Internet DRAFT - draft-king-teas-applicability-actn-slicing
draft-king-teas-applicability-actn-slicing
TEAS Working Group D. King
Internet-Draft Old Dog Consulting
Intended status: Informational J. Drake
Expires: October 2, 2021 Juniper Networks
H. Zheng
Huawei Technologies
A. Farrel
Old Dog Consulting
March 31, 2021
Applicability of Abstraction and Control of Traffic Engineered Networks
(ACTN) to Network Slicing
draft-king-teas-applicability-actn-slicing-10
Abstract
Network abstraction is a technique that can be applied to a network
domain. It utilizes a set of policies to select network resources
and obtain a view of potential connectivity across the network.
Network slicing is an approach to network operations that builds on
the concept of network abstraction to provide programmability,
flexibility, and modularity. It may use techniques such as Software
Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) to
create multiple logical or virtual networks, each tailored for a set
of services that share the same set of requirements.
Abstraction and Control of Traffic Engineered Networks (ACTN) is
described in RFC 8453. It defines an SDN-based architecture that
relies on the concept of network and service abstraction to detach
network and service control from the underlying data plane.
This document outlines the applicability of ACTN to network slicing
in a Traffic Engineering (TE) network that utilizes IETF technology.
It also identifies the features of network slicing not currently
within the scope of ACTN, and indicates where ACTN might be extended.
Status of This Memo
This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.
Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
Task Force (IETF). Note that other groups may also distribute
working documents as Internet-Drafts. The list of current Internet-
Drafts is at https://datatracker.ietf.org/drafts/current/.
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Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months
and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any
time. It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."
This Internet-Draft will expire on October 2, 2021.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (c) 2021 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
document authors. All rights reserved.
This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.1. Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2. Requirements for Network Slicing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.1. Resource Slicing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2. Network Virtualization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.3. Service Isolation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.4. Control and Orchestration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3. Abstraction and Control of Traffic Engineered (TE) Networks
(ACTN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.1. ACTN Virtual Network as a Network Slice . . . . . . . . . 8
3.2. ACTN Virtual Network for Network Slice Aggregation . . . 9
3.3. Management Components for ACTN and Network Slicing . . . 9
3.4. Examples of ACTN Delivering Types of Network Slices . . . 10
3.4.1. ACTN Used for Virtual Private Line . . . . . . . . . 10
3.4.2. ACTN Used for VPN Delivery Model . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.4.3. ACTN Used to Deliver a Virtual Consumer Network . . . 13
4. YANG Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.1. Network Slice Service Mapping from TE to ACTN VN Models . 15
4.2. Interfaces and Yang Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.3. ACTN VN Telemetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
5. IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
6. Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
7. Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
8. Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
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9. Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Authors' Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
1. Introduction
The principles of network resource separation are not new. For
years, the concept of separated overlay and logical (virtual)
networking has existed, allowing multiple services to be deployed
over a single physical network comprised of single or multiple
layers. However, several key differences exist that differentiate
overlay and virtual networking from network slicing.
A network slice is a virtual (that is, logical) network with its own
network topology and a set of network resources that are used to
provide connectivity that conforms to a specific Service Level
Agreement (SLA) or set of Service Level Objectives (SLOs). The
network resources used to realize a network slice belong to the
network that is sliced. The resources may be assigned and dedicated
to an individual slice, or they may be shared with other slices
enabling different degrees of service guarantee and providing
different levels of isolation between the traffic in each slice.
[I-D.ietf-teas-ietf-network-slice-definition] provides a number of
useful definitions for network slicing in the context of IETF network
technologies. In particular, that document defines the term "IETF
network slice" to be the generic network slice concept applied to a
network that uses IETF technologies. An IETF network slice could
span multiple technologies (such as IP, MPLS, or optical) and
multiple administrative domains. The logical network that is an IETF
network slice may be kept separate from other concurrent logical
networks each with independent control and management: each can be
created or modified on demand. Since this document is focused
entirely on IETF technologies, it uses the term "network slice" as a
more concise expression. Further dicussion on the topic of IETF
network slices can be found in
[I-D.ietf-teas-ietf-network-slice-framework].
