Colt's vision is to integrate IT and network platforms through software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) to deliver an integrated customer experience. Colt's strategy is to make networks programmable like computing through SDN/NFV. This includes separating the data and control planes, standardizing network abstractions, and virtualizing network functions. Colt's plan is to develop an SDN/NFV infrastructure including DC network virtualization, virtualized network functions, and a software-defined WAN.

1. Colt’s SDN/NFV Vision
Javier Benitez, 5 November 2013
Network & Platform Strategy and Architecture
© 2013 Colt Technology Services Group Limited. All rights reserved.

2. Agenda
1
2
Vision: IT & Network Integration
3
Strategy: Programmable Networks
4
Plan: SDN/NF Research & Developments
5
2
About Colt
Summary

3. Colt – The Information Delivery Platform
• 44,000km EU high capacity long
distance network, 27,000 transatlantic
• Connecting 22 countries, 39 metro
networks and >150 cities
• 20 data centres and 19,000 connected
buildings
• 500+ NNIs, customers in 77 countries
• MEF / ONF / NFV Member
3

4. Vision: IT & Network Integration
The integration of the network and IT platforms from
the service, technology, system and process point of
view to deliver an end to end integrated customer
experience (the Information Delivery Platform).
Network automation, virtualisation, elasticity and
rapid innovation
4

5. Strategy: Programmable Networks
• Networks have evolved into complex, inflexible, closed, proprietary
and
costly systems (very little change in the last 15 years)
– Main reasons: lack of networking principles and abstractions (control plane), lack of
open Network APIs
• In contrast, computing is open, heavily built on abstractions, supporting cloud
paradigm (automation, virtualisation, elasticity, on-demand)
• SDN/Programmable Networks:
IT & Network integration (computing
paradigm for networking / application & network worlds to communicate)
– ONF - Software-Defined Networking: data & control plane separation,
standardisation of fundamental networking abstractions (Per-hop & Overlay)
– IETF - Software-Driven Networking: focus on network APIs to allow applications
and network to exchange information
– NfV – Network Functions virtualisation: standard IT virtualisation technology to
consolidate many network equipment types
5

6. Strategy: Programmable Networks
• Networks have evolved into complex, inflexible, closed, proprietary
and
costly systems (very little change in the last 15 years)
– Main reasons:
Architecture lack of networking principles and abstractions (control plane), lack of
open Network APIs
• In contrast, computing is open, heavily built on abstractions, supporting cloud
paradigm (automation, virtualisation, elasticity, on-demand)
Ops Model
• SDN/Programmable Networks:
IT & Network integration (computing
paradigm for networking / application & network worlds to communicate)
– ONF - Software-Defined Networking: data & control plane separation,
standardisation of fundamental networking abstractions (Per-hop & Overlay)
– IETF - Software-Driven Networking: focus on network APIs And many
to allow applications
and network to exchange information
more…
Way we do
– NfV – Network Functions virtualisation: standard IT virtualisation technology to
business
consolidate many network equipment types
6

7. Plan: Colt’s SDN/NFV Infrastructure Development
DC Fabric &
Network
virtualisation
(CCN)
DC Fabric
Network
Functions
Virtualisation
(NFV)
L3 CPE router virtualisation (PE based): NLI Project
•
OpenFlow DC Fabric evaluation (2012, not mature enough)
DC Network virtualisation & Architecture: Pilot Completed
•
•
SDN Overlay: L2-L4 DC Network Virtualisation & DC Architecture
virtualisation of the L3 CPE functionality (Internet access / IPVPN)
NFV**:
•
vL3CPE / vDC Appliances (FW/LB) / vControl Plane (BGP RR)
WAN SDN Network (Optical/Ethernet/IP):
WAN SDN
(**)
•
•
•
7
** Research
End to end WAN network abstraction & full automation in a multivendor, multi-layer environment
Flexible connectivity, i.e., ability to dynamically / on-demand change the
connectivity attributes of the service (BW, QoS profile, etc).
Use cases: L1 Optical / L2-L3 Packet / Inter-DC

8. Use Case I: DC Network Virtualisation / Overlay
Colt WAN Network
L2/L3
PE
L2/L3 Packet Network
L2/L3
PE
DC SDN Virtual Network
Orchestration
L1 Optical Network
e.g., XMPP
e.g., BGP,
Propietary
DC
(GW)
Leaf
DC
(GW)
Leaf
SDN
Controller
DC
Spine
DC
Spine
OF / OVSDB / XMPP
DC
Leaf
VM VM
Overlay
Gateway
VS
VS
VS
VS
VS
Storage
Colt Data Centre
Physical
Compute
VS
VS
VS
VS
Network Virtualisation (L2-L4)
Cloud Compute
8
DC
Leaf
VM VM
VS
VS
Overlay
Gateway
VS
Storage
Cloud Compute
Colt Data Centre
Physical
Compute

9. Use Case II : NFV
Colt Data Centre
Colt Data Centre
DC Fabric
DC Fabric
VM
VM
Colt Node
VM
L2/L3 Packet
Colt Node
VM
Virtual
CPE
NfV
Virtual
FW
Virtual
LB
BGP
RR
Customer
Customer
DWDM Optical
L2
L2
L3
INTERNET
L1
9
Customer
L1
L3

10. Use Case III: WAN SDN Overlay
Business
Orchestrator
Provisioning (OpenFlow)
- Set up circuit from X to Y
with BW X
Set up circuit from A to B
With 1Gbps Bw
NMS integration (API)
SDN Controller
Topology Export
(JSON/XMPP):
• Node, link, resource
• MPLS/BGP/GMPLS, etc
Legacy Ethernet
NMS
OTS
WDM
L2/L3
OTS
L2/L3
A
Explicit
Provisioning
OTS
L2/L3
WDM
OTS
Implicit
Provisioning
(GMPLS)
L2/L3
WDM
L2/L3
Packet
10
OTS
Optical
L2
OTS
WDM
L2
NMS
Provisioning
L2
Legacy
Ethernet
L2
B

11. Example of external use cases (1)
Bandwidth
Quality of Service
API
Service Console and
Dashboard (SCAD)
Portal
Eth/IPVPN
New connections/
Bandwidth/QoS change/
In-life hybrid networking
SDN controller
WAN as a Service
Optical/EPN/IP/DC fabric
11

12. Example of external use cases (2)
Virtual appliance App Store
SDN controller
Virtualised Appliances and
App Store
VM
VM
VM
VM
EPN/IP/SDN
Cloud services
API
(orchestrator)
Elastic bandwidth for
infrequent applications
EPN/IP/SDN
12

13. Summary
• SDN is (still) in its early days. Most of the work by ONF/IETF/NFV still to be
done (long journey). Most SDN products not GA - dust will settle eventually
• Carrier class OpenFlow switches not generally available in the market (2012).
However, DC SDN overlay solutions are a reality (Pilot completed, vendor
selected, deployment on-going in Colt)
• SDN/Network Programmability fits extremely well with Colt’s strategy to
deliver integrated IT & Network services to our customers
– SDN is a key contributor to automation and orchestration/policy (faster
delivery/change, more agility, better utilisation, standard services)
• NFV and service chaining will change the way we deliver L3-L7 services even
more – not just vCPE
• Next initiatives:
– NFV: L3 CPE/DC Appliances/BGP RR
– WAN SDN: L1 Optical / L2-L3 Packet / Inter-DC
– External use cases being discussed with key vendors
13

14. Thanks. Questions?
Javier.benitez@colt.net
www.colt.net
© 2013 Colt Technology Services Grouprights reserved. reserved.
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