Datacom Network Open Programmability

OVERVIEW

As networks connect to more areas of our lives, network services are becoming increasingly complex. Against this backdrop, carriers and enterprises are compelled to implement digital transformation on their networks, for which network automation is key. However, today's network pain points, such as time-consuming new service rollout and challenging multi-vendor device adaptation, hinder network automation.

That's where the Agile Open Container (AOC) comes in. Based on the YANG model, the AOC provides E2E open programmability capabilities, including device driver programmability, network service programmability, and automatic generation of many northbound APIs. It implements fast adaptation of multi-vendor devices and quick provisioning of new services, significantly facilitating network automation.

As networks connect to more areas of our lives, network services are becoming increasingly complex. Against this backdrop, carriers and enterprises are compelled to implement digital transformation on their networks, for which network automation is key. However, today's network pain points, such as time-consuming new service rollout and challenging multi-vendor device adaptation, hinder network automation.

That's where the Agile Open Container (AOC) comes in. Based on the YANG model, the AOC provides E2E open programmability capabilities, including device driver programmability, network service programmability, and automatic generation of many northbound APIs. It implements fast adaptation of multi-vendor devices and quick provisioning of new services, significantly facilitating network automation.

USE CASES

Quick Device Adaptation
Agile Service Development
Reliable Network Change
Full-Lifecycle O&M

Quick Integration of New Devices and Coding-Free Driver Package Generation

Customer Scenario

Branch G of China Unicom has a complex CPE management system, with three CPE controllers and one third-party NMS. Each time branch G adds a new CPE model, it has to consider adding a CPE controller, and different CPE controllers do not have a unified service configuration system. In the scenario of deploying CPEs connected via a private line, integrating new devices is time-consuming, and the automation level is low. As a result, private line provisioning takes a long time, which in turn holds back private line service development. The customer urgently needs unified provisioning of CPEs from different vendors and E2E service deployment in minutes. AOC helps achieve this by enabling automatic negotiation and quick generation of SND packages, making it possible to automatically bring CPEs from multiple vendors online.

Pain Points

Low adaptation efficiency: Controllers from multiple vendors are responsible for adaptation management and control of their own CPEs.

Long integration period: It takes 2 to 6 months to integrate new devices.

Benefits

--High adaptation efficiency:

YANG model files of devices are automatically identified, and driver packages are generated without the need for coding.
--Short integration period:

New devices can be quickly integrated in just three days.

More

Flexible Programming Framework Enables Agile Service Development

Customer Scenario

Branch H of China Mobile needs to deploy an SDN intelligent scheduling system to dynamically obtain IP addresses of gaming services via SA card sampling. Based on these dynamically-assigned IP addresses, a third-party SR automatically delivers routes to the optimal acceleration egress. With the support of Huawei professional services, interfaces for intelligent scheduling and automatic PBR delivery are designed and developed based on ISPA and AOC. This facilitates real-time and accurate acceleration of gaming services. This system can also be used to optimize other poor-QoE Internet services, improving the overall quality of Internet services. Such customized service scenarios and agile development greatly facilitate O&M and enable carriers to shift the focus of O&M from network configuration to network programming.

Pain Points

Long development period: It takes 6 to 9 months for end-to-end rollout of a new service.

High service dependency: No northbound APIs are available, and customization needs to be performed by vendors, resulting in high costs.

Benefits

--Short development period:

A new service can be developed and rolled out end-to-end in just one month.
--Service customization:

Driven by models, northbound APIs are automatically generated, enabling self-service agile development.

More

Four Assurance Mechanisms Enable Reliable Network Changes

Customer Scenario

Carrier K is a leading carrier in Europe who wants to migrate its legacy PtMP, PtP, and AtA services to a new metro network, covering about 108 add, delete, modify, and query service scenarios. Currently, the carrier’s upper-layer system uses a configuration tool to compile scripts, which requires more than 10 engineers to maintain more than 300 migration scripts. Such an approach results in low migration efficiency and high error rate. As such, the customer urgently wants to simplify the network and leverage simplified intent-driven interfaces to implement secure changes such as automatic network configuration freezing, unfreezing, and migration. ISPA and NCE provide four assurance mechanisms: dry run, rollback, transaction, and simulation & verification, offering a reliable network change solution for the customer.