At one end of the spectrum, a virtual private wire or a virtual
private network (VPN) may be used to build a network slice. In these
cases, the network slices do not require the service provider to
isolate network resources for the provision of the service - the
service is "virtual".
At the other end of the spectrum there may be a detailed description
of a complex service that will meet the needs of a set of
applications with connectivity and service function requirements that
may include compute resource, storage capability, and access to
content. Such a service may be requested dynamically (that is,
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instantiated when an application needs it, and released when the
application no longer needs it), and modified as the needs of the
application change. This type of service is called an enhanced VPN
and is described in more detail in [I-D.ietf-teas-enhanced-vpn]. It
is often based on Traffic Engineering (TE) constructs in the underlay
network.
Abstraction and Control of TE Networks (ACTN) [RFC8453] is a
framework that facilitates the abstraction of underlying network
resources to higher-layer applications and that allows nework
operators to create virtual networks for their customers through the
abstraction of the operators' network resources.
As noted in [I-D.ietf-teas-ietf-network-slice-framework], ACTN is a
toolset capable of delivering network slice functionality. This
document outlines the application of ACTN and associated enabling
technologies to provide network slicing in a network that utilizes
IETF technologies such as IP, MPLS, or GMPLS. It describes how the
ACTN functional components can be used to support model-driven
partitioning of resources into variable-sized bandwidth units to
facilitate network sharing and virtualization. Furthermore, the use
of model-based interfaces to dynamically request the instantiation of
virtual networks can be extended to encompass requesting and
instantiation of specific service functions (which may be both
physical or virtual), and to partition network resources such as
compute resource, storage capability, and access to content.
Finally, this document highlights how the ACTN approach might be
extended to address the requirements of network slicing where the
underlying network is TE-capable.
1.1. Terminology
As far as is possible, this document re-uses terminology from
[I-D.ietf-teas-ietf-network-slice-definition],
[I-D.ietf-teas-enhanced-vpn] and
[I-D.ietf-teas-ietf-network-slice-framework]. The terms defined
below are give context and meaning for use in this document only and
do not force wider applicability. As other work matures, it is hoped
that the terminology will converge.
Service Provider: A server network or collection of server networks.
The persons or organization responsible for operating such
networks.
Consumer: As defined in
[I-D.ietf-teas-ietf-network-slice-definition], a consumer is the
component or entity that requests and uses a network slice. This
may be any application, client network, or customer of a service
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provider. In the ACTN framework [RFC8453] the consumer of a
network service is termed a 'customer' because it will often be
the case that a VPN consumer is a customer of the operator of the
core network that delivers the service. In the context of a
network slice, the consumer may well be a customer, but might also
be a client network of the service provider (which could also be
an internal organization of the service provider), or an
application that engineers traffic in the network.
Service Functions (SFs): Components that provide specific functions
within a network. SFs are often combined in a specific sequence
called a service function chain to deliver services [RFC7665].
Resource: Any feature including connectivity, bufferage, compute,
storage, and content delivery that forms part of or can be
accessed through a network. Resources may be shared between
users, applications, and clients, or they may be dedicated for use
by a unique consumer.
Infrastructure Resources: The hardware and software for hosting and
connecting SFs. These resources may include computing hardware,
storage capacity, network resources (e.g., links and switching/
routing devices enabling network connectivity), and physical
assets for radio access.
Service Level Agreement (SLA): Per [I-D.ietf-teas-ietf-network-slice
-definition], an SLA is an explicit or implicit contract between
the consumer of a network slice and the provider of the slice.
The SLA is expressed in terms of a set of Service Level Objectives
(SLOs) and may include commercial terms as well as the
consequences of violating the SLOs. The SLA describes the quality
with which features and functions are to be delivered. It may
include measures of bandwidth, latency, and jitter; the types of
service (such as firewalls or billing) to be provided; the
location, nature, and quantities of services (such as the amount
and location of compute resources and the accelerators required).
Network Slice Service: An agreement between a consumer and a service
provider to deliver network resources according to a specific
service level agreement.
2. Requirements for Network Slicing
According to [I-D.ietf-teas-ietf-network-slice-framework] the
consumer expresses requirements for a particular IETF network slice
by specifying what is required rather than how the requirement is to
be fulfilled. That is, the IETF network slice consumer's view of a
IETF network slice is an abstract one.
