Telecom


Delivering Elasticity to the


Mobile Edge


Innovative Edge Platform Extends NFV to the Access Network By Peter Marek, Senior Director, x86 Solutions, Advantech Networks & Communications Group


virtualization technology. This technology will help operators increase capacity, improve quality of experience (QoE), add new services, and prepare for 5G deployment. However, when compared to the standard white box servers and hyperscale cloud equipment used for virtualization in data centers, carrier edge equipment faces challeng- ing physical and environmental constraints.


A 10 | 2016 | 13th


This article considers a new system class designed to address the requirements of mobile edge computing and cloud-RAN (C-RAN). We discuss performance requirements, industry equipment practices, and environment. We explore how to combine high-performance server processing, high-throughput switching, and carrier-grade availability with network functions virtualization (NFV) for operation with edge-ag- gregation-point infrastructure. We look at a new class of carrier-grade


Edition | Embedded Innovator |


s data growth continues and new cell sites become harder to fi nd, carrier providers have a golden opportunity to help operators accelerate adoption of radio access network (RAN)


blade server that enables such a solution through its use of the Intel® Xeon®


processor D-1500 product family. And we show how the


resulting NFV platform simplifi es the deployment of core Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs) anywhere in the network.


Meeting Carrier Requirements in RAN Virtualization Mobile operators view C-RAN as the fi rst step toward 5G and RAN virtualization. Operators can use it to optimize existing functions and facilitate hosting new applications at the edge. Doing more at the edge reduces the volume and peak traffi c levels on backhaul links, allowing operators to upgrade radio frequency (RF) and baseband resources instead of using backhaul links to meet demand.


Though C-RAN uses open platform technology, the requirements for its edge hardware are much different than standard data center servers. In a hyperscale data center that hosts aisles of NFV infrastructure (NFVI), redundancy removes the criticality of single-system failures. The situation changes at the edge. Sites may host only a few racks or, in scenarios where carrier solutions share rack space, a less-than- fully populated NFVI rack. Any system failure negatively affects ser- vice availability and QoE. Because these sites are often remote and unstaffed, the cost and time to repair are high.


intel.com/embedded-innovator


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