Pain Points

All functions, such as transaction and rollback, as well as service addition, deletion, and modification, are implemented using CLI scripts. The scripts are closely bound to devices, increasing the chance of errors and complicating maintenance.

Benefits

--Security and reliability of network changes:

The YANG model-driven design overcomes device differences and supports dry run, transaction, rollback, and simulation & verification mechanisms, enhancing security, reliability, usability, and efficiency.

More

Full-Stack Programmability for Management, Control, and Analysis Enables 5G Scenario-Specific Intelligent O&M

Customer Scenario

In addition to automatic service provisioning based on customized service models, carrier K wants to implement the threshold-crossing alarm (TCA) function for customized service types (such as EVS and IVS), as well as enable correlation analysis on device alarms. In doing so, carrier K can identify the impact on customized services and analyze the alarm root cause, eliminating the need for coding. NCE provides the customized intelligent O&M solution by leveraging the openness of TOMP service model capabilities.

Pain Points

Programmable management: Self-service development is available only in programmable configuration and management scenarios driven by the YANG model.

Benefits

--Programmable intelligent O&M:

Based on the customer-defined service model, implement programmable path computation, correlation analysis on services, and fault root cause analysis, enabling self-service development for intelligent O&M of 5G networks.

More

Quick Device Adaptation
Quick Integration of New Devices and Coding-Free Driver Package Generation

Customer Scenario

Branch G of China Unicom has a complex CPE management system, with three CPE controllers and one third-party NMS. Each time branch G adds a new CPE model, it has to consider adding a CPE controller, and different CPE controllers do not have a unified service configuration system. In the scenario of deploying CPEs connected via a private line, integrating new devices is time-consuming, and the automation level is low. As a result, private line provisioning takes a long time, which in turn holds back private line service development. The customer urgently needs unified provisioning of CPEs from different vendors and E2E service deployment in minutes. AOC helps achieve this by enabling automatic negotiation and quick generation of SND packages, making it possible to automatically bring CPEs from multiple vendors online.

Pain Points

Low adaptation efficiency: Controllers from multiple vendors are responsible for adaptation management and control of their own CPEs.

Long integration period: It takes 2 to 6 months to integrate new devices.
Benefits
- --High adaptation efficiency:
  
  YANG model files of devices are automatically identified, and driver packages are generated without the need for coding.
- --Short integration period:
  
  New devices can be quickly integrated in just three days.
More
Agile Service Development
Flexible Programming Framework Enables Agile Service Development

Customer Scenario

Branch H of China Mobile needs to deploy an SDN intelligent scheduling system to dynamically obtain IP addresses of gaming services via SA card sampling. Based on these dynamically-assigned IP addresses, a third-party SR automatically delivers routes to the optimal acceleration egress. With the support of Huawei professional services, interfaces for intelligent scheduling and automatic PBR delivery are designed and developed based on ISPA and AOC. This facilitates real-time and accurate acceleration of gaming services. This system can also be used to optimize other poor-QoE Internet services, improving the overall quality of Internet services. Such customized service scenarios and agile development greatly facilitate O&M and enable carriers to shift the focus of O&M from network configuration to network programming.

Pain Points

Long development period: It takes 6 to 9 months for end-to-end rollout of a new service.

High service dependency: No northbound APIs are available, and customization needs to be performed by vendors, resulting in high costs.
Benefits
- --Short development period:
  
  A new service can be developed and rolled out end-to-end in just one month.
- --Service customization:
  
  Driven by models, northbound APIs are automatically generated, enabling self-service agile development.
More
Reliable Network Change
Four Assurance Mechanisms Enable Reliable Network Changes

Customer Scenario

Carrier K is a leading carrier in Europe who wants to migrate its legacy PtMP, PtP, and AtA services to a new metro network, covering about 108 add, delete, modify, and query service scenarios. Currently, the carrier’s upper-layer system uses a configuration tool to compile scripts, which requires more than 10 engineers to maintain more than 300 migration scripts. Such an approach results in low migration efficiency and high error rate. As such, the customer urgently wants to simplify the network and leverage simplified intent-driven interfaces to implement secure changes such as automatic network configuration freezing, unfreezing, and migration. ISPA and NCE provide four assurance mechanisms: dry run, rollback, transaction, and simulation & verification, offering a reliable network change solution for the customer.

