A presentation about what is the concept and the idea behind Network Function Virtualisation (NFV). Includes introduction to NFV and VNF (Virtualised Network Function) architecture, components and interfaces.
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What is Network Function Virtualisation (NFV)?
1. WHAT IS NETWORK FUNCTION
VIRTUALISATION (NFV)?
V1.1 22.3.2016 Karri Huhtanen
2. Network Function Virtualisation (NFV)
In computer science, network function virtualisation
(NFV) is a network architecture concept which uses
the technologies of IT virtualisation. It is used to
virtualise entire classes of network node functions into
building blocks that may connect, or chain together,
to create communication services.
-- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_function_virtualization
3. Virtualised Network Function (VNF)
NFV relies upon, but differs from, traditional server-virtualisation
techniques, such as those used in enterprise IT. A virtualised
network function, or VNF, may consist of one or more virtual
machines running different software and processes. They are
run on top of standard high-volume servers, switches and
storage, or even cloud computing infrastructure, instead of
having custom hardware appliances for each network function.
-- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_function_virtualization
9. Broadband
Customers
Mobile
Network
Customers
Enterprise
Customer
Operator Core
Network
Content
Provider
Services
Operator
Services
If something breaks
or overloads...
Internet router
router
router
router
firewall
firewall
firewall
server
server
server
server
server
server
Broadband
Customers
access
gateway
router router
router
router router
firewall firewall
DHCP
DNS
â Adding replacements or capacity is hard and slow.
â Devices and servers can only fill their fixed function
or role.
â Changes can only be reactive and done manually.
DDOS attack
Electricity
brown- / blackout
DHCP server
overload
SMS/MMS
Server
overload
New Game of Thrones
Season Free-For-All
Firewall
software
upgrade
failed
10. Traditional ways to cope with problems
â Allocating spare capacity, i.e. more capacity than is
needed
â Adding redundancy, spare hardware units, i.e. more
hardware than is needed
â Segmenting service areas and cells smaller => potential
problems affect less customers
â Creating manual controls, e.g. firewall filters when
DDoS is active
â Change control, proactive planning
11. The brave new world of
Network Function Virtualisation
NFV
16. Broadband
Customers Mobile
Network
Customers
Enterprise
Customer
Operator Core
Network
Content
Provider
Services
Operator
Services
Extra capacity
available freely
Internet
Broadband
Customers
â Any spare capacity can be allocated for any VNF
â Roles and functions are dynamic, not fixed
â Actual hardware capacity can be utilised more
efficiently across regions and customers
firewall firewall
router router
spare
firewall firewall
router router
spare
spare
capacity
ac. gw ac. gw
router router dhcp
dns
cachecache
spare
capacity
sms mms
router router dhcp
dns
firewallfirewall
firewall firewall
router router
spare
firewall firewall
router router
spare
serverservercache
17. Broadband
Customers Mobile
Network
Customers
Enterprise
Customer
Operator Core
Network
Content
Provider
Services
Operator
Services
Capacity is general-
purpose capacity
Internet
Broadband
Customers
firewall firewall
router router cache
cache firewall firewall
router router firewall
firewall
ac. gw ac. gw
router router cache
dns
cachecachecachecache
router
ac. gw
sms mms
router router dhcp
dns
firewallfirewallmmsspare
router
sms firewall firewall
router router spare
firewall
firewall firewall
router router server
cache
serverservercache
â Capacity can be allocated automatically
â Roles and functions can be changed according
current needs or detected anomalies
â Reconfiguration/scaling can be done automatically
Broadband Customer and Mobile Network PoPs prepare for
prime time in streaming by repurposing capacity to streaming
caches and regional routing and access capacity.
Enterprise customer
fights DDoS with
additional firewall
capacity
Operator prepares for peak
in SMS/MMS messages
Content Service
Provider adds
more capacity
and caching for
prime time
Prime time traffic
requires more firewall
capacity
21. Each of the VNFs can consist of multiple
components (VNFC) âŠ
FIREWALL VNF
Load
balancer
Load
balancer
Packet
Filter
Packet
Filter
Packet
Filter
Packet
Filter
Stateful
Firewall
Stateful
Firewall
Stateful
Firewall
Stateful
Firewall
Policy
and Rule
Database
Policy
and Rule
Database
VNFC VNFC
VNFCVNFC
autoscaling
â Each Virtualised Network
Function Component (VNFC)
may consist of several virtual
hosts, which automatically
scale up and down when
needed.
â VNFs and VNFCs can both
provide e.g. REST or netconf
interfaces for management,
monitoring and integration
purposes.
22. Idea is that VNFCs and VNFs can be re-usedâŠ
ENTERPRISE SITE VNF
FIREWALL VNF AUTHENTICATION
AUTHORISATION
ACCOUNTING
VNF
ROUTER VNF
VPN VNF STORAGE VNFCLOUD BACKUP
VNF
â ⊠as building blocks of
new VNFs and services.
â They are supposed to
have web services like
REST APIs => web
developers are supposed
to be able to build
operator customer self-
service portals
â Standardised interfaces
should mean better
vendor interoperability
=> avoiding vendor lock-
ins
30. VNF architecture
Virtualised Network Function (VNF)
Virtualised Network Function Infrastructure
(VNFI)
Element Management (EM)
Virtualised Network
Function Manager
(VNFM)
Virtualised
Network Function
Component
(VNFC)
Virtualised
Network Function
Component
(VNFC)
Vn-Nf
SWA-5
Vn-Nf
SWA-5
SWA-4
SWA-3
Ve-Vnfm-vnf
SWA-1
SWA-2
According to ETSI GS NFV-SWA 001 V1.1.1 (2014-12):
Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV); Virtual Network
Functions Architecture
31. VNF definition by ETSI
âA Virtualised Network Function (VNF) is a Network
Function capable of running on an NFV Infrastructure
(NFVI) and being orchestrated by a NFV Orchestrator
(NFVO) and VNF Manager. It has well-defined interfaces to
other NFs via SWA1, the VNF Manager, its EM, and the
NFVI and a well-defined functional behaviour.â
ETSI GS NFV-SWA 001 V1.1.1 (2014-12):
Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV); Virtual Network
Functions Architecture
32. Summary
â The objective in NFV is to build an automated standard-based cloud infrastructure for
creating communication services.
â ETSI is leading the NFV standardisation.
â Operators are also doing partial reference implementations such as Telefonicaâs
OpenMano for management and orchestration.
â Many vendors and operators are participating into OPNFV work, which aims to build a
full reference stack for operator NFV.
â Current favourite for Virtualised Network Function Infrastructure (VNFI) is OpenStack,
which provides also basic management and orchestration (MANO) components such as
Heat.
â Some parts and objectives of the NFV concept may feel utopian, but work is constantly
being done to fill the gaps.
â NFV infrastructure and VNFs are already being deployed for customers even if those
components do not yet have all the features NFV concept promises.