Virtualisation - A new workstream for the SCF from Mark Grayson (Cisco)

New SCF work stream:

Virtualisation of the Small Cell RAN: Business, Technology, Architecture

Small Cell Forum June, 2014

• Virtualization technology has emerged as a cornerstone of the IT industries as it has transformed the way the IT infrastructure is deployed

• Virtualization is the foundation of cloud computing and forms the base for offering cloud services

• Essential for every organization to be aware of the virtualization technology and its benefit

Source: A Survey on Virtualization Service Providers, Security Issues, Tools and Future Trends, IJCA, May 2013

• “I often get questions from analysts regarding how small cells fits together with Cloud RAN, so I believe that SCF tackling virtualisation and small cells is well timed and definitely needed.” –

Source: Gordon Mansfield

Recognized trend of accelerating

adoption of virtualization

13/06/2014 © Small Cell Forum Ltd 2013

• Is there any divergence between how virtualization is viewed from a macro RAN perspective versus a small cell perspective?

• What are the real business benefits of virtualization in the RAN? Do benefits apply equally to macro and small cell deployment use cases?

• Can virtualization be used to dynamically optimize costs versus performance?

• Are current small cell architectures well suited to virtualization/cloudification?

• Are there unique attributes of small cell transport that impact fronthaul considerations? (e.g., synchronization, latency, sharing)

• Will virtualization enable enhanced flexibility in the small cell RAN, e.g., physical layer characteristics (bands, waveforms, …)

• Can virtualization deliver a phased roadmap, e.g., aligned with longer-term 5G directions

• How do we ensure virtualization supports innovation across a multi-vendor ecosystem?

Key Questions that the Operator Group

would like the forum to consider


1. Work Stream Rationale

2. Virtualized RAN investigations

3. Proposal

Agenda


1. Work Stream Rationale


• Our observation is that vocabulary is currently ambiguous

• Centralization versus Cloudification

• Virtualization versus Resource Sharing

• Decomposition versus hardware-software separation

• We plan to re-use the use-case definition approach leveraged in earlier releases to align understanding across all SCF working groups, refine the problem statement(s) and drive prioritization of these different use-cases

• Q. What lessons can we learn from you and the wider industry?

A quick disclaimer on terminology


• SCF and NET WG already scoping out re-use of Network Function Virtualization to address scale down use case of rural/remote in Release 5 timeframe

• Q. Does this address sufficiently the business rationale for virtualization?

Virtualized/Cloudified Small Cell

Infrastructure


Small

Cell

Small

Cell

Small

Gateway

Small

Gateway

Small Cell

Management

System

Small Cell

Management

SystemScope of NET

WG Release 5

Virtualization

Discussions for

rural and

remote

Virtualization

scope not

currently being

addressed

• Virtualization no longer just about compute resources, but virtualization of transmission networks, network functions, network management, spectrum, radio access technologies

• Recognize that virtualization/cloudification techniques now being reapplied to eNB base station functionality

• Increased drive towards virtualization to address a number of use cases, including

• Scalability (scale up/down)

• Improved resource utilization/sharing (lower peak-to-mean)

• Multi-tenancy (Multi-carrier, carrier/enterprise)

• Enhanced resource co-ordination (between small cell and macro and between small cells)

• Multi-point capability

• Co-located core network virtualized functions

• Q. How is broader industry handling this level of divergence?

