You guide to transforming network operations on the journey to 5G

Source:-https://www.ericsson.com

As we’ve explained in previous posts, the deployment of 5G Core (5GC) networks typically marks the point that cloud-native technology is introduced into the core of communication service providers’ mobile networks.

The benefits that cloud-native design principles offer, such as: software decomposition and improved lifecycle, greater interdependency between applications and underlying infrastructure, and higher levels of resilience and automation, will be crucial to achieve the expected efficiency and business innovation in 5G networks. However, it will also create new network operation and management challenges for service providers and will require an operational transformation like never seen before.
The operational challenges that come with cloud-native networks
Adopting cloud native principles will have a direct impact on business processes, OSS architecture and daily operations. Let’s break down them in some selected areas.

Virtualization: the migration from physical network functions (PNFs) to virtual network functions (VNFs) allows service providers to automate the testing and lifecycle management (LCM) of VNFs, enabling greater agility to launch applications in a virtualized environment. While legacy PNF networks involved physical locations and points for connectivity, virtualization introduces new interdependencies and an intermediary abstraction that disconnects resources from service features. This requires redesign of existing systems and processes, causing changes in network management tools and procedures as well as introducing a need for increased process orchestration.

New and legacy coexistence: the new cloud.native functions (CNFs) from the 5GC will need to coexist with the legacy systems in the network. Ensuring smooth and timely network migration, with reduced impact over the management layer, requires compatibility with the legacy architecture’s interfaces.

The figure below shows an example of a process to manage multiple domains in a hybrid environment with, for example, coexistence of PNFs, VNFs and cloud network functions (CNFs).

Managing the partner ecosystem: the evolving 5G business models, where service providers transition toward becoming digital service providers, suggest the partnering of traditional operators and various ecosystem players. It’s expected that service providers play the central role in driving 5G business and leveraging partnerships; for that reason, end-to-end governance of design, deployment and day-to-day operations is crucial. Service providers need new tools for full end-to-end visibility of the ecosystem.

Adopting DevOps for efficient software delivery: Cloud-native software and microservices increase software granularity, which provides service and business agility benefits, but also means frequent changes and updates. To manage the growth in software updates, a continuous pipeline with related capabilities around integration, testing and deployment must be enabled. Thus, a continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) approach is needed.

Troubleshooting, tapping and probing: 5GC’s higher complexity will increase the need for observability tools for different core network components. Current troubleshooting tools should be adapted to 5G technology to reduce time to resolution and manage the networks effectively. Different analytical data is essential to enable automation and improve network service quality. Probing the core network will become more complex in 5GC with the service-based interface (SBI) between NFs, along with the introduction of container-based cloud-native NFs, posing new challenges to traditional probing methods. As a result, a new approach is needed to maintain security while continuing to capture the desired data.

Network slicing and edge computing: Network slicing will enable the creation of separated, intent-driven logical networks over a shared infrastructure enabled by NFV, software-defined networking (SDN) and Management and Orchestration (MANO) technologies. Each slice addresses an application or user’s need, covering speed, capacity, latency, security, and so on.

Moreover, the distribution of network resources over a cloud infrastructure enabled by edge computing will allow workloads to be executed in different parts of the network, meeting different use cases’ requirements.

Mastering these new technologies involves much more than running a virtualized network element. Virtual machines and/or containers need to be portable between data centers; the network orchestrator needs to have complete control of resources; and all components need to work together to allow a network to become cloud native. Service providers also need to address enhanced network automation capabilities to be able to handle the dynamic nature of the architecture.

It’s time to transform network operations
To achieve operational efficiency in cloud-native 5G core networks and business innovation, operational transformation is required. With the move toward cloud native, service providersface a scenario made up of new challenges and inherited pain points from earlier technology shifts but also great opportunities.

Based on our experience working with leading service. providers on their journey to NFV and new 5GC, we have found that operators often continue with their existing approach to operations when they move to a cloud environment, resulting in critical pain points being carried forward. With the evolution of hybrid networks consisting of physical and virtual elements, and considering multiple domains across core, radio and transport, it meant limited end-to-end (E2E) governance for design and operations across domains.

Siloed stacks within and across domains lead to disparate and siloed operations, causing multiple touch points for E2E service flow. Manual, time-consuming and inconsistent processes plus a lack of seamlessly integrated operating models increase the complexity of managing the network. Patchy and manual procedures for deploying disjointed workloads limit the ability to smoothly create and manage an E2E service.

Without the necessary changes to the operating model, the 5GC evolution will only increase the overall cost and complexity of managing the network as well as time-to-market (TTM) for new services – the opposite of what is expected with 5G.

These pain points transcend pure operational issues and affect business metrics in several ways:

A lack of clearly defined E2E business processes results in a long service sales creation and fulfillment cycle, which will severely limit enterprises’ business success.
Disjointed and multiple touch points caused by non-standard service design models extend the sales cycle and impact revenue and customer experience.
Absent onboarding standards and guidelines impact TTM and increase the complexity of monetizing new technologies (such as products/services like SD-WAN).
Increased errors in customer solution design and service delivery create frustration for both customers and service providers as well as revenue losses, higher expenses and even churn.
A lack of E2E network and process visibility makes it impossible to achieve zero-touch automation from selling to billing.
Insufficient closed-loop automation and E2E integration across the ecosystem negatively impacts network availability and time to resolve issues, resulting in degraded user experience.
Limited visibility and visualization of E2E topology increases time to repair.
A lack of comprehensive competence planning means organizations will lag behind in terms of technical transformation and knowledge, unable to extract the business value from new technologies.

Transforming for efficiency
A good transformation strategy is imperative to address the opportunities and challenges cloud native adoption brings. This strategy should be supported by the C-level and align business and technology needs with an organization’s current maturity level.

Your transformation strategy should tackle three main areas:

Processes: to manage, automate and orchestrate this hybrid core network in a cost-efficient way. The figure below shows some guiding principles to this operational process transformation.

The time is now
The deployment of cloud-native 5G core networks will reinforce the need to look at revamped modern solutions to address the operational challenges while also scoping an architecture with legacy and virtualized components at the core. It is necessary to invest in technology that can move operations closer to a zero-touch network, for quick creation and delivery of innovative services that also leverage edge computing and network slicing.

We are ready to support service providers through this operational transformation journey with our concise portfolio that includes all necessary solutions, as well as services and expertise, to tackle the challenges along the journey to a cloud-native 5G core network. Our solutions offer a smooth evolution alternative while efficiently managing total cost of ownership (TCO) during the migration to 5G.

Do you want to understand more about these operational challenges? Why do they prevent you from reaching your new 5G network’s full potential? What should you consider when defining your operational transformation strategy – and how can Ericsson’s solutions and expertise help you through this process? All of this and more is explained in our latest guide: Transforming operations on the way to 5G.