Systems Engineering for Software-Defined Network

VirtualisationJohn Risson, Solutions Engineering Manager

IP and Transport Engineering, Telstra

Agenda

Motivation

Case Studies

Opportunities and Challenges

Questions

SESA/INCOSE Telecommunications Working Group

Risson, J. (Telstra), Systems Engineering for Software‐Defined Network Virtualisation

Motivation

Enablers

Virtual Service Functions

Service‐Oriented Control and Management

Physical Infrastructure Resources

Infrastructure Control and Management

Network Function Virtualisation (NFV) 

decouplesservice functions and 

infrastructure 

Software‐Defined Networking (SDN) decouplesdata plane and control plane

Duan, Q., Ansari, N., Toy, M., “Software‐Defined Network Virtualization: An Architectural Framework for Integrating SDN and NFV for Service Provisioning in Future Networks”, IEEE Networks, Sep/Oct 2016

Risson, J. (Telstra), Systems Engineering for Software‐Defined Network Virtualisation

SDN/NFVBenefits

Year 1 Year 2  and beyond

Small saving beyond year 1

Initial SDN development (professional services)

Note: Long term difference could be marginal due traditional vendors responding to competitive threat

Lower Equipment CostsGreater competition due to “whiteboxes” & open source SW

18 Ports

f1 f2 f3

Fewer Physical Portswith service chaining

Physical Interfaces

f1 f2 f3

Virtual Ports

6 Ports

1 2

3 4

Infrastructure Saving

Effective Aggregate Capacity

Capacity in use

Spare Capacity for growth

Today ‐ Dedicated Hardware for each network function.

With Virtualised Network Functions

Higher Asset UtilisationAcross whole of Network

Lower Deployment CostsFewer truck rolls. New functions deployed as Software

f1

f2

f3

f4

f1f2

f4f3

Risson, J. (Telstra), Systems Engineering for Software‐Defined Network Virtualisation

SDN/NFVArchitecture

Optical TransportOptical Transport

Physical Resources

NBN

Optical TransportOptical Transport

Network PODs

Physical Resources

Virtual Network Functions

Centralised &  3rdParty Clouds

Service Provider, 

Partner and Customer applications

AppsDistributed SDN & NFV Controllers

Physical Connection (Data Plane)Logical Connection (Control Plane)

Business & Operational Support Systems

Network Self‐Optimising IntelligencePolicies, Analytics & Machine Learning

Distributed API Gatew

ay

Management And Orchestration (MANO)

SDN enabled Optical Transport

Virtual Layer 2   and   Layer 3 Networks

Network Functions self‐optimise: expand / contract and change location “autonomously”

Optical TransportOptical Transport

Network PODs

Physical Resources

Virtual Network Functions

Risson, J. (Telstra), Systems Engineering for Software‐Defined Network Virtualisation

Case Studies

Core Core

Edge Edge

Core Core

Edge Edge

x

2 x Temporary physical links established 

(as backup)

If all primary links fail, the SDN 

Application ensures Critical Interstate Traffic has priority. 

Primary High Capacity redundant  Interstate Links

During Cyclone Debbie, 1 link failed due to loss 

of power

Protecting critical communications over lower bandwidth emergency links.

1. Disaster Recovery Cyclone Debbie

Risson, J. (Telstra), Systems Engineering for Software‐Defined Network Virtualisation

2. National Analytics Backbone

Corenetwork

Customer Service Monitoring

Existing single Collector: With traffic sent over the core 

network. An Overlay

National Analytics Backbone

AccessNetwork

Fixed Broadband Control Server

Tap

Provides redundancy for collection of network monitoring data

Risson, J. (Telstra), Systems Engineering for Software‐Defined Network Virtualisation

2. National Analytics BackboneBenefit

Overlay

Underlay

Optical Transport Network

Network Packet Broker Appliance

Layer 3 Networks

Layer 2 Networks

SDNSwitch

Network TrafficDevice Port or TAP

Traditional Overlay Model Native SDN Model

Shifts functionality from the “underlay” hardware to software and Virtual Machines

Risson, J. (Telstra), Systems Engineering for Software‐Defined Network Virtualisation

3. Provider Edge Routing

Customers

PhonePhone

CustomerPremisesEquipment

PhonePhone

CustomerPremisesEquipment

IP Metro Area Network

Fibre

Fibre + other

IP Wide Area Network

Edge

Edge

Control and Media Gateway

NFVi POD

National Multi‐Protocol Label Switching Core 

Virtual Provider Edge 

(vPE)

IPTelephony Application

NFVi: Network Function Virtualisation Infrastructure

Risson, J. (Telstra), Systems Engineering for Software‐Defined Network Virtualisation