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The concept of network slicing is a key capability to serve consumers
with a wide variety of different service needs expressed as SLOs in
term of latency, reliability, capacity, and service function specific
capabilities.
This section outlines the key capabilities required to realize
network slicing in a TE-enabled IETF technology network.
2.1. Resource Slicing
Network resources need to be allocated and dedicated for use by a
specific network slice, or they may be shared among multiple slices.
This allows a flexible approach that can deliver a range of services
by partitioning (that is, slicing) the available network resources to
make them available to meet the consumer's SLA.
2.2. Network Virtualization
Network virtualization enables the creation of multiple virtual
networks that are operationally decoupled from the underlying
physical network, and are run on top of it. Slicing enables the
creation of virtual networks as consumer services.
2.3. Service Isolation
A consumer may request, through their SLA, that changes to the other
services delivered by the service provider do not have any negative
impact on the delivery of the service. This quality is refered to as
"isolation" [I-D.ietf-teas-ietf-network-slice-definition]
[I-D.ietf-teas-enhanced-vpn].
Delivery of such service isolation may be achieved in the underlying
network by various forms of resource partitioning ranging from
dedicated allocation of resources for a specific slice, to sharing or
resources with safeguards.
Although multiple network slices may utilize resources from a single
underlying network, isolation should be understood in terms of the
following three categorisations.
o Performance isolation requires that service delivery for one
network slice does not adversely impact congestion or performance
levels of other slices.
o Security isolation means that attacks or faults occurring in one
slice do not impact on other slices. Moreover, the security
functions supporting each slice must operate independently so that
an attack or misconfiguration of security in one slice will not
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prevent proper security function in the other slices. Further,
privacy concerns require that traffic from one slice is not
delivered to an end point in another slice, and that it should not
be possible to determine the nature or characteristics of a slice
from any external point.
o Management isolation means that each slice must be independently
viewed, utilized, and managed as a separate network. Furthermore,
it should be possible to prevent the operator of one slice from
being able to control, view, or detect any aspect of any other
network slice.
2.4. Control and Orchestration
Orchestration combines and coordinates multiple control methods to
provide a single mechanism to operate one or more networks to deliver
services. In a network slicing environment, an orchestrator is
needed to coordinate disparate processes and resources for creating,
managing, and deploying the network slicing service. Two aspects of
orchestration are required:
o Multi-domain Orchestration: Managing connectivity to set up a
network slice across multiple administrative domains.
o End-to-end Orchestration: Combining resources for an end-to-end
service (e.g., underlay connectivity with firewalling, and
guaranteed bandwidth with minimum delay).
3. Abstraction and Control of Traffic Engineered (TE) Networks (ACTN)
ACTN facilitates end-to-end connectivity and provide virtual
connectivity services (such as virtual links and virtual networks) to
the user. The ACTN framework [RFC8453] introduces three functional
components and two interfaces:
o Customer Network Controller (CNC)
o Multi-domain Service Coordinator (MDSC)
o Provisioning Network Controller (PNC)
o CNC-MDSC Interface (CMI)
o MDSC-PNC Interface (MPI)
RFC 8453 also highlights how:
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o Abstraction of the underlying network resources is provided to
higher-layer applications and consumers.
o Virtualization is achieved by selecting resources according to
criteria derived from the details and requirements of the
consumer, application, or service.
o Creation of a virtualized environment is performed to allow
operators to view and control multi-domain networks as a single
virtualized network.
o A network is presented to a consumer as a single virtual network
via open and programmable interfaces.
The ACTN managed infrastructure consists of traffic engineered
network resources. The concept of traffic engineering is broad: it
describes the planning and operation of networks using a method of
reserving and partitioning of network resources in order to
facilitate traffic delivery across a network (see
[I-D.ietf-teas-rfc3272bis] for more details). In the context of
ACTN, traffic engineering network resources may include:
o Statistical packet bandwidth.
o Physical forwarding plane sources, such as wavelengths and time
slots.
o Forwarding and cross-connect capabilities.
The ACTN network is "sliced" with consumers each being given a
different partial and abstracted topology view of the physical
underlay network.
