PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS

ARE ABOUT TO GET WORSE.

WHAT NOW?
Intel® Network Builders Webinar
10 September 2019
Our Speakers

Diego Lozano de Fournas Ram Garapaty

Sr. Technical Marketing Manager Sr. Product Manager,
Mobility Infrastructure Validation Mobility Service Assurance

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The 4G Performance Problem
Major outages and service disruptions are already too common

• Occurrences of high-profile network outages and public safety system issues

are happening too often, leading to:

Multi-million dollar fines Poor performance during Lost revenue due to

for public safety outages major sporting events national network outages

• Today’s approach to managing performance has fundamental limitations

• The process is too reactive, too slow and too expensive
• And it’s about to get much more challenging
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Industry’s path to 5G
2016 2017 2018 2017 2018 2019 2018 2019 2020

4G 4G 5G Core
Core Core NEF NRF PCF UDM AF

AUSF AMF SMF

UE RAN UPF

Cloud Native
(Service Based Architecture)

3GPP R15+

1. Enhancing 4G 2. 5G Non-Standalone 3. True Native 5G

To extend life / incorporate 5G Early 5G RAN deployments will use 4G Framework in place, cloud native
concepts: +NB-IOT +DECOR +CUPS core w/ dual 4G/5G RAN connectivity needs detailed standards definition

Virtualization CUPS Option 3 Distributed Slicing/Services True 5G/Legacy

2017 2018 2019

4
New challenges in delivering 5G
Other

Business case not

proven
Spending on
4G Regulatory
constraints
Complexity
(22%)
Fiber
Time-to-Market
Dependency
on NFV
Maturity of
(20%) 5G tech. Cost
(28%)

Source: Light Reading, Spirent & Viavi 2018 Poll

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What are the technical implications?
FRONTHAUL BACKHAUL MOBILE CORE
C-RAN

PDCP
RLC
HSS 5G Core
PHY
MAC
5G NR (RRU) NEF NRF PCF UDM AF
NFVi

MME PCRF

AUSF AMF SMF

5G CORE
PHY

5G NR (RRU)
UE RAN SGW-C PGW-C
Baseband UE RAN UPF
(pooling)

SGW-U
C-RAN
PGW-U Cloud Native
PHY (Service Based Architecture)
5G NR (RRU)

3GPP R15+
New RAN (Cloud RAN) C-Plane U-Plane Separation New Core
High Throughput Low Packet Loss Low Latency

CN Slice #1 CN Slice #2 CN Slice #3

vCache vGW vVPN Develop
OSS & BSS vDPI • PNFs/VNFs
vEPC vEPC vEPC • Networks
Network Sliced
• Services
Slice pairing function (automation)
RAN CORE Apps
Slice #1 RAN Slice #1 RAN Slice #2 RAN Slice #3
MEC
Slice #2 Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs) NFV CN-UP
DevOps
CN-UP
MANO C-RAN C-RAN C-RAN
Slice #n
NR NR NR Operate Deploy
• Performance • Network
Device Device Device Device Device
A B C D X analysis deployment
Physical
NFV Infrastructure Broadband Massive IoT Automotive • Network health validation
Vertical

Infrastructure
checks • Pre/Post
• Fault Isolation changes
5G Network Architecture with NFV

Virtualization Network Slicing New Rollout Method

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Validation & Assurance must be unified
So Dev and Ops can work together as one to proactively avoid issues

Active Assurance
Proactively detect Troubleshooting Rapidly validate the
and isolate complex performance of new
Maintain Design
performance issues infrastructure

Active Assurance Network Function

Monitoring Network & Validation

Service
Lifecycle
Operate On-Board

Active Assurance DevOps Test Automation

End-to-End Network
Turn-up Validation
Validate performance Enable Dev & Ops to
before going live and validate performance w/
launch on time common approach
Deploy
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5G Validation
Evaluate Performance from Infrastructure Fabric to E2E Network

Evaluate Infrastructure Evaluate Network Functions Evaluate E2E Network

Spirent CloudSure Spirent Landslide Spirent Landslide

NEF NRF PCF UDM AUSF AF NSSF

NEF NRF PCF UDM AUSF AF NSSF
VNF
DU CU

AMF SMF AMF SMF

DU CU UPF
UPF
DU
CU
MEC

Emulate cloud, VNFs & Ethernet traffic Emulate the network to “wrap around” Emulate the end-to-end network
to validate the performance of cloud new network functions and validate to validate the performance of new
platforms, NFVi & Ethernet switches their performance in isolation functions in real-world conditions

Emulated Function / infrastructure

functions under test
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5G Validation Use Case
New/Upgraded 5G Core Network Functions Network Function
Validation

5G Core PoC
Validating New 5G Core
Emulated 5G Network Functions
Network Functions

NEF NRF PCF UDM AUSF AF NSSF Landslide

5G Emulation

5G Emulation
5G Emulation
DU CU

AMF SMF
DU CU

UPF AMF SMF

DU
CU

MEC

Intel, the Intel logo, and Intel

inside are trademarks of Intel
Corporation or its subsidiaries in
the U.S. and/or other countries.

