Service agility is the
key strategic benefit of network virtualisation. It results in an increase in
revenues from new services, accelerates the time to market and provides capex
and opex savings. In addition, cost optimisation is an implicit benefit of
increased service agility.
Operation support systems(OSS) are emerging as key enablers for achieving service agility, operational
flexibility and optimisation of costs. To increase service agility and service
fulfillment, operators are focusing on OSS functions such as order management,
inventory management, activation and provisioning, and planning and
optimisation. Software-defined networking (SDN) trials and use cases generally
target traffic control and management, with increased emphasis on
service-assurance OSS functions. Currently, network functions virtualisation
(NFV) and SDN trials are being conducted by service providers to deliver
existing services through traditional physical networks. The existing OSS can
support network virtualisation by abstracting control of the virtual
infrastructure through virtual network function (VNF) managers, NFV
orchestrators (NFVOs) and SDN controllers, while preserving the current OSS
processes and operations.
However, for maximum
benefit, service providers expect vendors to develop new, mature virtualised
next-generation networks (vNGN) OSS, which will orchestrate and manage physical
and virtual network resources for both existing and new services, continually
reduce the complexity, development and maintenance costs of service providers’
OSS; lower the time and cost of integration through open interfaces, and
hardware and software interoperability standards; provide near-real-time view
and control of operations with policy-controlled automation and analytics;
encompass delivery and lifecycle management of services where resource
management is implicit; and potentially modernise operations to converge
network and IT planning, build, and operations and maintenance.
Key milestones of OSS maturity with network
virtualization
Discussions regarding OSS
among service providers and vendors are still at early stages. The exploration
of multiple OpenStack projects is ongoing, but OpenStack’s management of
virtualised infrastructure is seen as the most applicable at present. This
exemplifies the immaturity of network virtualisation technologies.
Over the next three
years, service providers and vendors will continue to identify network
functions that can and should be virtualised in order to realise business
benefits. Service providers have recognised that greater cost reductions could
be achieved in the access network than in the core network. In the following
three years, service providers anticipate that vendor OSS will become advanced
enough to allow the coexistence of physical and virtualised networks through
OSS abstraction.
Over the subsequent five years, service providers expect to
continue the gradual progress of the development, implementation and
rationalisation of their OSS, in preparation for transforming into a
consolidated, slimmer vNGN-OSS architecture that addresses OSS challenges and
gaps to orchestrate the management of vNGNs. As a result, towards the end of
the next decade, service providers are likely to complete their migration to
vNGN-OSS, which will manage the vNGNs and technologies that have emerged during
the decade. However, over a long-term period, service providers would consider
other possibilities, including investing based on customer engagements, so that
customers part-fund the vNGN-OSS development for particular services,
progressing when sufficient VNFs are available for end-to-end delivery of one
or more services, overlapping self-organising networks automation with
vNGN-OSS requirements, developing a holistic service agility vNGN-OSS framework
and requirements for moving towards automation. They would also include these
requirements in all OSS procurement documents issued henceforth.
Service agility is the linchpin for maximising the
benefits of network virtualisation
There are three phases to
become an agile service provider with a vNGN-OSS:
- Deployment of vNGN: vNGN investments
should be used primarily to augment or replace the network infrastructure
that is delivering existing services. The vNGN should not be implemented
in a silo environment, which would lead to dual spending on two networks
and operations.
- Co-existence with vNGN: In this phase, the
benefits gradually begin to match the costs. These will largely come from
deferred and reduced hardware costs, and the application of existing OSS
to provision, manage and assure physical and virtual network resources for
existing and new services using OSS abstraction.
- Transformation to vNGN and vNGN-OSS: Service
providers clearly identify legacy systems and infrastructure, and either
replace or retire them in favour of newer, lower-cost virtualised
alternatives which are more readily integrated into the new vNGN and
vNGN-OSS architecture. The faster this transformation is completed, the
sharper the inflection point can be in the service agility trend.
Historical trends
indicate that if service providers continue their “as-is” operations, costs
will increase gradually but continually over the next 10 years. As a result, a
holistic service agility framework for migrating to vNGNs with vNGN-OSS could
curb the climbing costs for service providers, while increasing
competitiveness.
Conclusion
Going forward, a holistic
service agility framework is needed to move towards vNGNs, a framework that
increases the agility of service delivery and lifecycle management, and uses
increased OSS automation, which can provide near-real-time views and control of
operations with policy-controlled automation and analytics.
New vNGN-OSS must be
cheaper and more agile – matching the flexibility and elasticity of virtualised
networks, while still capable of managing traditional networks. vNGN-OSS will
also need to orchestrate and manage physical and virtual network resources for
both existing and new services.
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