NFV in Mobile Core

Networks
Controlling the
virtualized
d
environment

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Agenda

Commercial & Technical Drivers for NFV

NFV in Mobile Core
Discussion of NFV Platform Roadmap
Conclusion

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Drivers for NFV

Source: Telefonica, 2013

Fear telco networking at risk of being relegated to expensive niche

Opportunity 9M servers sold in 2012; only 300K to telecom operators
Inspiration Web-scale companies now a force in networking
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Network Functions as Software

New design challenges write functions to scale in a cloud infrastructure

New operational challenges security, reliability, provisioning, management, etc.

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Two Approaches to NFV

(to be pursued simultaneously)

Application-driven NFV

Platform-driven NFV

Operator starts with

a particular function
or domain e.g. IMS

Operator starts to
develop a horizontal
platform to run VNFs

Increase VNFs over

time as technology
& opportunity allow

Evolve platform to
support demanding
workloads; add VNFs

Faster, less risky;

an opportunity to
experiment

Strategic, disruptive,
expensive; long-term

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NFV in Mobile Core

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Virtualization in the Mobile Core

IMS
MME Pool

RCS

Subscriber
database

Policy

MME

TAS

HSS

PCRF

MME

CSCF

HSS

PCRF
Gi-LAN

SGW

PGW

Anti Virus

Parental

Video

TCP Opt

Charging

Analytics

GC-NAT

Web Proxy

P-CSCF
Internet

DPI

= Control-plane

IPsec

= Services LAN

Firewall

= Data-plane

Control-Plane will Lead

Key Debate is around Bearer-Plane Functions
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Control-plane will Lead

Control-plane applications are transaction-rate
centric and are already deployed on x86
platforms (either COTS or proprietary)
Relatively straightforward to virtualize these
functions
Virtualized solutions can perform better than
current hardware-defined products
e.g. greater elasticity and adaptability to signalling
surges
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Gi-LAN Service Chaining

Virtualized Control-Plane

HSS
CSCF

Virtualized Services in the Cloud

OCS
Ad Insertion

Video
Optimization

Parental
Control

Policy
Enforcement

PCRF

Video
Cache

Policy-controlled
Service Flows

P-GW

Firewall &
IPS

Untrusted
Website w/Video

Content Partner

Content Partner

Trusted Service

External Networks
e.g. Internet

SGi

SDN
Need for application awareness
& policy orchestration

Workflow Enabled by Virtualization

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Fully Virtualized Mobile Core

vHSS

vPCRF

vMME

vDNS

Internet

vFW

vSGW

vPGW

vDPI

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NFV & Service Agility

Service
Definition

Software
Configured
Workflow

Routing
Processing
Charging

Software-centric networking changes the innovation model

Workflows created in software according to service definitions
Use case-specific service chaining mapped to traffic profiles
A model that replicates the functionality of physical nodes
in VMs is probably not the best approach
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NFV Platform

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Roadmap to NFV
Server
Consolidation

VNF
VM1

VNF
VM2

VNF
VM3

VNF
VM4

Virtualization
ATCA or x86-based
telecom server
Network
Function

Unvirtualized

(also for PoC)

Open Server
Consolidation

VNF
VM1

VNF
VM2

VNF
VM3

VNF
VM4

Virtualization
COTS x86
based server

ATCA or telecom
platform

Business and OPEX

transformation
VNF
VM4
VM5

VNF
VM1
VM2
VM3

VNF
VM6

COTS x86 based

resource cloud

Network
Function

Port to COTS
Server
(e.g. for dataplane PoC)

Unvirtualized
Bare metal port to
COTS x86
based server

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When is the Technology Good

Enough?
Classic Network

Capability

Performance jump w/ new

generation platforms; then
incremental gains

NFV Cloud / SP SDN

Duplication of costs &

intellectual investment!

Create a platform with

potential to leap-frog
classic pathway

Time

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Conclusion
The mobile core is an attractive network domain
to virtualize using NFV principles
The control-plane can benefit most from
virtualization and will lead the transition
It looks viable to virtualize the data-plane, but it
will take time to make it commercially attractive
NFV-based solutions need to be markedly better
than the classic pathway
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