Network Virtualisation:the 4WARD perspective

4WARD WP3Presented by

Jorge Carapinha, PT Inovação

Why Network Virtualisation?

� Overcomes Internet “ossification” and provides a viable path to the Future Internet– Coexistence and concurrent operation of multiple network architectures– Technology diversity, instead of “one size fits all” solution– Deployment of novel E2E services without requiring internet-wide consensus.

� Promising for service providers� Promising for service providers– Reduced cost of ownership, enhanced flexibility, new revenues, custom-

tailored networks.

� Network virtualisation has been used in several components (virtual routers, virtual links…) but a common general framework for full-blown network virtualisation has not been devised up to now.

Network virtualisation – related areas

NetworkNetwork

OS virtualisation, virtual servers

Future Internet architectures

(Cabo, X-bone, Cabernet)

NetworkVirtualisation

NetworkVirtualisation

“Legacy” network virtualisation: Virtual IP routers, L2VPN, L3VPN, VLAN,

MPLS, IEEE802.1ah

4WARD WP3 – Main Innovations

� Network virtualisation as a meta-architecture in a commercial setting– Enable co-existence of diverse network architectures– Enable deployment of innovative approaches– Enable new business roles and players

• Allow split of infrastructure-/network-/service-providers• Lower barriers of entry• „Market place“ for shareable network resources

� Provisioning and virtualisation management framework� Provisioning and virtualisation management framework– On-demand instantiation of virtual networks at large scale– Virtualisation signalling & control– Dynamic management of virtual networks

� Virtualisation of diverse resources in a common framework– Routers, links, servers– Wireless infrastructure, spectrum– Folding points providing interworking between virtual networks – Unified management interfaces

4WARD network virtualisation model

PhysicalInfrastructure

Virtualized

Virtualization of Resources(partitioning of physical infrastructure into “slic es”)

PhysicalInfrastructure

Virtualized

Virtualization of Resources(partitioning of physical infrastructure into “slic es”)

Management of Virtual Networks

Provisioning of Virtual Networks(on-demand instantiation of virtual networks)

VirtualizedSubstrate

VirtualNetworkVirtual

Network

Management of Virtual Networks

Provisioning of Virtual Networks(on-demand instantiation of virtual networks)

VirtualizedSubstrate

VirtualNetworkVirtual

Network

4WARD Network Virtualisation business model and roles

Virtual Network Provider (VNP)

Virtual Network Operator (VNO)

Discovery Case 3

Virtual Network Request

Yes

No

No

Provider (VNP)

Infrastructure Provider

(InP)

Infrastructure Provider

(InP)

Infrastructure Provider

(InP)

Selection

Binding

Dynamic changes

Case 1

Case 2

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

4WARD Vision:Virtualized Networking Environment

VNet VNet VNet

VNet VNet VNet

Virtual Network Operator

End-to-End Deployment

Phys. NetVNet VNet VNet

VNet VNet VNet

Virtual Network Operator

End-to-End Deployment

Phys. Net

InfrastructureBroker

(optional)

SubstrateSubstrateSubstrate

Substrate Substrate

Vertically Integrated Operators(virtualized networks)

Infrastructure Providers

Legacy Operator

InfrastructureBroker

(optional)

SubstrateSubstrateSubstrateSubstrateSubstrateSubstrate

Substrate SubstrateSubstrate Substrate

Vertically Integrated Operators(virtualized networks)

Infrastructure Providers

Legacy Operator

Architecture interfaces

VNP

Virtual Network

VNO

1

6

5

Physical Network 1 Physical Network 2 Physical Network 3InP1 InP2 InP344

3

InP

2

1 VNO/VNP Virtual network description and request

2 VNP/InP Request and negotiation of virtual resources

3 InP/Network elements Setup of virtual nodes and virtual links

4 InP/InP (+VNP) Setup of inter-domain virtual links and virtual networks

5 VNO/InP “Out of band” virtual node access for bootstrapping

6 End user/VNO End user attachment

InP3

3

3

Virtual Link Setup

� Two variants: intra-domain and inter-domain– Intra-domain:

• Basically an extension of Constraint-Based Routing for Traffic Engineering?

– Inter-domain:• Standardization is required to enable interoperability between different • Standardization is required to enable interoperability between different

infrastructure domains:

Potential topics for standardization (1)

� Common network virtualisation framework– Terminology, definition of reference points, interfaces.

� Link virtualisation– Existing technologies (e.g. MPLS, IEEE802.1ah) are candidate

solutions in the transport plane; a new approach for the control plane (virtual link setup) is required.(virtual link setup) is required.

� Virtual node setup protocol– To setup the virtual nodes that make up virtual networks running inside

a single infrastructure domain; required for vendor interoperability.

� Resource Description Language– Describing networks and network resources is essential for

provisioning and management of virtual networks (VNPs to specify resources to be requested from InPs; InPs to describe resources provided to VNPs).

Potential topics for standardization (2)

� Namespaces– Globally unique VNet IDs (e.g. for end user attachment to Vnets)

represent a global namespace that needs to be standardized.

� Security & Resource Isolation– Strict isolation of competing virtual networks sharing resources is

required to prevent or mitigate DoS attacks or misconfiguration.required to prevent or mitigate DoS attacks or misconfiguration.

� Interoperability with legacy– Interoperability with legacy (e.g. non-virtualised networks) is required.

Virtual networks will be interconnected by non-virtualised network domain.

Related ongoing activities

� ITU-T Focus Group on Future Networks– Activity started in June 09; three meetings already took place– Network virtualisation is one of the focus

• “Framework of network virtualization”, output document from the 2nd

meeting (available at http://www.itu.int/oth/T3A05000017/en)

� IRTF NVRG (Network Virtualisation Research Group)� IRTF NVRG (Network Virtualisation Research Group)– Newly created; first NVRG meeting at the IETF-77 in Anaheim, USA

(21-26/03/10).

Conclusions

� Network virtualisation is a promising path to future networks; � Deployment in large scale commercial environments poses

complex challenges;� Interoperability is required at multiple levels:

– Between different equipment vendors;– Between different equipment vendors;– Between different players/stakeholders (virtual network operators,

virtual network providers, infrastructure providers, end users);– Between heterogeneous virtual networks;– Between virtual networks and legacy networks.

� Standardization is key. A preliminary list of candidate topics for standardization can be already identified.