Enterprise cloudification has been a topic of interest before the pandemic strikes. However, as countries begin issuing new economic policies to address impact caused by the pandemic, enterprise cloudification has resurfaced as a hot topic across the entire ICT industry.
As operator IP networks face new changes and challenges, IDC predicts that by 2021, 80% of enterprises will have accelerated their cloudification process. In addition, public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud will become mainstream choices for enterprises, meeting the comprehensive cloudification requirements of their Internet and office services, as well as key information systems and core production systems. Gartner also predicts that by 2025, 35% of companies using multiple public cloud providers will use a single network stack, a tenfold increase from May 2021.
Against this backdrop, the entire ICT industry is exploring how best to leverage network capabilities to support the development of cloud computing, optimise network resources with cloud computing, and continuously transfer the computing power and intelligence of clouds to various business scenarios.
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Industry-first White Paper to Help Transformation of DICT Services
Based on solid understanding of existing cloud-network construction practices in the industry, Huawei has introduced the Intelligent Cloud-Network IT Architecture and Integration White Paper, which defines the intelligent cloud-network IT architecture and integration ecosystem for the first time. The white paper also brings the concept of intelligent cloud-networks into practice, helping operators to transform from ICT services to DICT services, which comprise of Data Technology (DT), Information Technology (IT), and Communications Technology (CT) at a faster pace.
Aimed to help cloud-network operate effectively, the white paper highlights the following key areas of interest for operators:
Increase network responsiveness to the cloud, ensuring integrated cloud and network scheduling;
Exploit the wide coverage of operator networks fully to provide cloud access connections with guaranteed SLAs, and deliver consistent cloud and network experience; and
Offer one-stop subscription to cloud-network products and e-commerce service experience for enterprise users.
The white paper also recommends that operators draw on the success of data centre networks and fully utilize the advanced experience of OTT cloud-network architecture evolution and integrated cloud-network services to build a 3-layer intelligent cloud-network IT architecture. With the 3-layer architecture will enable network as a service (NaaS), drive cloud-network service automation and e-commerce operation upgrade, as well as maximize operational experience and real-time visibility around network utilization.
Improved Operations with 3-layer Intelligent Cloud-network IT Architecture
With the adoption of the 3-layer intelligent cloud-network IT architecture, operators can initiate technical transformation at the network infrastructure layer, network management & control layer, and network operation layer, ensuring improved operations in different aspects of the intelligent cloud-network.
More details of each layer are as follows:
1. Network infrastructure layer (first layer): Simplified protocols as the basis.
Operators traditionally work with numerous network protocols, complex technologies, and large-scale configurations, leading to complicated maintenance and automation. The intelligent cloud-network integrates traditional complex protocols into two simplified alternatives: Ethernet VPN and SRv6. SRv6 is a next-generation protocol enabled by SDN that supports intelligent management and intelligent control systems, facilitating centralised path computation and one-click cross-domain access while avoiding VPN concatenation.
2. Intelligent management & control layer (second layer): NaaS as the key.
Conventional Network Management Systems (NMSs) use network-level interfaces to interconnect with an Operations Support System (OSS), but this results in complex integration involving thousands of parameters. In addition, the OSS needs to manage multiple NMSs in different domains, which adds to the difficulty of OSS development. The intelligent cloud-network introduces an intelligent management & control system, which utilises NaaS technology to provide tenant-level service-oriented interfaces for the OSS, shielding technical details relating to the network at the same time. Tenant network provisioning and adjustment can be completed with fewer than 100 parameters, greatly simplifying OSS integration.
3. Network operation layer (third layer): Refined one-stop service subscription as the result.
As traditional operations are driven by tickets and involve manual actions, service provision often takes several months. The intelligent cloud-network IT architecture integrates conventional OSS and Business Support System (BSS) functions to offer a multi-cloud aggregation function. This architecture invokes the network service capabilities of the intelligent management & control layer through service-oriented interfaces, providing users with an ideal one-stop platform to subscribe and change cloud-network products or services, shortening time required for service provision to just days.
Collaborate Towards a Win-Win Scenario
The intelligent cloud-network service is part of Huawei Autonomous Driving Network (ADN) solution. With knowledge and data driving continuous innovations of the network architecture, Huawei aims to build a network with the so called “Self-X” (self-fulfilling, self-healing, and self-optimizing) capabilities. Huawei will cooperate with operators, OSS/BSS partners, and industry alliances to deliver integrated cloud-network scheduling as well as a consistent cloud-network experience for industries in the cloud era. The entire industry should work together to promote cloud-network service development and help operators transform to DICT services, thereby fuelling breakthroughs in emerging technologies across all areas of society.
Huawei Intelligent Cloud-Network IT Architecture and Integration White Paper is available at:
https://carrier.huawei.com/~/media/CNBGV2/download/products/networks/intelligent-cloud-network-it-architecture-and-integration-white-paper-en.pdf
This content is sponsored by Huawei.