3.1. ACTN Virtual Network as a Network Slice
To support multiple consumers, each with its own view of and control
of a virtual network constructed using a server network, a service
provider needs to partition the server network resources to create
network slices assigned to each consumer.
An ACTN Virtual Network (VN) is a consumer view of a slice of the
ACTN-managed infrastructure. It is a network slice that is presented
to the consumer by the ACTN provider as a set of abstracted
resources. See [I-D.ietf-teas-actn-vn-yang] for a detailed
description of ACTN VNs and an overview of how various different
types of YANG model are applicable to the ACTN framework.
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Depending on the agreement between consumer and provider, various VN
operations are possible:
o Network Slice Creation: A VN could be pre-configured and created
through static configuration or through dynamic request and
negotiation between consumer and service provider. The VN must
meet the network slice requirements specified in the SLA to
satisfy the consumer's objectives.
o Network Slice Operations: The VN may be modified and deleted based
on consumer requests. The consumer can further act upon the VN to
manage the consumer's traffic flows across the network slice.
o Network Slice View: The VN topology is viewed from the consumer's
perspective. This may be the entire VN topology or a collection
of tunnels that are expressed as consumer end points, access
links, intra domain paths and inter-domain links.
[RFC8454] describes a set of functional primitives that support these
different ACTN VN operations.
3.2. ACTN Virtual Network for Network Slice Aggregation
Scaling considerations for IETF network slicing are an important
consideration. If the service provider must manage and maintain
network state for every network slice then this will quickly limit
the number of customer services that can be supported.
The importance of network slice aggregation is discussed in
[I-D.ietf-teas-enhanced-vpn] and further in
[I-D.dong-teas-enhanced-vpn-vtn-scalability]. That work notes the
importance of aggregating network slices into groups of similar
slices before realizing those aggregates in the network.
The same consideration applies to ACTN VNs. But fortunately, ACTN
VNs may be arranged hierarchically by recursing the MDSCs so that one
VN is realised over another VN. This allows the VNs presented to the
customer to be aggregated before they are instantiated in the
physical network.
3.3. Management Components for ACTN and Network Slicing
The ACTN management components (CNC, MDSC, and PNC) and interfaces
(CMI and MPI) are introduced in Section 3 and described in detail in
[RFC8453]. The management components for network slicing are
described in [I-D.ietf-teas-ietf-network-slice-framework] and are
known as the consumer orchestration system, the IETF network slice
controller (NSC), and the network controller. The network slicing
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management components are separated by the network slice controller
northbound interface (NSC NBI) and the network slice controller
southbound interface (NSC SBI).
[I-D.ietf-teas-ietf-network-slice-framework] describes the mapping
between network slicing management components and ACTN management
components. This is presented visually in Figure 1 and provides a
useful reference for understanding the material in Section 3.4 and
Section 4.
+--------------------------------------+ | +-----+
| Consumer orchestration system | =====> | CNC |
+--------------------------------------+ | +-----+
^ ^
| NSC NBI | | CMI
v v
+-------------------------------------+ | +------+
| IETF Network Slice Controller (NSC) | =====> | MDSC |
+-------------------------------------+ | +------+
^ ^
| NSC SBI | | MPI
v v
+-------------------------------------+ | +-----+
| Network Controller | =====> | PNC |
+-------------------------------------+ | +-----+
Figure 1: Mapping Between IETF Network Slice and ACTN Components
3.4. Examples of ACTN Delivering Types of Network Slices
The examples that follow build on the ACTN framework to provide
control, management, and orchestration for the network slice life-
cycle. These network slices utilize common physical infrastructure,
and meet specific service-level requirements.
Three examples are shown. Each uses ACTN to achieve a different
network slicing scenario. All three scenarios can be scaled up in
capacity or be subject to topology changes as well as changes of
consumer requirements.
3.4.1. ACTN Used for Virtual Private Line
In the example shown in Figure 2, ACTN provides virtual connections
between multiple consumer locations (sites accessed through Customer
Edge nodes - CEs). The service is requested by the consumer (via
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CNC-A) and delivered as a Virtual Private Line (VPL) service. The
benefits of this model include:
o Automated: the service set-up and operation is managed by the
network provider.
o Virtual: the private line connectivity is provided from Site A to
Site C (VPL1) and from Site B to Site C (VPL2) across the ACTN-
managed physical network.
o Agile: on-demand adjustments to the connectivity and bandwidth are
available according to the consumer's requests.
