White Paper Operators Telco Cloud

Operators Telco Cloud - White Paper

Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................... 1
2. Cloud Native Evolution .......................................................................................................................... 1
3. Telco Opportunities ............................................................................................................................... 3
4. Market Fragmentation .......................................................................................................................... 4
5. Cloud layer convergence ....................................................................................................................... 5
6. Sylva Telco Cloud Stack.......................................................................................................................... 6
7. Glossary ................................................................................................................................................. 8

1. Executive Summary
With the introduction of software-based applications and services to the networking industry,
telecommunications operators (“Telcos”) and network function vendors (“Vendors”) face a significant
technological shift. Whilst this brings huge potential for improved customer services, they risk being unable
to benefit from this evolution without also modernising their underlying network infrastructure to become
more distributed and automated, leveraging the latest cloud native technologies.

Along with the adoption of virtualization and cloud native technology, the telco industry has transitioned
from vertically integrated technology stacks ("physical boxes") to disaggregated technology stacks based on
open APIs. Despite this fundamental transition, interoperability between workloads and platforms remains
a challenge.

Nevertheless, Telcos and Vendors within Europe have a great opportunity to drive the deployment of cloud
services in line with European privacy and security regulations, whilst remaining compliant with competition
law and European Union (EU) recommendations in terms of technology sovereignty and accessibility for
anyone. The harmonisation of technology evolution plans with 5G and cloud deployments in line with EU
guidance is critical for the pain-free evolution of digital networks and services.

2. Cloud Native Evolution

One of the major technological trends of recent years is the cloud native evolution of the Telco industry. The
relation between Telcos and cloud is both straightforward and complex: Telcos are the natural bridge
between the end users and the cloud service space, regionally and globally, and in addition to this Telcos are
writing a fundamental page of the cloud technology evolution. During recent years, the need to increase the
proximity between cloud services and end users has emerged with increasingly clarity. The so called “Edge
Cloud” or “Edge Computing” model encourages the deployment of mini-cloudlets (e.g., mini Data Centres)
close to the end users, ideally only a few kilometres away. The service needs for this new edge cloud
capability can be summarized in Figure 1:

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Figure 1 : Edge Solution Capabilities

As Telcos have in their assets a hugely distributed in-field connectivity infrastructure (thousands of point-of-
presences in a region like Italy or France) they are the best candidates to implement the cloud and digital
communication symbiosis of Edge Computing.

This takes us to the concept of the Edge / Cloud continuum: it is increasingly common for cloud services to
no longer be accessed solely through remote Data Centres. Instead, they are spanning multiple locations in
a region, providing at same time the benefits of large-scale computation capabilities and the readiness and
privacy of small remote cloudlets close to the final users. This architectural vision of cloud evolution can be
named “edge/cloud continuum” and is visually represented in Figure 2:

Figure 2 : Edge Cloud Continuum

As Telco and Cloud businesses are now crossing paths, so will the Telco and Cloud technologies. The same
software technologies and concepts that helped enable the commercial successes of cloud services are
available for Telcos to exploit and deploy.

The primary focus of this is Cloud Native Infrastructure technology, which makes use of the open source
technology Kubernetes. The Cloud Native Infrastructure allows a modular approach for the deployment,
interoperability, reversibility, scalability, and evolution of software components. It provides an open platform
called CaaS (Container1as a Service) on top of which developers can deploy applications consistently across
regions and globally.

1
See https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/containers/ for containers concept definition
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The CaaS can generally use commercial computing resources, as it doesn’t mandate specific hardware or
underlying infrastructure products. It provides greater flexibility and interoperability for both the commercial
application industry and the commercial computing industry, with increased competitiveness compared to
previous iterations of technology for Telcos.

Figure 3 : Simplified view of containerization

Kubernetes enables the creation of custom CaaS configurations by extending the interfaces Kubernetes
provides through the usage of different plug-ins and extensions. This customisability makes the technology
great in utilising any type of Compute Hardware, but as a result of how the interfaces are designed the CaaS
layers do not abstract the Compute Hardware completely from the Applications. Cloud Native infrastructure
technology is constantly evolving, and Kubernetes supports natively more and more features that Telco
applications need. Still there are some technology areas where Cloud Native infrastructure components need
to evolve to support the needs of Telco applications. When closing the gaps in the infrastructure technology
the most optimal approach for the whole industry is to develop open source de-facto standard interfaces
instead of vendor specific solutions.

3. Telco Opportunities
As described above, Telcos will need to deploy hundreds of Edge Cloud nodes in the coming years,
accommodating in the same location traditional Telco functionality such as 5G Radio Access Network (RAN)
functions and modern cloud services. Cloud Native Infrastructure offers a great opportunity to make this
deployment simple and efficient. One consistent computing platform can be deployed, sharing hardware and
connectivity resources among different applications.

