. In this model, VNF, CloudOS, COTS and MANO products are all implemented based on the NFV architecture standard protocol, and each layer has Different manufacturers offer competitive products, shipping Businesses can flexibly choose competitive solutions at each layer, effectively avoiding vendor lock-in.
The hierarchical decoupling construction model embodies the industrial ecological concept of NFV open cooperation, which is also the current mainstream operator in the industry. Construction model commonly used in NFV deployment.
After the telecom network is NFV-based, it still carries telecom services. Therefore, the NFV-based deployment of the telecom network must focus on service SLA, with hierarchical DC as the core.
Traditional networks focus on a single network Computer room planning is based on meta-hardware form, while NFV deployment with DC as the core is business and experience driven. Planning concept.
The construction of DC needs to be planned according to the specific situation of user and business development distribution. The overall idea is to build four-level DCs of group, regional, local and edge. Each level of DC carries different services to meet the needs of The experience demands of different users
The group DC mainly carries intensive operation services, such as the operator’s corporate business. There are cloud services, intensive IT, etc.
Regional DC mainly carries localized needs and computing-sensitive services, such as government and enterprise, VAS services and provincial IT; control plane and signaling plane network. Elements can also be deployed centrally in regional DCs.
Local DCs mainly deploy forwarding-sensitive network elements (high latency requirements) and user plane. Network elements follow CDN and are deployed to prefecture-level cities to meet user experience requirements for services such as high-definition video.
Edge DCs go a step further and deploy network elements that are extremely sensitive to forwarding (with extremely high latency requirements). The surface network elements follow the CDN and move to the base station location to meet the ultimate experience requirements of future user services.
Overseas large TNFV construction practice
Network NFV construction of the world's leading operators Among them, hierarchical decoupling and hierarchical deployment of NFV with DC as the center are the mainstream construction ideas.
AT&T's NFV network construction uses layered decoupling of VNF and NFVI , the data business is deployed in the local DC, and the control plane, CDN, and VAS are deployed in the regional DC.
Telefonica's UNICA architecture aims to build a unified infrastructure across the entire group, including IT, CT, public cloud, The infrastructure sharing of private clouds, hybrid clouds, etc. also adopts the hierarchical decoupling of VNF and NFVI and the DC-centered construction idea.
Deutsche Telekom PANEU adopts the NFV-based data center architecture design. Two-level DC has a strong demand for openness and open source. VNF, CloudOS, and COTS require manufacturers to be fully decoupled.
Huawei opens cooperation in the Internet industry chain
Based on the open architecture of NFV, Huawei has developed innovative technologies in VNF, CloudOS, COTS and MANO. Each layer can provide fully decoupled and highly competitive solutions. From the perspective of industrial development, Huawei has always adhered to the concept of "only when the entire NFV ecosystem is established can a win-win situation be achieved"
< p>Huawei has established three NFV open laboratories around the world for open cooperation in the industry chain. OpenLabs like Xi'an's OpenLab can achieve multi-vendor and multi-product integrated verification capabilities for various typical business scenarios, effectively supporting operators or partners, Industry organizations conduct joint business innovation around NFV technology, and through pre-integration verification, the time to go online can be effectively shortened.Huawei cooperates with more than 20 leading operators globally Carry out NFV joint innovation and project verification.
At the same time, Huawei actively participates in industry organizations and open source communities such as ETSI, OpenStack, OpenDaylight, and OPNFV, and contributes to the evolution of industry standards and technology research.
In the wave of NFV construction in telecom networks, Huawei will continue to adopt an open and open source attitude and actively promote the healthy development of the NFV industry based on its deep understanding and practice in the IT and CT fields. Help operators build open and agile telecommunications networks