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(Consumer VPL Request)
:
-------
| CNC-A |
Boundary -------
Between . . . . . . . . .:. . . . . . . . . . .
Consumer & :
Network Provider ------
| MDSC |
------
:
-----
| PNC |
Site A ( ----- ) Site B
----- ( ) -----
| CE1 |========( Physical )========| CE2 |
-----\ ( Network ) /-----
\ (_______) /
\ || /
\ || /
VPL1 \ || / VPL2
\ || /
\ || /
\ || /
\-------------/
| CE3 |
-------------
Site C
Key: ... ACTN control connectivity
=== Physical connectivity
--- Logical connectivity
Figure 2: Virtual Private Line Model
3.4.2. ACTN Used for VPN Delivery Model
In the example shown in Figure 3, ACTN provides VPN connectivity
between two sites across three physical networks. The requirements
for the VPN are expressed by the users of the two sites who are the
consumers. Their requests are directed to the CNC, and the CNC
interacts with the network provider's MDSC. The benefits of this
model include:
o Provides edge-to-edge VPN multi-access connectivity.
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o Most of the function is managed by the network provider, with some
flexibility delegated to the consumer-managed CNC.
-------------- --------------
| Site-A Users | | Site-B Users |
-------------- --------------
: :
-------------
| CNC |
Boundary -------------
Between . . . . . . . . . . . : . . . . . . . . . . .
Consumer & :
Network Provider :
---------------------------------
| MDSC |
---------------------------------
: : :
: : :
------- ------- -------
| PNC | | PNC | | PNC |
------- ------- -------
: : :
: : :
______ --------- --------- --------- ______
< > ( ) ( ) ( ) < >
<Site A>==( Physical )==( Physical )==( Physical )==<Site B>
< > ( Network ) ( Network ) ( Network ) < >
< > ( ) ( ) ( ) < >
< > ------- ------- ------- < >
< >-----------------------------------------------< >
<______> <______>
Key: ... ACTN control connectivity
=== Physical connectivity
--- Logical connectivity
Figure 3: VPN Model
3.4.3. ACTN Used to Deliver a Virtual Consumer Network
In the example shown in Figure 4, ACTN provides a virtual network to
the consumer. This virtual network is managed by the consumer. The
figure shows two virtual networks (Network Slice 1 and Network Slice
2) each created for a different consumer under the care of a
different CNC. There are two physical networks controlled by
separate PNCs. Network Slice 2 is built using resources from just
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one physical network, while Network Slice 1 is constructed from
resources from both physical networks.
The benefits of this model include:
o The MDSC provides the topology to the consumer so that the
consumer can control their network slice to fit their needs.
o Applications can interact with their assigned network slices
directly. The consumer may implement their own network control
methods and traffic prioritization, and manage their own
addressing schemes.
o Consumers may further slice their virtual networks so that this
becomes a recursive model.
o Service isolation can be provided through selection of physical
networking resources through a combination of efforts of the MSDC
and PNC.
o The network slice may include nodes with specific capabilities.
These can be delivered as Physical Network Functions (PNFs) or
Virtual Network Functions (VNFs).
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___________
------------- ( )
| CNC |---------------->( Network )
------------- ( Slice 2 )
^ (___________)
| ___________ ^
| ------------- ( ) :
| | CNC |-------->( Network ) :
| ------------- ( Slice 1 ) :
| ^ (___________) :
| | ^ ^ :
Boundary | | : : :
Between .|. . . .|. . . . . . . . . . . : . .:. . : . . .
