Considerations, Best Practices and Requirements for a Virtualised Mobile Network CONSIDERATIONS, BEST PRACTICES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR A VIRTUALISED MOBILE NETWORK About the GSMA Network 2020 Contents The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators The GSMA’s Future Networks Programme is designed to worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with almost 300 help operators and the wider mobile industry to deliver all-IP companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset networks so that everyone benefits regardless of where their and device makers, software companies, equipment providers starting point might be on the journey. and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading The programme has three key work-streams focused on: events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress The development and deployment of IP services, The 5.1.4 NFV carrier-grade reliability scope 24 Shanghai, Mobile World Congress Americas and the Mobile 360 evolution of the 4G networks in widespread use today, 1 Introduction 3 Series of conferences. The 5G Journey developing the next generation of mobile 1.1 Scope 4 5.2 Carrier Grade Service – Requirements 26 technologies and service. 1.2 Definitions 4 for NFV Reliability For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA. For more information, please visit the Network 2020 website 1.3 Abbreviations 5 5.3 NFV Reliability Assessment Standard 26 at: www.gsma.com/network2020 1.4 References 6 5.4 Best Practices 28 5.4.1 Use case scenarios 28 2 NFV reference architecture 7 5.5 Conclusion 29 3 Requirements for Network Orchestrators 9 6 Migration 31 3.1 Introduction 10 6.1 Introduction 32 3.1.1 Network Services 10 6.1.1 Migration from physical network to 32 3.1.2 Virtualised Network Functions 11 virtualised network 3.1.3 Network Functions Virtualisation 11 6.1.2 Software upgrades 32 With thanks to contributors: Infrastructure 6.1.3 Interoperability 32 AT&T 3.2 NFV Orchestrator functional requirements 11 6.2 Best practices 32 China Mobile China Telecom 3.3 Other NFV related architectures 12 6.2.1 Migration 32 China Unicom 3.4 Best Practices 14 6.2.2 Software upgrades 33 KDDI 3.4.1 Planning on NFV based network 14 KT 6.3 Requirements 34 LG Uplus management and orchestration 6.3.1 Migration 34 architecture NTT DoCoMo 6.3.2 Software upgrades 34 Orange 3.4.2 Example of 5G Telco-MANO architecture 15 Proximus America Movil 7 Performance benchmark for NFV 35 4 Virtualised network security 17 SK Telecom infrastructure Telecom Italia 4.1 Introduction 18 7.1 Performance benchmark scope 36 Telefónica 4.1.1 Maturity 18 Telekom Austria 7.2 State of the art in NFV performance 37 Telenor Group 4.2 Architectural Challenges 18 benchmarking TeliaSonera 4.3 Best practices 19 T-Mobile US 4.4 Conclusions 19 8 Vertical interoperability 41 United States Cellular 8.1 Introduction 42 Vodafone 4.5 Actions 19 Ascom Network Testing 8.2 Requirements for vertical interoperability 42 Cisco 5 Carrier grade NFV/ Reliability 21 8.3 Challenges and potential risks 42 Ericsson 5.1 Introduction 22 Gemalto 8.4 Best Practices 43 HP 5.1.1 Carrier-grade 22 Huawei 5.1.2 The essential value of carrier-grade 22 Nokia reliability Oracle America Samsung Electronics 5.1.3 NFV carrier-grade reliability challenges 23 ZTE CONSIDERATIONS, BEST PRACTICES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR A VIRTUALISED MOBILE NETWORK CONSIDERATIONS, BEST PRACTICES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR A VIRTUALISED MOBILE NETWORK 1 Introduction 2 3 CONSIDERATIONS, BEST PRACTICES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR A VIRTUALISED MOBILE NETWORK CONSIDERATIONS, BEST PRACTICES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR A VIRTUALISED MOBILE NETWORK 1.1 Scope 1.2 Those are Definitions Resource orchestration Subset of Network Functions ETSI European Telecommunications Virtualisation Orchestrator Standards Institute This document outlines the key considerations in Term Description functions that are responsible ETSI GS ETSI Group Specification the deployment of network virtualisation in a mobile Lifecycle management Set of functions required to for global resource management network environment. The topics covered within manage the instantiation, governance FCAPS Fault, Configuration, Accounting, maintenance and termination of a Performance and Security represent solutions to the potential obstacles mobile Service lifecycle Set of phases for realizing a Virtualised Network Function or service from conception and GS-O Global Service Orchestration operators may face when wishing to capitalize on Network Service identification to instantiation and ICT Information and Communications network virtualisation (covering both Network Functions Network controller