Examples of applications from the Telco industry are:

• 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) functions, including RAN optimisation

• 5G Mobile Core network functions
• IP network functions such as firewall, software defined networks (SDN), or content delivery
networks (CDN)
• Border Network Gateways (BNG) functions for fixed broadband customers

While example of edge applications from the cloud service industry are:

• Video analysis for security cameras

• Control platforms for robotized production plants
• Control platforms for autonomous driving or assisted driving
• Control platforms for drones or autonomous guided vehicles (AGV)
• Service platforms for Augmented /Virtual reality

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Figure 4: Examples of applications running on a CaaS

4. Market Fragmentation
Whilst the opportunities are clear, if the Telco industry continues with its traditional deployment model
then fragmentation is inevitable for the deployment of applications that mandate the use of proprietary
CaaS and even specific physical compute as shown in the following picture:

Figure 5 : Example of fragmentation

Today, the fragmentation of this cloud layer leads to increased complexity, for both vendors and operators.
Firstly, the vendors must develop their application layer, aka Network Functions (NF), to be able to certify
against multiple cloud layers (vendors proprietary cloud, operators’ proprietary cloud, and so on).

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Figure 6 : Fragmentation from Vendor point of view

Secondly, the operators can end up dealing with multiple infrastructures, which leads to increased
operational complexity.

Figure 7 : Fragmentation from Operator point of view

This approach is no longer sustainable as it:

• Prevents the possibility of sharing CaaS and physical resources among different applications,
resulting in wasted compute power with CAPEX and energy impacts
• Creates unnecessary complexity for vendors as they look to certify multiple cloud platforms
• Creates operational burdens on Telcos as the different “islands” will need different skills and will
evolve at different speeds
• Fails to provide a solution that can evolve with the necessary speed of cloud native

The edge cloud will need to evolve at the same speed as the Internet and Public Cloud; continuous upgrades
and evolution of software are required (feature upgrades, security patches are just an example).
Consequently, CaaS software and Application software will need to be updated regularly, and therefore will
have to adapt to keep up with this pace. The hyperscalers can provide to both operators and vendors such
capabilities, but this solution will remain a vertical solution (no interoperability between hyperscalers
themselves, strong lock in).

The authors of this paper believe that these adaptations are achievable at the speed required in a
homogeneous, open, and layered software architecture but not in a vertical and proprietary environment,
with components evolving at different speeds.

5. Cloud layer convergence

Therefore, a convergence of this cloud layer could benefit all players of the Telco industry as it could
significantly reduce fragmentation and increase operational efficiency.

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Figure 8 : Cloud Layer Convergence

To fully benefit from the opportunities that Cloud Native presents, this cloud layer should align with well-
established cloud native technologies and operating processes. In particular, the target architecture should
be based on multi-cluster Kubernetes automated deployments on Bare Metal, managed with GitOps
approach (including Infrastructure as code). Moreover, the design of a Telco-friendly Cloud Native
Infrastructure can help the adoption of EU goals in terms of:

• Cybersecurity Strategy: increasing the level of security applicable to critical infrastructures and
essential services and increasing the operational capacity to prevent and manage attack scenarios.
In fact, it would allow the full control over the necessary security solutions through the full control
of the software stack.
• Trustworthy data processing: the full control of features is a first step to guarantee full pan-European
interoperability, data security and sovereignty, portability, trusted data sharing among companies
• Deployment of federated cross regional edge computing services of public interest (e.g., assisted, or
autonomous driving)
• Energy Management, by optimizing the energy consumption of the cloud layer that will be heavily
distributed towards the edge across several thousand nodes.

The authors of this paper are committed to the definition and integration of a Telco-friendly CaaS according
to the following requirements:

1. Based on open source technology and open APIs to avoid vendor lock-in and benefit from the latest
technologies
2. Declarative approach to manage thousands of nodes in distributed Cloud (including far edge)
3. Multi-cluster Kubernetes: Ability to automate the Kubernetes Cluster Life Cycle Management
4. EU security recommendation
5. Being able to host the most relevant Applications for the deployment of 5G network (from core to
radio - ORAN)
6. Best in class energy optimisation to cope with a high level of distribution
7. Based on Anuket RA2 and extending the functional areas not covered in Anuket.

6. Sylva Open Source Project

Aware of the need for the Telco friendly platform described above, the main carriers in Europe, together
with network function providers, joined under an MoU to initiate the Sylva project addressing Telco and
Edge use cases.
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The Sylva project has two main objectives:

• Release a cloud software framework, which shall:

o Identify and prioritise telco and edge requirements
o Develop solutions to the specific technical challenges identified on the infrastructure
layer of the telco ecosystem
o Integrate these solutions with existing open source components
o These solutions and the integrated cloud software framework are not "production
ready" software, but aims to be "production grade" in order to be used by third parties
such as operators, network function vendors, and cloud providers to create commercial
products
• Develop a Reference Implementation of this cloud software framework and create an
Integration and Validation program to:
o Validate the commercial network functions against this cloud software framework
o Validate implementations based on the released framework and its components
o Accelerate commercial adoption of network functions and their compliance with this
cloud software framework

The main characteristics of this Open Source project are the following ones:

• The roadmap is driven by European Telecom ecosystem needs

• The project is open to any participant
• The project leverages on any existing cloud native initiative

The Open Source releases resulting from this project will incorporate the capabilities that are required for a
CaaS to address specific use cases identified by European Telcos (such as 5G, O-RAN and Edge) and will be
the basis for a common infrastructure among European operators allowing the federation and integration of
edge applications. Having a common framework for Operators, NF vendors will be able demonstrate, at once,
that their functionality can work on such general-purpose infrastructure with the assurance that it can be
deployed on any compliant platform (saving time and costs to both vendors and operators). Additionally, a
common reference framework will foster digital innovation across Europe for the digital ecosystem.