Pain Points

All functions, such as transaction and rollback, as well as service addition, deletion, and modification, are implemented using CLI scripts. The scripts are closely bound to devices, increasing the chance of errors and complicating maintenance.
Benefits
- --Security and reliability of network changes:
  
  The YANG model-driven design overcomes device differences and supports dry run, transaction, rollback, and simulation & verification mechanisms, enhancing security, reliability, usability, and efficiency.
More
Full-Lifecycle O&M
Full-Stack Programmability for Management, Control, and Analysis Enables 5G Scenario-Specific Intelligent O&M

Customer Scenario

In addition to automatic service provisioning based on customized service models, carrier K wants to implement the threshold-crossing alarm (TCA) function for customized service types (such as EVS and IVS), as well as enable correlation analysis on device alarms. In doing so, carrier K can identify the impact on customized services and analyze the alarm root cause, eliminating the need for coding. NCE provides the customized intelligent O&M solution by leveraging the openness of TOMP service model capabilities.

Pain Points

Programmable management: Self-service development is available only in programmable configuration and management scenarios driven by the YANG model.
Benefits
- --Programmable intelligent O&M:
  
  Based on the customer-defined service model, implement programmable path computation, correlation analysis on services, and fault root cause analysis, enabling self-service development for intelligent O&M of 5G networks.
More

KEY CAPABILITIES

Rapid Integration of New Devices

After a new device is connected, the AOC automatically obtains the YANG file of the device, generates a specific NE driver (SND) package without any coding needed, automatically loads the SND package, and then finally manages the device. In this way, the AOC significantly facilitates new device integration.

Simplified Coding

In conventional automation scripts, we need to write the code for the add, delete, modify, and query operations. With the Easy Map mechanism of the AOC, we only need to write the code for the add operation, and the AOC then automatically generates the code for the other operations. This reduces the coding workload by 75%.

Automatically Identifying the Device YANG Model File

– In addition to NETCONF, YANG 1.0, YANG 1.1, and YANG 2.0, the AOC also supports a driver adaptation framework based on command line rules.
Generating SND Packages Without Any Coding Needed

– Based on the device YANG model, the AOC can automatically generate SND packages without any coding needed.

Easy Map Mechanism

– The AOC supports the Easy Map mechanism in Python-based coding. You only need to write the code for the add operation. The AOC then automatically generates the code for the delete, modify, and query operations. This reduces the coding workload by 75% and minimizes the risks caused by manual coding errors.

Model-driven

In traditional service automation design and development, we need to manually implement the API, configuration GUI, service process, and data table functions. Powered by the YANG model, the AOC automatically generates APIs, configuration GUIs, and data tables. This greatly improves the design and development efficiency of service automation.

Comprehensive Reliability

The AOC provides comprehensive reliability during network changes and device management.

Automatically Generating Northbound APIs and Configuration GUIs

– Based on the YANG model, the AOC can automatically generate northbound APIs and configuration GUIs.
Automatically Generating Data Tables

– Based on the YANG model, the AOC can automatically generate data table structures, simplifying data structure design and development.
Automatically Generating Southbound Protocol Packets

– Based on the YANG model, the AOC can automatically generate southbound protocol packets (YANG to CLI, YANG to NETCONF, and YANG to RESTCONF).

Dry Run

– The AOC provides the dry run capability, which allows you to preview and verify configurations before delivering network changes to devices.
Automatic Rollback upon a Failure

– When a service fails to be delivered during a network change, the AOC automatically generates and delivers reverse commands to roll back the service. This greatly mitigates the risks posed by service change.
Visible Historical Operations

– The AOC records not only the operations that the OSS delivers to the AOC, but also the packets that the AOC delivers to devices. In this way, you can gain insight into historical AOC operations.
Elimination of Decentralized Management

– The AOC provides four capabilities to ensure data consistency: Check, Sync from, Sync to, and Reconcile. Such capabilities meet the data management requirements of different vendors and eliminate decentralized management.