Consumer & | | : : :
Network | | : : :
Provider v v : : :
------------- : :....:
| MDSC | : :
------------- : :
^ ------^-- :
| ( ) :
v ( Physical ) :
------- ( Network ) :
| PNC |<------------>( ) ---^-----
------- | ------- ( )
| PNC |- ( Physical )
| |<-------------------------->( Network )
------- ( )
-------
Key: --- ACTN control connection
... Virtualization/abstraction through slicing
Figure 4: Network Slicing
4. YANG Models
4.1. Network Slice Service Mapping from TE to ACTN VN Models
The role of the TE-service mapping model
[I-D.ietf-teas-te-service-mapping-yang] is to create a binding
relationship across a Layer 3 Service Model (L3SM) [RFC8299], Layer 2
Service Model (L2SM) [RFC8466], and TE Tunnel model
[I-D.ietf-teas-yang-te], via the generic ACTN Virtual Network (VN)
model [I-D.ietf-teas-actn-vn-yang].
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The ACTN VN model is a generic virtual network service model that
allows consumers to specify a VN (i.e., network slice) that meets the
consumer's service objectives with various constraints on how the
service is delivered.
The TE-service mapping model [I-D.ietf-teas-te-service-mapping-yang]
is used to bind the L3SM with TE-specific parameters. This binding
facilitates seamless service operation and enables visibility of the
underlay TE network. The TE-service model developed in that document
can also be extended to support other services including L2SM, and
the Layer 1 Connectivity Service Model (L1CSM)
[I-D.ietf-ccamp-l1csm-yang] L1CSM network service models.
Figure 5 shows the relationship between the models discussed above.
--------------- -----------
| L3SM |<=========| | -----------
--------------- augment | |...........>| ACTN VN |
--------------- | Augmented | reference -----------
| L2SM |<=========| Service |
--------------- augment | Model | -----------
--------------- | |...........>| TE-topo |
| L1CSM |<=========| | reference -----------
--------------- augment | |
--------------- | | -----------
| TE & Service |--------->| |...........>| TE-tunnel |
| Mapping Types | import ----------- reference -----------
---------------
Figure 5: TE-Service Mapping
4.2. Interfaces and Yang Models
Figure 6 shows the three ACTN components and two ACTN interfaces as
listed in Section 3. The figure also shows the Southbound Interface
(SBI) between the PNC and the devices in the physical network. That
interface might be used to install state on every device in the
network, or might instruct a "head-end" node if a control plane is
used within the physical network. In the context of [RFC8309], the
SBI uses one or more device configuration models.
The figure also shows the Network Slice Service Interface. This
interface allows a consumer of a service to make requests for
delivery of the service, and it facilitates the consumer modifying
and monitoring the service. In the context of [RFC8309], this
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"northbound interface (NBI)" is a customer service interface and uses
a service model.
When an ACTN system is used to manage the delivery of network slices,
a network slice resource model is needed. This model will be used
for instantiation, operation, and monitoring of network and function
resource slices. The YANG model defined in
[I-D.wd-teas-transport-slice-yang] provides a suitable basis for
requesting, controlling, and deleting, network slices.
----------
| Consumer |
----------
.......:....... Network Slice Service Interface
:
-------------
| CNC |
-------------
.......:....... CMI
:
---------------
| MDSC |
---------------
.......:....... MPI
:
-------
| PNC |
-------
.......:....... SBI
:
----------
( )
( Physical )
( Network )
(________)
Figure 6: The Yang Interfaces in Context
4.3. ACTN VN Telemetry
The ACTN VN KPI telemetry model
[I-D.ietf-teas-actn-pm-telemetry-autonomics] provides a way for a
consumer to define performance monitoring relevant for its VN/network
slice via the NETCONF subscription mechanisms [RFC8639], [RFC8640],
or using the equivalent mechanisms in RESTCONF [RFC8641], [RFC8650].
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Key characteristics of [I-D.ietf-teas-actn-pm-telemetry-autonomics]
include:
o An ability to provide scalable VN-level telemetry aggregation
based on consumer subscription model for key performance
parameters defined by the consumer.
o An ability to facilitate proactive re-optimization and
reconfiguration of VNs/network slices based on network autonomic
traffic engineering scaling configuration mechanism.
5. IANA Considerations
This document makes no requests for action by IANA.
6. Security Considerations
Network slicing involves the control of network resources in order to
meet the service requirements of consumers. In some deployment
models, the consumer is able to directly request modification in the
behaviour of resources owned and operated by a service provider.
