ZTE debuts carrier-grade DevOps for 5G network slicing

ZTE has introduced carrier-grade DevOps for 5G network slicing.

Dr Zhang Senlin, Chief Architect of CTO Team at ZTE, delivered a speech at 5G World 2017, London. Dr Zhang Senlin’s speech was entitled "Network Slicing, a way to optimize the network" and described ZTE’s 5G-oriented network slicing technology.

This technology is based on cloud native micro-service architecture from the core network and the DevOps platform, enabling operators to easily and quickly invoke network resources to meet diversified vertical industry needs in the 5G era.

Dr Zhang said that with the advent of the 5G era, communications based on voice and data will no longer be limited to being "human-to-human". New communications will happen between "human and things", "things and things" and will penetrate into every vertical industry as 5G IoT applications grow.

In addition, the ultra-bandwidth capability provided by 5G also enables the rapid development of VR, AR, ultra HD video, media on demand and other services. Due to single functionality and long deployment times, current network architecture cannot flexibly and efficiently meet the new “on-demand customisation” requirement for the variety of 5G scenarios.

Therefore, it is one of the key technology capabilities of the 5G network to achieve on-demand customisation of service and network through network slicing on the basis of software defined networking / network function virtualisation (SND/NFV)-based cloud core network. In order to achieve agile innovation and continuous iteration of 5G services, ZTE proposes to provide micro-service-based network slices with "closed-loop" automated design, automated development, automated deployment and automated operations and maintenance (O&M) environment through the carrier-grade DevOps platform, to achieve “go-live in minutes, scale-in/out in seconds”. After ZTE and China Mobile jointly demonstrated network slicing prototypes at MWC 2016 and MWC 2017, ZTE launched the world's first carrier DevOps-based network slice.

ZTE is currently working with major domestic operators and tier-one multinational operators to start cooperative innovations in 5G network technologies. ZTE is the first vendor in China to complete the 5G key technology validation (including network slices, C/U separation and mobile edge computing), the first to use virtualisation container technology in the 5G network, and the first to achieve multi-data centre (DC) distributed deployment of a 5G network.

As one of the leaders in network cloudification, ZTE has cooperated extensively with mainstream operators around the world and has joined many standard organisations and open source communities such as ETSI, 3GPP, ONAP, OPNFV, OpenStack, OpenDaylight and ONOS. Up to now, ZTE has successfully deployed more than 240 NFV / SDN commercial and trial offices worldwide. ZTE will continue to play a leading role in the 5G field and make important contributions to operators’ digital transformation.