Huawei iMaster NCE: Accelerating Network Automation & Agility for Carriers

During MWC22 Barcelona, we demonstrated the Huawei iMaster NCE Open Programmable Platform (AOC) – an automated service provisioning platform for IP networks – and introduced practical cases of IP network service automation.

With the rapid development of OTT video and cloud computing services, new services require far more in terms of network flexibility and response speed. Network service deployment and O&M systems built on SDN automation have emerged as the key for carriers and enterprises to build core competitiveness in the agile cloud era. The Huawei iMaster NCE provides a Network Open Programmable Platform (AOC) that is model-driven, accelerates service rollout, and implements E2E automatic service provisioning, helping customers quickly adapt to networks in the wave of network transformation and improve operations efficiency.

YANG Model-driven: E2E Service Provisioning in Minutes

Carrier network devices are provided by many vendors and have complex models. A single-vendor controller can only manage its own network devices, and there is no unified interface standard for integration with the OSS system. Traditionally, service provisioning is based on command lines and commands are manually created, so service provisioning takes a long time and is prone to errors. The adaptation efficiency of each new device depends on the vendor’s capability and response speed, which restricts the evolution of automatic E2E network service provisioning.

To address this issue, the AOC shortens the service provisioning time to minutes. Based on the YANG model, standard northbound APIs and southbound device configuration scripts are automatically generated, which streamlines the automatic process between the OSS system and devices, and implements E2E automatic service provisioning. The AOC features a highly reliable transaction mechanism to ensure service configuration quality. AOC helps customers transform from CLI to YANG, standardize APIs based on a model-driven mechanism, and ensure service provisioning reliability through visualized, manageable, and rollback configurations.

Simplified Programming: Building Block-based Agile Service Development

Traditionally, service rollout involved separate development and O&M, with development performed by vendors and O&M by operators. New service rollout often depends on the vendor’s development efficiency. Operators find that the entire process from requirement submission to system integration and rollout is time-consuming and involves numerous steps. Such a rollout may take anywhere from 6 months up to 2 years, significantly affecting the launch speed and promotion of new products and it cannot meet the requirements of new services.

The platform allows operators to customize service YANG models. More importantly, programming is as easy as putting together toy blocks, making fast service development and rollout a reality. Practice proves that, for new services, the platform enables agile development – prototype in one week, POC in one month, and commercialization in one quarter. Compared with the traditional method, AOC-based development efficiency is six times higher and service TTM is 70% less, greatly improving operators’ network competitiveness. Now, the full lifecycle of new products, from the preparation and development to rollout and promotion, can be completed in just a month, marking a huge leap forward.

Self-service Programming: Transform from User to Designer

Agility and innovation are a digital transformation strategy for operators that require support for O&M personnel transformation and IT-based personnel skills. With the AOC platform, the simplified programming framework shields the underlying implementation logic, operators’ O&M personnel only need to focus on service logic and can develop new service models based on service requirements. The AOC platform enables operators to transform themselves from users to designers, enabling self-service programming and self-service innovation.

The AOC platform serves top operators in Europe, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and China. Looking ahead, Huawei will cooperate with global customers and partners to promote network automation and facilitate carriers’ digital transformation strategies.

Read more about the Huawei iMaster NCE.

Disclaimer: Any views and/or opinions expressed in this post by individual authors or contributors are their personal views and/or opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views and/or opinions of Huawei Technologies.