Such changes could significantly affect the service provider's
ability to provide services to other consumers. Furthermore, the
resources allocated for or consumed by a consumer will normally be
billable by the service provider.
Therefore, it is crucial that the mechanisms used in any network
slicing system allow for authentication of requests, security of
those requests, and tracking of resource allocations.
It should also be noted that while the partitioning or slicing of
resources is virtual, as mentioned in Section 2.3 the consumers
expect and require that there is no risk of leakage of data from one
slice to another, no transfer of knowledge of the structure or even
existence of other slices, and that changes to one slice (under the
control of one consumer) should not have detrimental effects on the
operation of other slices (whether under control of different or the
same consumers) beyond the limits allowed within the SLA. Thus,
slices are assumed to be private and to provide the appearance of
genuine physical connectivity.
Some service providers may offer secure network slices as a service.
Such services may claim to include edge-to-edge encryption for the
consumer's traffic. However, a consumer should take full
responsibility for the privacy and integrity of their traffic and
should carefully consider using their own edge-to-edge encryption.
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ACTN operates using the NETCONF [RFC6241] or RESTCONF [RFC8040]
protocols and assumes the security characteristics of those
protocols. Deployment models for ACTN should fully explore the
authentication and other security aspects before networks start to
carry live traffic.
7. Acknowledgements
Thanks to Qin Wu, Andy Jones, Ramon Casellas, Gert Grammel, and Kiran
Makhijani for their insight and useful discussions about network
slicing.
8. Contributors
The following people contributed text to this document.
Young Lee
Email: younglee.tx@gmail.com
Mohamed Boucadair
Email: mohamed.boucadair@orange.com
Sergio Belotti
Email: sergio.belotti@nokia.com
Daniele Ceccarelli
Email: daniele.ceccarelli@ericsson.com
9. Informative References
[I-D.dong-teas-enhanced-vpn-vtn-scalability]
Dong, J., Li, Z., Qin, F., and G. Yang, "Scalability
Considerations for Enhanced VPN (VPN+)", draft-dong-teas-
enhanced-vpn-vtn-scalability-01 (work in progress),
November 2020.
[I-D.ietf-ccamp-l1csm-yang]
Lee, Y., Lee, K., Zheng, H., Dios, O., and D. Ceccarelli,
"A YANG Data Model for L1 Connectivity Service Model
(L1CSM)", draft-ietf-ccamp-l1csm-yang-13 (work in
progress), November 2020.
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[I-D.ietf-teas-actn-pm-telemetry-autonomics]
Lee, Y., Dhody, D., Karunanithi, S., Vilata, R., King, D.,
and D. Ceccarelli, "YANG models for VN/TE Performance
Monitoring Telemetry and Scaling Intent Autonomics",
draft-ietf-teas-actn-pm-telemetry-autonomics-04 (work in
progress), November 2020.
[I-D.ietf-teas-actn-vn-yang]
Lee, Y., Dhody, D., Ceccarelli, D., Bryskin, I., and B.
Yoon, "A YANG Data Model for VN Operation", draft-ietf-
teas-actn-vn-yang-10 (work in progress), November 2020.
[I-D.ietf-teas-enhanced-vpn]
Dong, J., Bryant, S., Li, Z., Miyasaka, T., and Y. Lee, "A
Framework for Enhanced Virtual Private Networks (VPN+)
Service", draft-ietf-teas-enhanced-vpn-06 (work in
progress), July 2020.
[I-D.ietf-teas-ietf-network-slice-definition]
Rokui, R., Homma, S., Makhijani, K., Contreras, L., and J.
Tantsura, "Definition of IETF Network Slices", draft-ietf-
teas-ietf-network-slice-definition-00 (work in progress),
January 2021.
[I-D.ietf-teas-ietf-network-slice-framework]
Gray, E. and J. Drake, "Framework for IETF Network
Slices", draft-ietf-teas-ietf-network-slice-framework-00
(work in progress), March 2021.
[I-D.ietf-teas-rfc3272bis]
Farrel, A., "Overview and Principles of Internet Traffic
Engineering", draft-ietf-teas-rfc3272bis-10 (work in
progress), December 2020.
