NFV and SDN - A Comcast Perspective

Nagesh Nandiraju, Ph.D.Director, Next Gen Network ArchitectureComcast

Current Transitions – Beyond the Pipe

AccessTechnologiesandArchitecture– Growingpipe sizes– Multiple Access Technologies

Service Provider trends– Service Definition is changing– Enable growth Applications

Customer trends– Increasing number of

Devices in home– Service mobility– Internet of Things

Technology advancements – NFV, SDN, Web Services– Open source maturity

Software Defined Networking

• BusSrvcs - L3VPN,L2VPN• Resi – fw,storage,v4-over-v6• VariousEncaps• ServiceChaining• vCPE

OverlayNetworks

• YangModels

• XMLBasedConfigs• Netconf• Workflow

• Pre/PostValidation• OSSIntegration• NewOpsModels

NetworkAutomation

• Disrupt100G - cost,densities,latency,power

• Leandownthenetwork• IPv6• SunsetMPLS,RSVP• SegmentRouting• Lift theControlPlane

MerchantSilicon• BigData• MachineLearning• Proactive FaultDetection

Telemetry&Analytics

BREAKING IT DOWN

THE SCIENCE OF MOVING NETWORK FUNCTIONS TO COMPUTE PLATFORMS

When? What?

How?

RouteReflectorsCPECMTSPE?Core?

BareMetalApplicationCloudPurposeBuiltNetworkCloud?VMvs.Container

TechnologyServiceProvider InvestmentPartnerships

Network Function Virtualization

50/10 100/20

HFC

SDNController(SDNC)andNFVMgt.&Orchestration

•DeviceAuthentication• EncapManagement•CPEConfiguration•VNFManagement•BSS/OSSIntegration•On-Demandcustomerportalfunctionality

SDNCNFVMano

• ManagedSecurityServices• ManagedvRouter

Ethernet

1Gbps

VXLAN,IPsec,SRv6

PrivateIPNetwork

IPPeers

KeyCharacteristics

• IP-Based,noMPLS•PrivatewithClassofService•Breakthrougheconomics•Cloudconnected•Simplified&StreamlinedBranchofficeconnectivity

Cloud/DataCenter

vCPEvCPE vCPE

vCPE

vCPE vCPE

IP-VPN(noMPLS)architectureenabledthroughdynamicSDNorchestrationplatformcreatesBIG-BANDWIDTH privatenetworkingsolutionwithDISRUPTIVEECONOMICS

Software Defined L3VPN

Uniform Services over Multiple Access networks• Typical access network is vertically integrated – CMTS for DOCSIS

• Investigating value in abstracting and virtualizing common functions– Common reusable hardware platforms– Scale out vs. Scale up– Agility, Flexibility of platform

DOCSISCMTS

AlternateAccess Tech

ASIC based

Common functions virtualized

L2mediaspecific

NFV Infrastructure(Elasticpoolofresources..Compute,Switching,Storage)

Orchestration,Resourcemgmt

AccessNetworkSWControlplane,Routing,

Device,ServiceandSubscribermanagement

Smartinternet

Applications– Firewall,Virtualstorage,ParentalControl

WiFiGW

WiFiGW

WiFiGW

AccessNetworkHW

Common Concerns for adopting NFV, SDN

Culture

Skillsets

OperationalProcesses

Serveradmin,Linux,toolsetNetworkengineeringVirtualizationNetworkprotocols,applicationsLearning Curve

Newoperationalprocessesvs.deeplyrootedAgile– DevOpsmentality?Risk vs.Reward

BeingOpen feelsdifferent

Paradigm shiftsin operations

OpenSource

Fragmentation?“delaysadoption”:“fostersinnovation”

Monolithicapplicationsvs.MicroServicesContinuousintegrationanddeploymentmodelinnetwork

Change

TCO? “New services, products” : “Operational gains”

The Journey Begins again!

• We’ve embraced Open source in the past and contributed back to the industry –– More than 1,500 Comcast engineers are working on several projects (including parts

of X1) on our OpenStack platform

• Many contributions to Open source community –https://github.com/Comcast

• Currently a sponsoring member of OpenDayLight, fd.io

• NFV and SDN present opportunity to embrace open source in the networking arena– We are engaged in several PoCs of NFV, SDN and Opensource options– Encouraged by many opportunities but potentially a long journey for

transformation

http://traffic-control-cdn.netOpensourcedbyComcast

Thank you!

Nagesh_Nandiraju@cable.comcast.com