JOHN WILLIAMSON NETWORK AUTOMATION
that facilitate automation. There is also quite a lot of industry attention being paid to the possibilities of autonomous networking and Intent-Based Networking (IBN). Autonomous networks can be entities in which management, configuration and sustainment are accomplished with little or no human intercession. ADVA sees three elements to the autonomous network proposition. Firstly, the entire network must be included in the automation concept, including the hierarchical SDN controller/orchestrator model. Next, all relevant data from network layers and network elements must be collected and processed in a central entity. Here telemetry streaming - rather than the previously applied polling - is key for capturing such data in an easy and efficient way. Thirdly, advanced data processing algorithms such as ML and AI are required to enable trend analysis. “Then it becomes possible to derive what action is needed - for example reconfiguration- and to execute that in the network,” sums up Neidlinger. And, in a simplified reading, IBN involves set-ups in which network parameters and criteria are continuously and completely automatically adjusted to deliver intended business and operational outcomes. PITFALLS AND PROSPECTS Notwithstanding their many prospective plus points, optical network automation implementation campaigns face some sizeable hurdles. Cost is one. “Operators can be fazed by the upfront costs associated with the integration needed to automate an optical network and integrate back-end systems to ensure they work in conjunction with each other,” remarks Burke. Another is the pre-existing environment with multi-vendor and multi-layer.
optimisation, and each vendor having its unique environment, with a diverse set of elements, managed by its own processes. “For most network operators you’re looking at years of optical network operations and deployment, with the challenge now being adding in advances in automation to what is there, and doing so in a practical, consultative way,” argues Shore. Standards are an issue. Due to the vastly diverse size, scale and market dynamics of operators around the world, individual automation requirements differ markedly. “The involvement of a wide spectrum of the industry in the standards process is needed to ensure that all needs are being addressed as new standards are developed for the world of automaton,” asserts Burke. For his part, Baker instances the challenges of organisational inertia, lack of appropriate skill sets, and the fear (misplaced?) of job losses. Even so, the optical network automation engine is switching into a higher gear. But the answer to the question what’s likely to be next up depends on who you ask. For Infinera it’s more disaggregation. Shore believes the transformation of an IP/optical infrastructure to an open, disaggregated software control environment will require disaggregated routing solutions. ADVA predicts the automation remit will enlarge. Neidlinger says most operators are using SDN automation architectures to achieve end-to-end multi-vendor operations. “While network automation initially focused on service activation there is increasing interest in also using open control interfaces for service assurance and therefore extending automation to every operational aspect,” he concludes. But whatever the future throws up, for savvy optical network providers and operators, the adoption of automation is clearly becoming an imperative rather than a nice-to-think-about option.
automatic procedures.”
By contrast Neidlinger points out that the value of automation would be limited in network areas that are static, or cannot be reconfigured. An example might be passive optical point-to-point access links. In the same vein, different network sectors may lend themselves more readily to automation than others, and priorities may differ depending on the operator or service provider department concerned. For example, Baker thinks customer service using chat bots is a low-hanging automation candidate. “It also depends on the domain of the network and the stage you’ve reached in the network lifecycle,” he says, adding that network elements that are behind on the virtualisation curve will be tougher to automate. THE GROUNDWORK As such, one of the essential pre-requisites and building blocks of optical network automation is deemed to be virtualisation in the forms of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV). “One of the things you need in most cases before automation is to have a software Two other important ingredients in the automation mix are Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Although these are both sometimes presented as emerging enablers, ML is already quite well established in one corner of the network landscape. “Security is one of those areas in networking where ML has been going on for many, many years,” according to Baker. Another approach to automation is cognitive networking. As described by Infinera, this term denotes entities that are self-aware, multi-layer, self-organising, and self-healing. According to this contractor, a stepwise, walk-before-you-run approach is necessary to realise such networks. Infinera reckons that two fundamental characteristics are required here for practical network implementations: a compact discrete, app-based approach to automation, with the use of small software packages that can be added to an existing ecosystem or environment to add automated capabilities incrementally; and networking functions or applications that can be added to systems BEN BAKER DIRECTOR STRATEGIC MARKETING, JUNIPER NETWORKS aspect of the network, or a virtualisation aspect of the network. It’s hard to automate things that are just predominantly physical hardware,” notes Baker. “The whole point of virtualisation is to automate.”
For most network operators you’re looking at years of optical network operations and deployment, with the challenge now being adding in advances in automation to what is there. The involvement of a wide spectrum of the industry in the standards process is needed to ensure that all needs are being addressed as new standards.
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ISSUE 20 | Q1 2020
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