[I-D.ietf-teas-te-service-mapping-yang]
Lee, Y., Dhody, D., Fioccola, G., WU, Q., Ceccarelli, D.,
and J. Tantsura, "Traffic Engineering (TE) and Service
Mapping Yang Model", draft-ietf-teas-te-service-mapping-
yang-05 (work in progress), November 2020.
[I-D.ietf-teas-yang-te]
Saad, T., Gandhi, R., Liu, X., Beeram, V., and I. Bryskin,
"A YANG Data Model for Traffic Engineering Tunnels, Label
Switched Paths and Interfaces", draft-ietf-teas-yang-te-25
(work in progress), July 2020.
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[I-D.wd-teas-transport-slice-yang]
Bo, W., Dhody, D., Han, L., and R. Rokui, "A Yang Data
Model for Transport Slice NBI", draft-wd-teas-transport-
slice-yang-02 (work in progress), July 2020.
[RFC6241] Enns, R., Ed., Bjorklund, M., Ed., Schoenwaelder, J., Ed.,
and A. Bierman, Ed., "Network Configuration Protocol
(NETCONF)", RFC 6241, DOI 10.17487/RFC6241, June 2011,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6241>.
[RFC7665] Halpern, J., Ed. and C. Pignataro, Ed., "Service Function
Chaining (SFC) Architecture", RFC 7665,
DOI 10.17487/RFC7665, October 2015,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7665>.
[RFC8040] Bierman, A., Bjorklund, M., and K. Watsen, "RESTCONF
Protocol", RFC 8040, DOI 10.17487/RFC8040, January 2017,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8040>.
[RFC8299] Wu, Q., Ed., Litkowski, S., Tomotaki, L., and K. Ogaki,
"YANG Data Model for L3VPN Service Delivery", RFC 8299,
DOI 10.17487/RFC8299, January 2018,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8299>.
[RFC8309] Wu, Q., Liu, W., and A. Farrel, "Service Models
Explained", RFC 8309, DOI 10.17487/RFC8309, January 2018,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8309>.
[RFC8453] Ceccarelli, D., Ed. and Y. Lee, Ed., "Framework for
Abstraction and Control of TE Networks (ACTN)", RFC 8453,
DOI 10.17487/RFC8453, August 2018,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8453>.
[RFC8454] Lee, Y., Belotti, S., Dhody, D., Ceccarelli, D., and B.
Yoon, "Information Model for Abstraction and Control of TE
Networks (ACTN)", RFC 8454, DOI 10.17487/RFC8454,
September 2018, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8454>.
[RFC8466] Wen, B., Fioccola, G., Ed., Xie, C., and L. Jalil, "A YANG
Data Model for Layer 2 Virtual Private Network (L2VPN)
Service Delivery", RFC 8466, DOI 10.17487/RFC8466, October
2018, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8466>.
[RFC8639] Voit, E., Clemm, A., Gonzalez Prieto, A., Nilsen-Nygaard,
E., and A. Tripathy, "Subscription to YANG Notifications",
RFC 8639, DOI 10.17487/RFC8639, September 2019,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8639>.
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[RFC8640] Voit, E., Clemm, A., Gonzalez Prieto, A., Nilsen-Nygaard,
E., and A. Tripathy, "Dynamic Subscription to YANG Events
and Datastores over NETCONF", RFC 8640,
DOI 10.17487/RFC8640, September 2019,
<https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8640>.
[RFC8641] Clemm, A. and E. Voit, "Subscription to YANG Notifications
for Datastore Updates", RFC 8641, DOI 10.17487/RFC8641,
September 2019, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8641>.
[RFC8650] Voit, E., Rahman, R., Nilsen-Nygaard, E., Clemm, A., and
A. Bierman, "Dynamic Subscription to YANG Events and
Datastores over RESTCONF", RFC 8650, DOI 10.17487/RFC8650,
November 2019, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8650>.
Authors' Addresses
Daniel King
Old Dog Consulting
Email: daniel@olddog.co.uk
John Drake
Juniper Networks
Email: jdrake@juniper.net
Haomian Zheng
Huawei Technologies
Email: zhenghaomian@huawei.com
Adrian Farrel
Old Dog Consulting
Email: adrian@olddog.co.uk
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