Rapid Integration of New Devices

After a new device is connected, the AOC automatically obtains the YANG file of the device, generates a specific NE driver (SND) package without any coding needed, automatically loads the SND package, and then finally manages the device. In this way, the AOC significantly facilitates new device integration.

Automatically Identifying the Device YANG Model File

– In addition to NETCONF, YANG 1.0, YANG 1.1, and YANG 2.0, the AOC also supports a driver adaptation framework based on command line rules.
Generating SND Packages Without Any Coding Needed

– Based on the device YANG model, the AOC can automatically generate SND packages without any coding needed.

Simplified Coding

In conventional automation scripts, we need to write the code for the add, delete, modify, and query operations. With the Easy Map mechanism of the AOC, we only need to write the code for the add operation, and the AOC then automatically generates the code for the other operations. This reduces the coding workload by 75%.

Easy Map Mechanism

– The AOC supports the Easy Map mechanism in Python-based coding. You only need to write the code for the add operation. The AOC then automatically generates the code for the delete, modify, and query operations. This reduces the coding workload by 75% and minimizes the risks caused by manual coding errors.

Model-driven

In traditional service automation design and development, we need to manually implement the API, configuration GUI, service process, and data table functions. Powered by the YANG model, the AOC automatically generates APIs, configuration GUIs, and data tables. This greatly improves the design and development efficiency of service automation.

Automatically Generating Northbound APIs and Configuration GUIs

– Based on the YANG model, the AOC can automatically generate northbound APIs and configuration GUIs.
Automatically Generating Data Tables

– Based on the YANG model, the AOC can automatically generate data table structures, simplifying data structure design and development.
Automatically Generating Southbound Protocol Packets

– Based on the YANG model, the AOC can automatically generate southbound protocol packets (YANG to CLI, YANG to NETCONF, and YANG to RESTCONF).

Comprehensive Reliability

The AOC provides comprehensive reliability during network changes and device management.

Dry Run

– The AOC provides the dry run capability, which allows you to preview and verify configurations before delivering network changes to devices.
Automatic Rollback upon a Failure

– When a service fails to be delivered during a network change, the AOC automatically generates and delivers reverse commands to roll back the service. This greatly mitigates the risks posed by service change.
Visible Historical Operations

– The AOC records not only the operations that the OSS delivers to the AOC, but also the packets that the AOC delivers to devices. In this way, you can gain insight into historical AOC operations.
Elimination of Decentralized Management

– The AOC provides four capabilities to ensure data consistency: Check, Sync from, Sync to, and Reconcile. Such capabilities meet the data management requirements of different vendors and eliminate decentralized management.

EXPERIENCE DEMONSTRATION

At DemoCloud, a Data Communication Solution Enabling Platform, you can access AOC-related equipment, software, presentations, and instructional videos, gain insight into the technical details of the AOC, demonstrate and test the AOC, provide or receive training, and exchange ideas anytime and anywhere.

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With Huawei DemoCloud's online solution presentation platform, you can obtain AOC-related equipment, software, presentations and instructional videos after your appointment to learn the technical details of the AOC solution and demonstrate, train and test the AOC solution.

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SUCCESS STORIES

China UnionPay

Based on AOC, Huawei builds a next-generation network device O&M platform, which effectively resolves pain points in the automation of the financial industry and meets the requirements of intelligent financial services for stable networks in the Bank 4.0 era.

HUAWEI CLOUD

In the HUAWEI CLOUD project, AOC implemented rapid north-south integration in addition to automated and highly reliable network changes, helping customers quickly adapt to network changes and improve their operational efficiency during network transformation.

EANTC

EANTC released the Multi-Vendor NETCONF/YANG-Based SDN Management Interoperability Test White Paper for 2020. The test findings show that Huawei iMaster NCE demonstrated high interoperability with non-Huawei devices.