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Use Case: OpenNFV Yardstick
vEPC Validation Methodology End-to-End
Network Validation

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5G Test Automation for NetDevOps
Sharing Automated Tests Across Dev & Ops Silos DevOps Test Automation

5G NetDevOps: Continuous Integration / Development

Automated Validation Automated Assurance

iTest DevOps Gateway VisionWorks

Develop Test Operationalize

Dev Run Ops
& Capture Agents Tests
Resources Tests Resources
Identical Design &
Run Time Tests

Remote, Test Design

Infrastructure Time Run
Shared
Time
Validation
Infrastructure
Velocity

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5G Active Assurance
Create Synthetic Traffic, Insert in Network & Evaluate Performance

E2E Active Assurance for Turn-up & Monitoring

Mobile Networks
Emulate layer 2-7 including
Converged Networks

network functions, devices Segment Active

and application usage Backhaul EPC/IMS Assurance for
RAN Troubleshooting

Ethernet/IP Networks
Emulate layer 2-3

Converged Core
Ethernet traffic, TCP/IP Backhaul Core
and application traffic

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Active Assurance Strengths
Complementing the Weaknesses of Traditional Passive Monitoring

Turn-up: Monitoring: Troubleshooting:

Will the network perform How is the network What part of the network
when customers use it? performing right now? is causing the issue?

Emulated
Redundant links
Public safety Synthetic traffic
Synthetic traffic Synthetic traffic Business apps
IoT sensors
Synthetic traffic

• Emulates network, devices and
usage to create “synthetic traffic”
• This “synthetic traffic” is used to
evaluate network performance
when no traffic is flowing
• Active Assurance ensures the
network is ready for users
• Synthetic traffic is a known input
that can be trended over time
• Performance trends indicate minor
issues before they worsen, even
when usage is low
• Active Assurance proactively
finds issues for critical services
• Active Assurance uses emulation to
insert synthetic traffic anywhere
• Evaluates performance and quality
from user’s perspective at end
points and across service chain
• Active Assurance mimics realistic
usage to isolate service issues

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5G Active Assurance
Turn-Up & Monitoring Use Case Active Assurance
Turn-Up & Monitoring

Ultra-low Latency
VisionWorks
KPI: Latency = 1.0 ms Test
Agent Analytics

NEF NRF PCF UDM AUSF AF NSSF Controller

VTA
Test Agents
Test
Agent
DU CU

DNs (Data
gNB AMF SMF Networks)
Test
UPF Agent

5G FWA
KPI: Tput = 200
300 Mbps
Mbps
Active Test Agents
gNB Test
(Virtual Test Agent or
Agent
Physical Test Head)
Test
Agent

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5G Active Assurance
Troubleshooting Use Case Active Assurance
Troubleshooting

Ultra-low Latency
VisionWorks
Analytics

NEF NRF PCF UDM AUSF AF NSSF Controller

VTA
Test Agents

DU CU

DNs (Data
gNB AMF SMF Networks)
Test Test Test
Agent UPF Agent Agent

Test
5G FWA Agent

Active Test Agents

gNB Test
(Virtual Test Agent or
Agent
Physical Test Head)
Test
Agent

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5G Active Assurance
Turn-Up (Change Management) Use Case Active Assurance
Turn-Up

Ultra-low Latency
VisionWorks
Analytics

NEF NRF PCF UDM AUSF AF NSSF Controller

VTA
Test Agents

DU CU

Test DNs (Data

gNB AMF SMF
Agent Networks)
Test Test
Agent UPF Agent

5G FWA

Active Test Agents

gNB Test
(Virtual Test Agent or
Agent
Physical Test Head)

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5G Active Assurance
Cellular Backhaul Turn-Up & Monitoring Use Case Active Assurance
Turn-Up & Monitoring

 Validate service activation (e.g. birth certificate) to

verify service configuration and performance
VisionWorks Analytics

 Continuously monitor after service validation, with VisionWorks Controller

active test traffic to ensure SLA compliance
Active Tests Active Tests Inventory, Provisioning
and Ticketing Systems
Loop
Back

Test
Test Test Agent
Agent Agent
Active Test Agents
Cell Site (Virtual Test Agent or
Physical Test Head)
Router

BACKHAUL MTSO / AGGREGATION CORE

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Our Vision: Lifecycle Validation & Assurance
Improving performance, reducing costs and enhancing service agility

V
Save Millions in SLA, Care Accelerate Validation
& Troubleshooting Costs Maintain Design from Months to Minutes

V L/C L/C
Network &
V Service Landslide
Mobility Infrastructure
Lifecycle Validation
VisionWorks Operate On-Board +
Active Assurance CloudSure
Ethernet, IP & Cloud
Infrastructure Validation

iTest
V Test Automation L/C
for NetDevOps
Turn-up High-Performance Share Tests Between
Services 10x Faster Dev & Ops in Minutes

Deploy
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Spirent® Communications, Inc. and its related company names, branding, product names and logos referenced herein,
and more specifically “Spirent” are either registered trademarks or pending registration within relevant national laws.