3. Provider Edge RoutingInitial footprint

NFVi PODs NFVi PODs

NFVi PODs

NFVi PODs

NFVi PODs

Centralised ControlOrchestration

Operations & ManagementOpenStack

IP Core Network

NFVi: Network Function Virtualisation Infrastructure

Risson, J. (Telstra), Systems Engineering for Software‐Defined Network Virtualisation

3. Provider Edge RoutingNFVi Architecture

Networks

DirectorUnder Cloud

OpenStack ComputeOver Cloud

Virtual Provider Edge

OpenStack Storage

OpenStack Controller

Spine/Leaf networkNFVi Network

IP Core NetworkTelephony ApplicationsNetwork

Management Network

Management Functions• Orchestration• Configuration• Alarms and Logs• Authentication, 

Authorization, and Accounting (AAA)

• Backup & Restore• Domain Name System 

(DNS)• Reporting

Risson, J. (Telstra), Systems Engineering for Software‐Defined Network Virtualisation

Challenges and Opportunities

Technical ChallengesManagement and OrchestrationTraffic and function monitoring; Interoperability; Programmability; Self-management e.g., alarm processing

Energy EfficiencyDeployment studies; Energy-efficient hardware; Energy-aware function placement

NFV PerformanceSelected hardware acceleration; Performance-flexibility trade-off

Resource AllocationPlacement, migration and scheduling of virtualised network functions; Resilience; Scaling up and down

Security, Privacy and TrustNetwork performance isolation; Multi-administrator isolation

Modelling of Resources, Functions and ServicesRuntime management; Federated services; Easier modelling/deployment designMijumbi, R., Serrat, J., Gorricho, J.L.,  Bouten, N., De Turck, F., Boutaba, R., “Network Function Virtualization: State‐of‐the‐Art and Research Challenges”, IEEE Communications Survey & Tutorials, VOL. 18, NO. 1, FIRST QUARTER 2016

Risson, J. (Telstra), Systems Engineering for Software‐Defined Network Virtualisation

Ecosystem Challenges

The industry is still maturing

Risson, J. (Telstra), Systems Engineering for Software‐Defined Network Virtualisation

Systems Engineering OpportunitiesSys Eng Process Opportunities to influence typical SDN/NFV practicesBusiness analysis Improve discipline of assessment of opportunities to a) cull capital and operational expenditure and b) 

provide new customer services. Value engineering.

Requirements definition Enable easier reuse and evolution of requirements across the end‐to‐end solution. Model‐based systems engineering. Systems of systems engineering. Agile systems engineering.

Architecture definition Achieve automation, flexibility and interoperability by improving fidelity of models of system resources, functions, services and interfaces. Model‐based systems engineering. Reliability engineering.

Verification Improve continuity and automation of integration testing, for solutions that will contain a mix of traditional and virtualised network elements for some time. 

Transition Improve automation and frequency of deployment to production environment, while maintaining system availability.

Lifecycle modelmanagement

Improve use of evolving, concurrent define‐develop‐operate models, controlled by evidence and risk‐based decision processes. Agile systems engineering.

Risson, J. (Telstra), Systems Engineering for Software‐Defined Network Virtualisation

Questions

SESA/INCOSE Telecommunications

Industry Working Group

Working Group PurposeDraft

The purpose of this working group is to improve telecommunications services by developing a body of knowledge that advances Systems Engineering

of telecommunications solutions.

Risson, J. (Telstra), Systems Engineering for Software‐Defined Network Virtualisation

Working Group Feasibility Criteria1. Eight contributors prepared to invest 30 minutes for a weekly call and an average

of one hour per week for the next year in developing working group material.2. Three engineering executive sponsors of telecommunications solutions, with at

least one from a leading US telecommunications service provider.3. Alignment and cooperation with INCOSE working groups for model-based

systems engineering, security systems engineering, agile systems engineering, systems of systems, reliability and critical infrastructure.

4. Plan of work aligned with at least one leading telecommunications industry standards body.

5. Shepherding by SESA and INCOSE technical directors.

Risson, J. (Telstra), Systems Engineering for Software‐Defined Network Virtualisation

Working Group Discussion ItemsRoundtable discussion – 15 minutesWhat two telecommunications systems engineering opportunities interest you? Who could you engage to champion or shepherd the group?What actions could you take to improve working group outcomes?

Roundtable reports – 15 minutesReport back

Next stepsRegister your interest and contact details today with John Risson, jrisson@sesa.org.au, sms +61 418 344 904.

Risson, J. (Telstra), Systems Engineering for Software‐Defined Network Virtualisation

Thankyou