Telco Systems CloudMetro 100

The CloudMetro 100 10GE Carrier Grade Distributed NFV Platform offers a new approach to service provider networks. By harnessing cutting-edge technologies, like software defined networking (SDN) and networking functions virtualization (NFV), CloudMetro 100 enables service providers to turn their networks from transport networks into IT-aware networks. This new approach of transforming the network into a dynamic, highly orchestrated, agile and virtualized network enables service providers to increase their service offering and roll out new services within a very short time frame. By virtualizing and running different networking functions as software at the edge of the network, service providers can deploy and offer new services without any truck rolls, minimizing the operating expenses and capital expenditure involved, and significantly reducing the complexity of new service introduction. By offering multiple IT services within close proximity to customers, service providers can start offering different virtualized IT services, and differentiate themselves from over-the-top (OTT) cloud service providers. In order to enable this technology (called “differentiated NFV” by the ETSI NFV work group), CloudMetro 100 was designed with a VNF-hosting CPU and extensive virtualization capabilities support.

Distributed NFV Hosting Platform

CloudMetro 100 was designed as an innovative distributed NFV platform utilizing an Intel X86 architecture processor, including Intel’s virtualization technology (VT-X) support, to host different VNFs, running as TelcoApps, and to provide different networking functionalities in a distributed manner. The hosting CPU runs Telco Virtualization Engine (TVE), an infrastructure layer that enables VNF life cycle management as well as easy VNF and service attachment. The TVE layer is also responsible for performing service chaining in order to enable service providers to handle each flow differently, with the flexibility needed to cope with future network needs.

Carrier Grade CE 2.0 / SDN Support

CloudMetro 100 is a state-of-the-art, carrier grade platform that can bridge the gap between CE 2.0 networks and future SDN networks, and an innovative distributed NFV platform. Powered by merchant ASIC, CloudMetro 100 offers 10GE line rate connectivity while running a comprehensive control plane, in either a distributed or central manner. CloudMetro 100 offers service providers flexibility in their choice of transport technologies by supporting multiple transport technologies such as .1Q, Q-in-Q, IP/MPLS and OpenFlow as the emerging SDN data plane technology.

Next Generation Management Support

CloudMetro 100 offers next generation management support, including NETCONF and YANG support. By implementing these modern management models, CloudMetro 100 offers a high level of management flexibility, support in configuration commitment and rollout, and much more efficient management.

Since NETCONF and YANG use XML file format, they are wellsuited for process automation, and can shorten the NMS / OSS integration cycle.

Advanced Hardware-based OAM (operations, Administration and maintenance) Support

CloudMetro 100 is embedded with a comprehensive set of OAM and SLA monitoring and testing tools which utilizes the hardware engines on Telco Systems’ devices, as well as the software processes, to provide real-time, accurate OAM capabilities.

These capabilities include network measurements and service turn-up testing and verification, designed to reduce truck rolls and shorten time for activation and management. CloudMetro 100 supports a wide range of standards, including link level EFM industry standards like IEEE 802.1ag Connectivity Fault Management (CFM) protocols and ITU-T Y.1731 loss and delay measurement, as well as Y.1731 SLM for E-LAN testing, and RFC2544 and Y.1564 for service activation testing.