Functional block that centralizes retirement Technology Virtualisation and Software-Defined Networking). some or all of the control and Software-Defined Networking A set of techniques that enables management functionality of a IoT Internet of Things to directly program, orchestrate, network domain and may provide This document provides an overview of the steps control and manage network IPC Instructions Per Cycle an abstract view of its domain to resources, which facilitates the mobile operators should take to adopt this technology other functional blocks via well- iTLB/dTLB instruction Translation Lookaside design, delivery and operation and where appropriate, provide an indication of defined interfaces Buffer / data Translation of network services in a dynamic Lookaside Buffer what they will need to complete the work and which Network Function Functional block within a and scalable manner network infrastructure that has ISB Industry Standard Benchmarking external organisations are best placed to deliver it. SDN Orchestration A process that oversees and well-defined external interfaces directs a set of software-defined ISG Industry Specification Group and well-defined functional The document also outlines a number of examples networking activities and behaviour KPI Key Performance Indicator and approaches that have been taken by operators interactions with the objective of Network Functions Principle of separating Network carrying out certain work in an KVM Kernel-Based Virtual Machine to identify and address the gaps. These best practice automated manner. Virtualisation Functions from the hardware L1/L2/LLC Level 1/Level 2/ Last Level Cache examples are provided as guidance and do not they run on by using virtual Virtualised Infrastructure Functional block that is hardware abstraction Open-O Open Orchestrator Project represent the consensus of the GSMA members Manager responsible for controlling and participating to this activity. Network Functions Functional block that manages managing the Network Functions OPEX Operating Expense Virtualisation Infrastructure Virtualisation Orchestrator the Network Service lifecycle OPNFV Open Platform for NFV and coordinates the management compute, storage and network of Network Service lifecycle, resources, usually within one OS Operating System Virtualised Network Function operator’s Infrastructure Domain OSM Open Source MANO project lifecycle and NFV infrastructure Virtualised Network Function Implementation of an Network to ensure an optimized allocation OSS Operations Support Systems Function that can be deployed on of the necessary resources and a Network Function Virtualisation OVS Open vSwitch connectivity Infrastructure PGW Packet Data Network Gateway Network Functions Totality of all hardware and Virtualised Network Function Internal component of a Virtualisation Infrastructure software components that build PNF Physical Network Function Component Virtualised Network Function up the environment in which providing a defined sub-set RAN Radio Access Node Virtualised Network Functions of that Virtualised Network are deployed RFC Request For Comments Function’s functionality. Network service orchestration Subset of Network Functions MANO Management and Orchestration Virtualisation Orchestrator MME Mobility Management Entity functions that are responsible 1.3 Abbreviations for Network Service lifecycle MVNO Mobile Virtual Network Operator management Term Description NextGen Next Generation API Application Programming Network service descriptor Template that describes the NF Network Function deployment of a Network Service Interface NFV Network Functions Virtualisation including service topology ATIS The Alliance for as well as Network Service Telecommunication Industry NFV-O Network Functions Virtualisation characteristics such as Service Solutions Orchestrator Layer Agreements for the Network Service on-boarding BSS Business Support Systems NFVI Network Functions Virtualisation Infrastructure and lifecycle management of its CAPEX Capital Expenditure instances NOC Network Operations Centre CNI Critical Network Infrastructure Network Service Composition of Network NS Network Service Functions and defined by its CPU Central Processing Unit SDN Software Defined Networking functional and behavioural DPDK Data Plane Development Kit specification SDN-O Software Defined Networking DUT Device Under Test Orchestration Type of composition where one Orchestration ECOMP Enhanced Control, Orchestration, particular element is used by SHV Standard High Volume the composition to oversee and Management & Policy SGW Serving Gateway direct the other elements EOSL End of Service Life UMO Unified Management and Quota Upper limit on specific types of EPC Evolved Packet Core resources Orchestration EM Element Management vACL virtual