WWT Integrates vBNG with Advantech, Intel, and netElastic for 5G
12/15/2020
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WWT Integrates vBNG with Advantech, Intel, and netElastic for 5G
Virtual broadband network gateways (vBNGs) are key to scaling 5G and broadband networks. Utilizing its Advanced Technology Centers, World Wide Technology integrates vBNGs for communications service providers of all sizes.
World Wide Technology (WWT), an Intel® Network Builders ecosystem partner, has partnered with Advantech, Intel, and netElastic to develop a scalable vBNG solution for a wide range of CommSPs using WWT’s Next-Generation Factory model.
vBNGs Emerge for Growing Broadband Networks
5G will accelerate both trends as it delivers more bandwidth for video consumption and cloud computing usage by consumers and businesses, and more network connectivity for IoT sensors, automobiles, and other connected devices.
5G promises data throughput in the hundreds of megabits per second range with very low latency. Just as important, 3GPP standards specify support for much higher network density—about 1 million devices per square kilometer (.38 mile) or 50 times greater than 4G, which supports 2,000 devices per square kilometer, according to the 3GPP standard.
5G also offers network slicing, which divides the bandwidth of a 5G connection to allow each partition a different quality of service (QoS) profile to support different applications. Network slicing is initiated at the edge of the network where packets are analyzed and policies of their slice are applied.
Traditionally, broadband network gateways (BNG) are used to manage broadband network access and provision network features, policies, and service levels. BNGs feature flexible support for new policies and help CommSPs deploy new capabilities quickly and affordably, thus realizing potentially greater revenue while helping simplify network design. A vBNG establishes and manages subscriber sessions (see Figure 1). For active sessions, the vBNG will aggregate traffic and route it to the CommSP’s transport network. Some vBNG subscriber access functions include:
- Quality of service (QoS)
- Subscriber session authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA)
- Address assignment
- Security
- Policy management
vBNG functionality must be able to scale to support fast data and subscriber growth. Advancements in CPU processing power and virtualization technology have made it possible to create vBNGs that can provide the packet throughput, full range of packet processing functions, and the scalability needed to help 5G operators support new applications and grow their networks.
WWT partnered with Advantech, netElastic, and Intel to develop a complete vBNG solution that CommSPs can use to modernize their network architecture in order to facilitate next-generation advanced services. The solution is integrated in WWT’s Advanced Technology Center (ATC), a unique lab environment with more than $500 million in technology infrastructure where CommSPs’ technicians can customize the solution to their exact specifications.
WWT vBNG Solution Blueprint
- Carrier grade network address translation (CG-NAT)
- Support for MPLS/LDP routing
- L2/L3 VPN
WWT selected Advantech SKY-8101D servers (see Figure 2) for these tests to address the vBNG’s need for dataheavy computing. The Advantech SKY-8101D is a verified Intel® Select Solution for NFVI Forwarding Platform system. Advantech has worked closely with Intel to optimize the hardware and software configurations of the SKY-8101D to deliver high performance for virtualized packet-based workloads.
The SKY-8101D is a 1RU, dual-socket server that utilizes non-uniform memory access (NUMA)-balanced architecture to maximize data plane performance for high I/O workloads. The SKY-8101D servers selected for the vBNG application are powered by 2nd generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors because they need the performance and features to provide powerful virtualized networks that create agile and scalable service infrastructures.
The processors can deliver diverse services efficiently because the CPU has features required for application, control, packet, and signal processing. This innovative processor sets a new level of platform convergence and capabilities across compute, storage, memory, network, and security. CommSPs can now drive forward their most ambitious digital initiatives with a feature-rich, highly versatile platform.
The SKY-8101D supports 24 DIMM sockets supporting up to 1,536 GB DDR4 RAM. The SKY-8101D PCIe subsystem offers high-speed I/O expansion with slots for four PCIe x16 Gen3 adapters. The server also features four Intel® Ethernet Network Adapters XXV710, supporting DPDK network acceleration for up to 400 Gbps raw PCIe throughput per system. The system is upgradable to support 100 GbE connections using the Intel® Ethernet Network Adapter E810-CAM2.
