In the context of ICT convergence, with the help of SDN/NFV, telecom operation is transforming from relatively simple traditional telecom services operation to a digital one. Consequently, the SDN/NFV-based new telecom network is re-architecting network infrastructure, network function, and operation. With the accelerated advent of 5G era, telecom services will become more diverse and flexible; the elastic, programmable, and multi-layered virtualized network will need more intelligent operating methods; the telecom service ecosystem will become more open and vigorous, and all of these have brought more possibilities to operators.
The key to realize digital operation is to have diverse services and the ability of agile service deployment. By providing self-help services for the individual and government and enterprise, operators can close the gap with the customer and make the product easier to use. On the other hand, due to the added layers of network and fields introduced by virtualization, digital operation shall be service-oriented and improve the network resource resilience by means of intelligence. Agile service deployment and intelligent operation are two key aspects of digital transformation of telecom operation, and two core tasks for the application of DevOps in telecom operation.
As a world leading provider of telecom equipment and services, ZTE has deep insight of telecom network and has always been at the forefront in SDN/NFV field. Based on DevOps concept, ZTE proposes the Agile Service Dev and Policy-Driven Intelligent Ops Solution, which mainly introduces fast service innovation enabled by GSO (Global Service Orchestration), and intelligent operation realized by AI-based policies.
Based on the characteristics of virtualized network, GSO realizes flexible service development, on-demand service customization, and agile service orchestration. The service design platform of GSO includes abundant software repository and unified catalog, so the service designer can assemble the micro-service-based components via drag-and-drop on the visible interface. The design is as interesting as building blocks, and the efficiency will be enhanced greatly. GSO self-service portal makes it easier for the customer to tailor services anytime with better user experience. GSO model-driven service orchestration system realizes E2E orchestration and cross-domain and multi-layer resource collaboration, which can greatly accelerate the process of service development and shorten TTM of services from months to minutes. GSO is the bridge between customer requirements and network functions, and translates the various customer requirements to complex network functions and then provides them for customer quickly. GSO enables fast service innovation for operators in the waves of digital transformation.
More innovative services will boom in segment market when 5G is coming, diverse 5G network slices will be applied as well. Due to the difference of resource requirements from various network slices, there would be the challenge for operators on resource multiplexing. Moreover, boomed innovative services will follow with fierce business competitions, so it’s vital to new service operation to quickly reach excellent QoS. Hence, ZTE applies AI technology to realize the network resource multiplexing and resilience. By learning the massive historical network data via machine learning, intelligent policy can abstract the model of load balance and related resource model matching service traffic. Refined traffic model will be the guidance for design and configuration of other similar new services. Network scaling policies produced by AI will trigger orchestration system to conduct corresponding adjustment activities dynamically, and thus realize optimal utilization of resources.
In the digital transformation tide, as virtualized network advances in commercial processes, operators will play more roles, such as designer of new service, developer and integrator of virtualized network platform, owner and manager of data, etc. Meanwhile, operators will obtain more capabilities, such as DevOps-based development and operation, Zero Touch operating method, Omni-security, capability openness, etc. ZTE will always cooperate and co-innovate with operators to help make more values.
