dedicated vnf management - why it's performance critical for pcrf

Dedicated VNF Management Why it’s performance-critical for PCRF

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VNFM implementation

options under MANO ● VNFM generic as part of NFV-O

– any VNF

● VNFM embedded – purpose-built

for vendor-specific VNFs

● Hybrid – embedded with well

defined reference points to NFVO

Deploying vPCRF NFV architecture

VNFM {embedded}

PCRF DRA

NFVO

VNFM {generic}

VIM {cloud mgmt system}

NFVI {KVM/VMWare/...}

OSS

Firewall Router



VIM Router VNF_Manager Operator NFV_Orchestrator

Load new CPE package

Validate package

Instantiate VNF on new VM

Configure router VNF

Notify, VNF available

Create new VMs

Instantiating a vCPE – Router VNF

Edge device—no HA or clustering requirements

Goes down? Impact on limited # of customers

Lose one, spin up a new one

Simple VNF—single configuration file

A Tale of Two VNFs – vCPE vs. vPCRF vCPE

http://msc-generator.sourgeforge.net v4.2.1



High availability and stringent performance requirements

Performance lag can impact millions of customers

Runs hot—manages real-time processing

High throughput, high transaction VNF

A Tale of Two VNFs – vCPE vs. vPCRF vPCRF

Instantiating a vPCRF VNF

Create new VMs

Validate configuration

Notify, VNF available and running

Load new vPCRF package

Validate package

Add new node and bring into service

Instantiate vPCRF VNF on new VM

Configure vPCRF clustering

Operator NFV_Orchestrator VNF_Manager VIM DRA PCRF

Configure vPCRF VNF

Test connection

http://msc-generator.sourgeforge.net v4.2.1



SPR

IMS

HSS

MME

SGW PCEF/ PGW

OCS

SDB

PCRF

ePDG AAA

VAS/

Internet

AF

P-CSCF

S2a

Cx/Dx

Sh

Gxc

Gy

Gx

Sy

Sp

Rx/

SOAP

SPR

When we think of PCRF… Runs hot in the core network

Serves millions of subscribers and dozens of data plans

Manages 100K+ transactions per second

LTE Network



Embedded VNF Management Performance-critical operation

Masks complexity of vPCRF to orchestration –

reliable performance and safe scaling

Well-defined SLA

demarcation

Single point of configuration

and management with real-time

system health monitoring

Automated

workflows – NFVO

Metrics can trigger notifications

to NFVO for scaling or fault

management, via RESTful APIs

Life cycle

management

Tightly controlled instantiation,

scale-out/in, performance

measures, termination



Performance-critical Service – VoLTE

Metrics

Load balancing

Cluster scaling



PCRF – QoS, Performance and Availability Anatomy of a VoLTE service

Average call duration: 3 minutes

Rx

P-GW

PCRF

MMTel server

Gx

SIP call

control

signalling

P-CSCF

S-CSCF

LTE access

network Internet

OCS

Sy

Multiple IMS interactions

QoS negotiation, bearer

setup/teardown

QoS: default and multiple

dedicated bearers

10X signaling overhead

Processing impact on

control plane, high bitrate

Performance: compressed call

models, call flow interactions

Service quality impact

Instant setup: < 50 ms

“always on” access Availability: session geo-

redundancy, fallback



VoLTE in NFV Increasing capacity with distributed clusters

Distributed

In-memory Database

Distributed

In-memory Database

PCRF_1 PCRF_2 PCRF_3 PCRF_4 PCRF_5 PCRF_n PCRF_1 PCRF_2 PCRF_3 PCRF_4 PCRF_5 PCRF_n

ENSURE SESSION

CONTINUITY

Site A

Site C

Site B

Site D

Distributed

In-memory Database

PCRF_1 PCRF_2 PCRF_3 PCRF_4 PCRF_5 PCRF_n

Distributed

In-memory Database

PCRF_1 PCRF_2 PCRF_3 PCRF_4 PCRF_5 PCRF_n

Load Balancer Load Balancer

Load Balancer Load Balancer



VoLTE Cluster Scaling Load-balancing and scale out

VNF Image

Repository

DRA

Gx

PCEF

VNF Manager

SPR

Medium

VNF 1b

Medium

VNF 1a

Small PCRF

Image

Medium PCRF

Image

Large PCRF

Image




VNF Image

Repository

DRA

Gx

PCEF

VNF Manager

SPR

Instantiates

PCRF image

Medium

VNF 1b

Medium

VNF 1a

Small PCRF

Image

Medium PCRF

Image

Large PCRF

Image




VNF Image

Repository

DRA

Gx

PCEF

VNF Manager

SPR

Medium

VNF 1b

Medium

VNF 1a

Requests VNF

Manager to

configure VNF

VoLTE

PCRF 2a

VoLTE

PCRF 2b

Small PCRF

Image

Medium PCRF

Image

Large PCRF

Image




VNF Image

Repository

DRA

Apply

VoLTE

Service

Config

Add

new

cluster

Gx Gx Diameter

Connection

PCEF

VNF Manager

SPR

Medium

VNF 1b

Medium

VNF 1a

VoLTE

PCRF 2a

VoLTE

PCRF 2b

Small PCRF

Image

Medium PCRF

Image

Large PCRF

Image




VNF Image

Repository

DRA

Gx Gx Diameter

Connection

Test Gx

Connection

via DRA

PCEF

VNF Manager

SPR

Medium

VNF 1b

Medium

VNF 1a

VoLTE

PCRF 2a

VoLTE

PCRF 2b

Small PCRF

Image

Medium PCRF

Image

Large PCRF

Image




VNF Image

Repository

DRA

Gx Gx Diameter

Connection

Confirms to

orchestrator that

sequence is complete

and service is live.

PCEF

VNF Manager

SPR

Medium

VNF 1b

Medium

VNF 1a

VoLTE

PCRF 2a

VoLTE

PCRF 2b

Small PCRF

Image

Medium PCRF

Image

Large PCRF

Image



Not all VNFs are created equal ensures reliable performance and SLAs

Specialization tied to function in-depth knowledge – configure and manage

Simplifies cluster scaling load balancing + visibility across nodes, sites

Interface to NVFO – Best of Breed system-wide benefits of orchestration

Why Embedded VNF Management?



Thank You!

dedicated vnf management - why it's performance critical for pcrf

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