There are already other initiatives covering cloud native technology stacks such as Kubernetes and the
Anuket Reference Architecture for Kubernetes (RA2) and other initiatives covering the specifying, integrating
and verifying Telco-specific stacks and the validation of Telco applications such as with the Anuket Assured
and CNF Certification Programs. The Sylva project is not intended to replace those, but to leverage them and
cover those requirements that are specific for the Use Cases that European Telcos are working on, and other
initiatives that are still not addressed. If needed, the Sylva project will contribute to those initiatives some
specific extensions that could otherwise become duplications.

The following is a list (not exhaustive) of some of these extended capabilities required by Sylva use cases

• Enhanced performance support (e.g.: EPA capabilities, DPDK, SRV-IO)

• Specific synchronization cards support for O-RAN (PTP)
• Cloud Native support for L1 RAN acceleration network interface cards
• GPU hardware support
• Bare Metal automation provisioning
• Multi-Clustering support
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• Service mesh support

• Enhanced security (e.g.: Internal ciphering and multi-tenancy)
• Lightweight (all in 1 server)
• Energy efficiency

The Sylva project is open to any participant. Joining this program will allow:

• Hardware vendors to prove they enable the capabilities and to provide resources for the validation
program
• CNF vendors to demonstrate their solutions can run on top of any implementation of the Open
Source released framework
• Stack Editors / Stack Integrators to have a reference for the capabilities required by European Telco
use cases and, when adopting the outcome of the project in their solutions, to demonstrate they
meet the requirements identified
• Operators to have a reference for a Cloud platform addressing specific use cases and having insights
on the providers that have demonstrated they can work on top of this platform, saving efforts in
market scanning and certification.

7. Glossary

5G RAN and Core: The 5G network is divided in 2 main parts: the “core”, and the “RAN”. The core refers to
the backbone of the network. The RAN (for Radio Access Network) is the part of the network which
connects the end-user with his smartphone to the core network (though radio technology).

API: Application Programming Interface – it is the way for two or more software applications to
communicate together.

CAPEX: Capital expenditure – money spent by an organization to buy/maintain/improve fixed assets.

Bare metal: It refers to a server executing instructions directly on hardware without the intervention of a
hypervisor based virtualization layer. A bare metal implementation will most of the time run faster and is
applicable to time-critical latency requirements.

Cloud native technologies: “Cloud native technologies empower organizations to build and run scalable
applications in modern, dynamic environments such as public, private, and hybrid clouds. […] These
techniques enable loosely coupled systems that are resilient, manageable, and observable. Combined with
robust automation, they allow engineers to make high-impact changes frequently and predictably with
minimal toil.”2

Containers: A container is a standard format in which developers can deploy their applications. The benefit
of this format, besides the standardization, is the fact that one machine can run several containers (through
a proper orchestration tool), without negative interference between them.

2
Definition from CNCF (Cloud Native Computing Foundation) found here :
https://github.com/cncf/toc/blob/main/DEFINITION.md
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Edge Computing: This is not a specific technology, but more an architecture paradigm where the
computing capacities and the data storage are positioned close to the source of data. It is expected to
improve performances, reduce response time, and save huge network traffic.

FTTH: Fibre to the home. It refers to the fibre connectivity for needs.

Hyperscalers: Cloud giants, like Google, Amazon, Microsoft. They are called hyperscalers because of their
huge capacity to provide distributed computing environment with a mix of hardware and facilities that can
easily “scale” automatically with an increase of users / data volume / performance need / etc.

Infrastructure as code: Process to manage hardware and cloud infrastructure through configuration files
and code, that can be easily modified and updated.

Kubernetes: It is the de facto standard open source container orchestration system. Kubernetes is hosted
by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). It is the bedrock of any advanced
deployment/management/orchestration/scaling system.

Network Function: Functional block within a network infrastructure that has well-defined external
interfaces and functional behavior.

OPEX: Operational expenditure – money spent by an organization for running a product/business/system.

Private 5G: A 5G mobile network which allows its owner to augment existing capacities and introduce new
possibilities.

Private Cloud: Cloud infrastructure operated by and for a single organization.

Public Cloud: Cloud infrastructure delivered over the public internet, often with a paid subscription.

Telcos: Refers to traditional telecommunication operators.

Vendors: In this document, it refers to the network equipment vendors.