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Blueprint overview/Introduction

<Purpose- it should introduce what the blue print is about, industry, business use case, applications and where it sits on the edge infrastructure>

Use Case

Where on the Edge

Business Drivers

Overall Architecture

< Blue print's relation to Akraino generic architecture, how it relates to it >

< This section will use the Akraino architecture document as reference>

Platform Architecture

Software Platform Architecture

APIs

APIs with reference to Architecture and Modules

High Level definition of APIs are stated here, assuming Full definition APIs are in the API documentation

Hardware and Software Management

Licensing

GNU/common license

Introduction and Purpose of the PCEI Architecture

Suzy Gu Deepak Kataria

The purpose of Public Cloud Edge Interface (PCEI) Blueprint family is to specify a set of open APIs for Telco Edge Blueprints to expose towards Public Cloud Service Provider instances at the Edge. As Public Cloud Service Providers deploy Edge instances to better serve their end users and applications, Telco Edge deployments offer many opportunities for collaboration by exposing their network capabilities to provide value added services.

Currently the challengers includes:

How to combine the public cloud management interface with telco orchestration interface?
How to open more telco abilities to public cloud and support the DevOps?
How to manage and monitor these different APIs in an efficient ways?
How to guarantee security such as avoid the DDOS or SQL injection attack to telco core network?
How best to leverage network capabilities to provide value added services?
Can public cloud use the same APIs towards multiple telco cloud edge instances

This BP family is trying to resolve these challengers for both telco and hyperscalers.

High level architectural view:

Jane Shen Deepak Kataria

Architecture as following. This BP will bring a new "Enabler" layer as PCEI between the Telco network and public cloud platform on edge. The PCEI layer is responsible for :

API Gateway & Management
Authentication
Policy
Composition
Security services
Discovery
SDK

In southbound, this layer will encapsulate the core network capabilities, interwork with BSS/OSS/management system from telco operators. We first suggest to deploy this layer on telco's edge hardware resource.

And in northbound, it provides RESTFUL APIs and SDKs to be called and integrated by public clouds.

PCEI Reference Architecture and Interface Reference Points

The PCEI Enabler is expected to provide Multi-Domain Interworking capabilities between the following domains:

The Mobile Network Operator (MNO) Domain
The Public Cloud (PC) Domain. This includes the following sub-domains:
- The Public Cloud Core (PCC)
- The Public Cloud Edge (PCE)
The 3rd Party Edge (3PE) Domain
The Interconnection of Core and Edge (ICE) Domain
The Data Center Facility (DCF) domain

The following figure shows high-level relationships between the domains:

The Data Center Facility (DCF) Domain. The DCF Domain includes Data Center physical facilities that provide the physical location and the power / space infrastructure for other domains and their respective functions.

The Interconnection of Core and Edge (ICE) Domain. The ICE Domain includes the physical and logical interconnection and networking capabilities that provide connectivity between other domains and their respective functions.

The Mobile Network Operator (MNO) Domain. The MNO Domain contains all Access and Core Network Functions necessary for signalling and user plane capabilities to allow for mobile device connectivity. These functions include the Radio Access Network (RAN), including the 5G New RAN (5GNR), Packet Core, including the Virtualized Evolved Packet Core (vEPC) and the 5G Core (5GC).

The Public Cloud Core (PCC) Domain. The PCC Domain includes all IaaS/PaaS functions that are provided by the Public Clouds to their customers. These include Virtual Private Cloud and Public/Private Networking capabilities.

The Public Cloud Edge (PCE) Domain. The PCE Domain includes the PCC Domain functions that are instantiated in the DCF Domain locations that are positioned closer (in terms of geographical proximity) to the functions of the MNO Domain. In general, the PCE functions are expected to be managed from the PCC functions.

The 3rd party Edge (3PE) Domain. The 3PE domain is in principle similar to the PCE Domain, with a distinction that the 3PE functions may be provided by 3rd parties (with respect to the MNOs and Public Clouds) as stand-alone instances of Edge Computing resources/applications.

The PCEI Reference Architecture and the Interface Reference Points (IRP) are shown in the figure below. Note the this figure also provides a component layer view of the PCEI Architecture:

The PCEI Reference Architecture layers are described below:

The PCEI Data Center (DC) Physical Layer belongs to the DCF Domain and provides the physical DC infrastructure located in appropriate geographies (e.g. Metropolitan Areas). It is assumed that the Public Cloud Core infrastructure is interfaced to the PCEI DC Physical Layer through the PCEI L1-L3 Interconnection layer.

The PCEI L1-L3 Interconnection Layer belongs to the ICE Domain and provides physical and logical interconnection and networking functions to all other components of the PCEI architecture.