Virtualization trends impacting Small

Cell (and other) RAN Solutions


RPH

BKH

DEP

NET

MKT

IOT

Small Cell Virtualization – a complex

issue requiring key competencies


• RPH: Analysis of different virtualization decompositions (versus small cell radio performance)

• BKH: Small Cell backhaul constraints impacting virtualization

• DEP: Deployment benefits of small cell virtualization, data center hosting options

• MKT: Small cell virtualization business cases

• NET: Network Function Virtualization aspects

• IOT: Multi-vendor virtualized environments

2. Virtualized RAN investigations


Alternative Virtualized RAN

Decompositions (NGMN)


PD

CP

RLC

MA

C

PD

CP

RLC

MA

C QAM+

Antenna

mapping

QAM+

Antenna

mapping

Resource

Mapping

Resource

Mapping

FECFEC

MAC-PHY

Fronthaul

Split I:

Soft Bit

Fronthaul

Split II:

Subframe data

Fronthaul

User ProcessingUser Processing

IFFT +

Cyclic

Prefix

IFFT +

Cyclic

Prefix Split III:

Subframe

Symbol

Fronthaul

P/S

CPRI

encode

P/S

CPRI

encodeSplit IV:

CPRI or Split IV’:

Compressed CPRI

FronthaulCell ProcessingCell Processing

S1

Backhaul←Xn→

• Cloud-RAN is based on CPRI or Compressed CPRI

• Requires lambda or OTN service with very tight bounds on latency

• Incompatible with current GbE packet switched “last mile” networks that are preferred approach for deploying today’s small cells

• Q. How interoperable will the systems be, e.g., compared to SCF plugfest success?

• Q. Will current C-RAN conclusion deliver on aims of Small Cell Forum?

• Accelerate small cell adoption - seems requirement for Lambda/OTN service to each small cell site will likely hinder mass adoption; or

• Change the shape of mobile networks – seems there is no revolution as the innovation in the small cell ecosystem will be have to continually address the centralization versus distribution issue (and which may consequently hinder small cell adoption)

Current observations regarding Cloud

RAN investigations


• Need to recognize that one of the greatest successes of the Forum has been around already defining a small cell RAN decomposition based on FAPI/SCAPI

• Small cell ecosystem already aligned around MAC/PHY split –one of the alternative NGMN decompositions

• Original FAPI/SCAPI requirements centered on a shared memory/DMA based decomposition between ecosystem partners

• The key question which initiated these discussion was whether existing FAPI/SCAPI functional decomposition and associated multi-vendor ecosystem can be evolved to be able to support “fronthaul over non-ideal networks”?

• But of course we don’t want to presuppose this is the preferred SCF RAN decomposition!

SCF RAN Decomposition


3. Proposal


MKT

RPH

DEPBKH

NET

Small Cell Virtualization – a complex

issue


1. Business Case

depends on

2. Enhanced radio

performances

which needs to

be

3. Offset by

deployment costs

5. Which need to

be supported by

system

architecture

4. Which will

likely be driven

by fronthaul

considerations

STUDY PHASESTUDY PHASE EXECUTION PHASEEXECUTION PHASE

Virtualization Work Plan


Kick off, Option AnalysisSmall Cell Virtualization

Definition

Backhaul/Fronthaul constraintsBackhaul Recommendations for

virtualized Small Cells

Data Center Hosting OptionsDeployment Recommendations

for virtualized Small Cells

(Parallel R5 NFV Aspects of SC

Gateway and Management)

Architectural aspects of

virtualized small cell infra

Business case analysis Finalized Business case

Multi-vendor aspects for

virtualized small cells

RPH

BKH

DEP

NET

MKT

IOT

OG Requirements capture Phasing and prioritization

Virtualization Work Stream Kick-Off

• Accelerate scope definition leveraging use cases: centralization, virtualization, resource sharing, ….

• Capturing common aspects and different characteristics

• What is out of scope (or potentially out of scope)

• Residential, 3G, ….?

• Timelines – what is achievable? Market relevance?

• Do timelines drive a preference towards MAC-PHY?

• Eventual target or step on roadmap towards 5G?

• Terminology/nomenclature – need to quickly align on common understandings

• Q. What feedback on timing and relevance do we need to consider?

www.smallcellforum.org

Virtualisation - A new workstream for the SCF from Mark Grayson (Cisco)

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Transcript of Virtualisation - A new workstream for the SCF from Mark Grayson (Cisco)