Lean NFV Operations

Overview
The Alcatel-Lucent Lean Network
Functions Virtualization (NFV) Ops
demonstration is an interactive
showcase of a fully virtualized end-toend solution for operations management,
which is running over a hundred virtual
machines. This is a High Availability (HA)
system subjected to a comprehensive
set of lifecycle operations.

The demonstration is designed as a cloud

The Lean NFV Ops experience includes

system executing some of the most sophisti-

deployments executed from the ground

cated Virtual Network Functions (VNF).

up, augmented with new components and

It integrates an Operations Support System

reconfigured while enduring maintenance with

(OSS), Management and Orchestration platform

no downtime. Self-service Ops (S2O) empower

(MANO) and Software Defined Networking

the Communication Service Providers (CSPs)

(SDN) in a modular and scalable structure

own enterprise customers and Mobile Network

based on Alcatel-Lucent solutions available

Operators (MVNOs) to manage the services

in 2015 and is fully aligned with the European

they consume by leveraging the same tools.

Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)

NFV Industry Specification Group (ISG)

First unveiled at Mobile World Congress

framework. The Alcatel-Lucent products

2015, this live demonstration presents

demonstrated are:

a virtualization catalog structured

around an application store and
launchpad coupled with rapid service
instantiation. A holistic approach to Life
Cycle Management (LCM) and Reliability,
Availability, Serviceability (RAS) tests
are demonstrated along with advanced
Service Function Chaining (SFC).

VNF: Virtual Evolved Packet Core (vEPC)

and Virtual IP Multimedia Subsystem (vIMS)
MANO: CloudBand Management System
(CBMS)
SDN: Nuage Networks Virtualized

This demonstration presents CloudBand

Ecosystem examples from third party
members and innovations from Bell Labs
Research on analytics and autonomics
(machine learning) for NFV. It represents
the capabilities of the Alcatel-Lucent
Cloud Innovation Center (CIC), which is
the hub for the Alcatel-Lucent CloudBand
Ecosystem program.

Services Platform (VSP)

OSS: Motive Dynamic Operations (MDO)
NFVI (Network Functions Virtualization
Infrastructure): CloudBand Nodes

Background

Virtualization of Mobile Core Network and IMS.

Mitigate complexity with elegant

Our approach to lean operations reflects two

sophistication and manageability.

guiding directives:

NFVs Future Mode of Operations (FMO)

The end user experience is paramount.

is DevOps friendly and is based on

ETSI hosted the NFV Working Group

This can be seen in a 4G video call that

a software centric model driven by

with members from leading network

leverages Alcatel-Lucents award winning

visibility, abstractions, analytics, ease of

operators. A foundational paper was

Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE)

programmability and flexible automation,

presented at SDN & OpenFlow World

solution. The end users quality of

which are key to enabling and driving

Congress in October of 2012. Todays

Experience (QoE) enjoys service continuity

dynamic operations. By contrast, todays

most visible outcomes are baseline NFV

while the demonstration stimulates

Present Mode of Operation (PMO) as seen

requirements, an evolving reference

unplanned, pent-up demand, performs

in legacy and conventional architectures

architecture and specific use cases.

maintenance operations, and causes failures

suffers from rigid frameworks, subpar

prompting dynamic system changes, all

utilization levels, costlier and lengthier

of which are successfully concealed from

lead times, which determine a conservative

the running video session and completely

development culture, hamper innovation

transparent to the overall end user

and negate necessary agility in todays

experience.

fast shifting market.

Three years ago, the telecommunications

industry reached a turning point when
it embarked on the NFV journey.

From day one, Alcatel-Lucent has

been an active contributor and strong
supporter of this initiative. The Lean
NFV Ops demonstration focuses on ETSI
NFVs Use Case #5, which calls for the

Lean NFV principles

NFV is a paradigm shift that embraces
concepts and emerging technologies that
will disrupt prevailing network design
principles, operations, procurement and
market practice. Adhering to lean principles
means prioritizing value over self-defeating
overhead and elevating purposeful
quality under continuous improvement.
Understanding cloud economics is of the
essence: NFVs success is measured in

4. Dynamic and secure control: Enable

10. Collaborative workstyles: Devise roles and

flexible automation that meets

responsibilities that embrace co-creation

application lifecycle needs with

with lead users, customers and partners;

timely orchestration of the underlying

embrace experimentation, agile project

infrastructure through smart workload

management and DevOps to enable

placement, policies, predictive analytics,

collaborative development and operations

autonomics and self-optimizing systems

required to deliver Lean NFV.

engineered to meet demand curves and

operate with agility, full visibility and
in control.
5. Common resource pool: Evolve from

About CIC

significant operational effectiveness, cost

compartmental sprawl to application

efficiencies and value created by innovating

The Alcatel-Lucent Cloud Innovation

multi-tenancy options where services

with speed. To support these objectives, the

Center (CIC) is part of the IP Platforms

tap into shared assets exposed by

Alcatel-Lucent Lean NFV Ops demonstration

CTO organization. It delivers the

common and scalable platforms, that

platform is based on ten design principles:

following four programs:

rationalize and right-size resources

1. Nimble environments: Shift from tightly

coupled, integrated stacks and dedicated

on demand.
6. Contextual operations center:

NFV Lab, which facilitates

application onboarding projects
and is the hub of the CloudBand

hardware to software-defined systems

Realize the positive impact of

and data center environments populated

asset consolidation with centralized

by widely available and more adaptable

NFV Experience, which develops

management and an aggregated sky

commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) servers

demonstrations and hands-on

view that transcends conventional

and existing Information Technology (IT)

workshops, and participates

silos to render a context-aware

solutions.

in events and meetings with

and operations-friendly tactical

customers, industry analysts

single-pane-of-glass.

and third party partners.

2. Stack deconstruction: Embrace openness

and frictionless interoperability,

7. Software house: Adopt models enabled

Ecosystem.

Forward Lab, which experiments

decouple the logic and data planes

by network softwarization, which help

and tests emerging techs, and works

and implement service decomposition,

raise infrastructure utilization levels

on forward-looking projects.

application modeling and easy to work

and subsequent return on assets (ROA)

programmable interfaces (API) to

followed by faster time to market (TTM),

streamline and modularize service

a sandbox available to Alcatel-

new value creation, and accelerated

architectures.

Lucents in-house community and

return on investment (ROI).

promotes flying our own jets (FOOJ)

3. Intelligent allocation and distribution:

8. Best-of-breed ecosystem: Evolve

Community Cloud, which provides

programs.

Work with smart load placement

beyond just settling for todays feature

factoring cost, application requirements

Contact [] to schedule a CIC

and performance parity to foster

and service levels defining performance,

demonstration or workshop.

new value chains with multi-vendor

capacity, security and high availability,

environments that advance unique

which take the sheer scale and scope of

capabilities, some of which couldnt

the carriers Wide Area Networks (WAN)

be achieved otherwise.

into account.
9. Communities: Use, be involved and
contribute to open source initiatives
and standards promoting industry wide
benefits in everyones best interest.

www.alcatel-lucent.com Alcatel, Lucent, Alcatel-Lucent and the Alcatel-Lucent logo are trademarks of Alcatel-Lucent. All other trademarks
are the property of their respective owners. The information presented is subject to change without notice. Alcatel-Lucent assumes no
responsibility for inaccuracies contained herein. Copyright 2015 Alcatel-Lucent. All rights reserved. PR1505011281EN (June)

Ted East, Vice President,

Cloud Innovation Center,
IP Platforms CTO
Jose de Francisco, Director,
Cloud Solutions,
IP Platforms Marketing