Virtualised network services enable cloud-based service providers to turn up new services anywhere, on demand and with minimal expense. While this addresses the highly dynamic nature of services in today's network, it challenges the performance assurance requirements needed to satisfy customer service level agreements (SLAs).
Virtualised network services enable cloud-based service providers to turn up new services anywhere, on demand and with minimal expense. This flexibility, driven by orchestrated back office solutions, is creating a new reality in enterprise services.
At the same time, enterprise customers still expect these virtualised network services to meet or exceed service level agreements, just as traditional WAN-based services do today.
The new reality requires performance assurance solutions to be just as dynamic and scalable as the services they monitor.
Accedian's SkyLIGHT VCX is a virtualised performance assurance controller (vPAC) solution, designed to address the service assurance needs of today's cloud-based services. Accedian has partnered with RIFT.io to leverage their industry-leading network services orchestration platform, RIFT.ware, to bring a highly dynamic and scalable network functions virtualisation-based performance monitoring (NFV-PM) solution to address cloud-based enterprise services.
Orchestrated NFV-PM
Any performance monitoring solution requires four key elements: test session control, a test packet generator, a test packet reflector, and precision timestamping. In a traditional WAN network, these elements were often customer premises equipment (CPE)-based network interface devices (NIDs) and centralised test suites, all of which required considerable time to install and configure - something that virtualised network services have eliminated.
In the orchestrated NFV-PM solution offered by Accedian and RIFT.io:
* The test session control and test packet generator functions are handled by the SkyLIGHT VCX and SkyLIGHT Director Manager Module (SDMM).
* The test packet reflector is replaced with either a virtual network function (VNF)-based reflector, or an Accedian Nano Smart SFP or ant Module.
* Precision timestamping is managed by SkyLIGHT VCX and the reflector on a per session basis.
The role of RIFT.io's RIFT.ware solution is to orchestrate availability of the NFV-PM solution to meet the needs of dynamic service environments. As demand requires, the RIFT.ware orchestrator can immediately create a SkyLIGHT VCX VNF to address the performance assurance requirements of new services.
Centralised or site-to-site testing
Depending on the service deployed and the kind of SLA offered, a provider may choose to test performance either centrally or on a site-to-site basis.
* NFV-PM test packets are generated by SkyLIGHT VCX and sent to an ant Module at one site (a) over an assured tunnel, where a timestamp is added.
* Packets are forwarded to a Nano Smart SFP at another site (b) where timestamps are added and packet reflected back to (a).
* Packet are then returned to SkyLIGHT VCX with timestamps
* NFV-PM test packets are generated by SkyLIGHT VCX, and sent to site (1).
* Packets are forwarded to sites (2), (3), or (4) where timestamps are added. Packets are then reflected back to site (1).
* Packet are returned from site (1) to SkyLIGHT VCX with timestamps.
Solution highlights:
* Fully orchestrated and scalable to address any size network.
* Allows providers to use any Accedian Module or third-party, standards based reflector as a test point.
* Supports microsecond timestamp accuracy.
* Nano Smart SFP and ant Modules can be deployed either in-line or out-of-line.
Learn more about the Accedian's SkyLIGHT platform at accedian.com/skylight. Visit our library for related resources.
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