Within the MNO Domain, the PCEI Reference Architecture includes the following layers:

Compute Hardware. This includes Compute, Network and Storage resources that support MNO functions. Note that the PCEI Reference Architecture recognizes a model, where a MNO has the ability to distribute the compute infrastructure in appropriate locations in the DCF Domain in order to satisfy performance and functional requirements for the targeted application use cases. For example, a MNO may wish to implement a Local Break-Out (LBO) in locations that are geographically closer to the mobile subscribers, and uses compute hardware provided by a qualified Bare Metal service provider.
- The PCEI Architecture further recognizes a model, where the Compute Hardware layer is accessible via the Bare Metal Orchestrator that enables dynamic instantiation of compute/network resources for the MNO functions.
Network Function Virtualization Infrastructure (NFVI). This is the virtualization layer (e.g. OpenStack, Kubernetes) that may be specific to MNO requirements and provides the ability to support MNO functions such as the 5GC User Plane Function (UPF).
MNO Core Functions. This layer corresponds to the key MNO Core functions applicable to the PCEI. These functions include (but not limited to): UPF, SMF and other applicable 4G vEPC and 5G Core functions.
MNO Orchestration Functions. These functions are responsible for communicating the MNO service/performance requirements to the PCEI Enabler and for orchestrating services within the MNO Domain. Examples of these functions include NSSF, NRF, etc.

Within the Public Cloud Domain, the PCEI Reference Architecture includes the following layers:

Public Cloud Core Infrastructure. This includes all IaaS/PaaS functions that are provided by the Public Clouds to their customers. These include Virtual Private Cloud and Public/Private Networking capabilities.
Public Cloud Edge Compute Hardware. This is Compute, Network and Storage resources that support PCE functions. The PCE compute hardware is usually vertically integrated hardware resource set controlled by the PCC Infrastructure and connected to it by means of of the L1-L3 Interconnection layer.
Public Cloud NFVI. This is the virtualization layer specific to the Public Cloud service provider.
Public Cloud Core Functions. These functions are the specific capabilities offered by the Public Cloud service provider to its customers. Examples include Virtual Public Cloud (and equivalents), Virtual and Physical Private Networking.
Public Cloud Edge Functions. A set of Public Cloud resources executing on PCE hardware and controlled by the PCC functions.

Within the 3rd Party Edge Domain, the PCEI Reference Architecture includes the following layers:

Compute Hardware. This includes Compute, Network and Storage resources that support 3PE functions. Note that the PCEI Reference Architecture recognizes a model, where a 3rd Party provider has the ability to distribute the compute infrastructure in appropriate locations in the DCF Domain in order to satisfy performance and functional requirements for the targeted application use cases. For example, an online gaming provider may wish to implement their services in locations that are geographically closer to the mobile online gaming subscribers, and uses compute hardware provided by a qualified Bare Metal service provider.
- The PCEI Architecture further recognizes a model, where the Compute Hardware layer is accessible via the Bare Metal Orchestrator that enables dynamic instantiation of compute/network resources for the 3PE functions.
3rd Party Edge NFVI layer. These are the NFVI software and capabilities needed to support functionality such as the Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC).
3rd Party Edge Functions. These are edge computing application functions including the Network Functions (NFVs, e.g. SD-WAN, vFW, vRouter) and the Processing Functions (e.g. CDN Cache, IoT Gateways, AI Inferencing Model).

The PCEI Enabler. A set of functions that facilitate the interworking between PCEI Architecture Domains. The structure of the PCEI Enabler is described later in this document.

The PCEI Portal. An optional component of the PCEI Architecture responsible for providing the users of PCEI a way to express and communicate their intended functional, performance and service requirements.

PCEI Reference Points

P1 – User Intent. Provides ability for User/Customer to specify PCEI access and functional requirements E.g. Type of Access, Performance, Connectivity, Location, Topology

P2 – Interface between PCEI and Mobile Network. Provides ability to accept requests from MNO for PCEI service and request MNO to provide 4G/5G access to PCEI customers. E.g. Network Slicing, LBO.

P2' - Interface between PCEI and the MNO Core Functions such as UPF, SMF. In case of a UPF the P2' interface can be used to configure the parameters responsible for interfacing the UPF and the virtual/contextual configuration structures within the UPF with the PCC/PCE and 3PE resources by way of the L1-L3 Interconnection layer. The P2' interface implies the availability of standard or well specified UPF provisioning models provided by MNOs.

P3 – Interface between PCEI and Compute Hardware Orchestrator for distributed MNO functions (e.g. non-MNO locations). Provides ability for PCEI to trigger orchestration of appropriate HW resources for MNO User Plane and other appropriate functions. May be triggered through P2 by MNO

P4 – Interface between PCEI and Interconnection Fabric. Provides ability to request and orchestrate network connectivity and performance KPIs between MNO UPF, Cloud Core and Edge resources (including 3rd Party Edge)

P5 – Interface between PCEI and 3rd Party Edge Functions (e.g. NFV). Provides ability to access Edge APIs exposed by 3rd Party Edge Functions (e.g. deployment of NFVs and Edge Processing workloads)

P6 – Interface between PCEI and Edge Compute Hardware Orchestrator. Provides ability for PCEI to trigger orchestration of appropriate HW resources for Edge Compute functions including Public Cloud Edge and 3rd party Edge.

P7 – Interface between PCEI and Public Cloud Edge Functions (may be part of P8). Provides ability to access APIs to deploy Public Cloud Edge functions/Instances (may be done through P8)

P8 - Interface between PCEI and Public Cloud Core Functions (may include control over Public Cloud Edge functions). Provides ability to access Public Cloud APIs including ability to deploy Public Cloud edge functions.

P9 - Interface between PCEI and the NFVI layer of the 3PE Domain. P9 may be used If a MNO chooses to expose the NFVI layer to PCEI.

PCEI Enabler Structure

Objectives