The server powers configuration of a netElastic commercial vBNG supporting up to 128,000 users. Configuration of two vBNGs on a server provides double the user count to 256,000 subscribers.
The software foundation of the vBNG solution is based on Red Hat OpenStack and Red Hat Linux for the vBNG Solution Blueprint at WWT. The advanced cloud, network automation, and DevOps capabilities built into Red Hat software enable WWT’s ATC to validate the full-stack of this vBNG solution.
Red Hat is a WWT Advantage Partner and has been a very strong contributor and sponsor of WWT solution blueprints aimed at accelerating CommSPs’ time to market.
WWT Services and Support
This flow is referred to as WWT’s Next-Generation Factory program, and it helps CommSPs move from innovation to validation and deployment more rapidly by validating complex, multi-vendor solutions with speed and integrating them at scale through one of four integration facilities across the globe (St. Louis, Singapore, Amsterdam, and Mumbai).
The ATC, which is virtually available to customers 24/7, includes four data centers with more than 300 racks of equipment. Customer or partner teams can work on-site or virtually with access to demos, workshops, labs, proofs of concepts, advisory services, and training. WWT also utilizes dedicated racks at an Equinix co-location facility to demonstrate the speed of using an Equinix site and demonstrate management of different platforms required to meet customer business goals. Once validated, WWT can build and install the equipment at Equinix co-location sites.
The ATC offers access to scalable lab resources that allow interaction with customer and partner environments, and allows for collaboration on architectural solutions.
Once the solution is designed and validated, WWT can help CommSPs with supply chain, integration, implementation, and ongoing support services at whatever level they desire all the way up to being a one-stop shop. WWT’s Day 2 Support covers the customer from the day the software arrives in their network and adds a critical element to the “cradle-to-grave” support that WWT can provide to worldwide customers of its WWT Solution Blueprints.
- Flexibility and scalability that enable CommSPs to expand easily from a few users to as many as 256,000 when needed, making it easier to accommodate a rush of sudden subscriber density.
- Verified throughput that enables vBNGs equipped with Intel network interface cards (NICs) to accommodate up to 256,000 broadband users—with performance results that are verified in the ATC.
- Cost efficiencies gained by employing inexpensive whitebox services.
- Reduced footprint compared to hardware-based alternatives, with simplified network design choices. As needs increase, more virtual gateways can be easily spun up.
- Greater manageability, thanks to virtualization.
- Next-generation central office–readiness as part of a suite of new telecommunications capabilities that enable service providers to reduce costs and protect CommSPs’ infrastructure investments.
Scalable vBNG System
The routing capability within the netElastic vBNG supports 25,000 OSPF routes per port. The system was configured to work at the network edge and to send data to a regional network or to a data center depending on the traffic type. The system performance comes from a 1U-high server and can scale with the addition of other servers to serve a maximum of 1 million subscribers.
Conclusion
Learn More
netElastic Systems: https://netelastic.com
Advantech Network & Communications: https://www.advantech.com/nc
Advantech, WWT and NetElastic are members of the Intel® Network Builders program: https://networkbuilders.intel.com
Intel® Xeon® Scalable Processors: https://intel.com/xeonscalable
¹Figure provided courtesy of Netelastic.
²Figure provided courtesy of Advantech.
³Photo and data provided by WWT, November 2020.
⁴Testing conducted by WWT in Sept. 2020: Configuration 1 platform was the Advantech SKY-8101D featuring two 24-core Intel Xeon Gold 6252N processors (microcode: 0x5002f01). Intel Hyper-Threading Technology was turned on, Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 was turned off and power management was set to maximum performance. BIOS version was the Advantech 8101D BIOS 2.16.00. The system featured one Intel 960 GB SSD OS drive and 384 GB of memory. Ethernet connectivity was provided by four Quad-Port 25 Gbps Intel® Ethernet Network Adapters XXV710-DA2. The platform controller hub was an Intel® C620 chipset.
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