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Software-Defined CPE Accelerates
SDN Adoption in Access Networks
Software-Defined CPE
The Move to SDN
SDN, or Software-Defined Networking, is expected to be the
next fundamental change to carriers’ networks. Surveys show
that virtually all major carriers have plans to deploy SDN.
What remains arguable is where carriers should deploy SDN
first. In other words, what is the most compelling use case of
SDN in carrier networks?
SDN and CPE
To answer this question, consider the driving forces behind
SDN. The biggest benefit of SDN to carriers is service agility.
Its centralized control and end-to-end visibility enable carriers
to rapidly deploy existing services and to innovatively create
new type of services. Faster and more services equal more
revenue; therefore it makes sense to apply SDN right where
the service begins – the Customer Premises Equipment (CPE)
device.
CPE is carrier equipment in the form of a pizza box or desktop
box placed either on the customer premises or close by.
Business CPE, used for enterprise and business customers, is
a logical demarcation point between the carrier network and
the client network.
Note: Some carriers use other names for business CPE, such
as NID (Network Interface Device) or EAD (Ethernet Access
Device).
SDN-enabled CPE simplifies the way that carriers manage
their access networks, which has always been a sore spot due
to the large scale of deployment and the diversity of the
supply chain. By replacing vendor-proprietary network
management software with common SDN controllers, carriers
will greatly simplify network operation and management,
resulting in significant OPEX saving.
Figure 1 • SDN in Access Networks Enables End-to-End
Control
Software-defined CPE is a new class of CPE device demanded
by carriers for their SDN deployments due to its inherent
support of:
• Forwarding functions such as L2 switching, MPLS
switching or L3 routing compatible with conventional
CPE devices
• Standard southbound interfaces such as OpenFlow and
OF-Config
• OpenFlow pipeline implementation of forwarding
functions
• Flexibility to accommodate upgrades and extensions to
the OpenFlow protocol
• Carrier class features such as QoS, protection and
synchronization
With software-defined CPE, carriers can program the CPE
function after field deployment. For example, if the CPE is
deployed in a Carrier Ethernet network, it can be programmed
as a Carrier Ethernet switch. If the CPE is deployed in a PTN
(packet transport network) environment, it can be
programmed as an MPLS-TP capable switch. Software-defined
CPE provides a vital element for carriers to build up the entire
software-defined network.
The benefits of software-defined CPE also extend to the
system vendors who design and develop CPE devices. Today,
system vendors develop protocol-specific devices such as L2
switches for Ethernet networks, L3 routers for IP networks,
and MPLS routers for MPLS networks. One big difference
among these devices is the depth of the control protocol stack
supported. With SDN, the control plane software is separated
from the hardware device, making it possible to use simpler,
protocol-independent hardware. Software-defined CPE allows
network functions to be realized by running software on
protocol-independent forwarding engines. System vendors
can now design and invest in a single hardware platform, then
simply develop software to turn it into various CPE products.
This saving in system vendors’ development costs will also
allow system vendors to offer their systems at a lower price,
reducing carriers’ CAPEX costs.
Programmable Solutions
The key attribute of software-defined CPE is programmability.
There are multiple choices for a programmable hardware
solution, such as CPU, FPGA or network processor. When
selecting a programmable hardware solution for
software-defined CPE, there are a few important
considerations.
CONFIDENTIAL Document No.: ESC-2160593 , Issue 1
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Flexibility
Optimized for access
Not all programmable solutions have the same flexibility.
Software-defined CPE requires exceptional flexibility from
the underlying hardware so that all forwarding functions and
carrier class features can be programmed. Usually only a
general-purpose or network processor can offer this kind of
flexibility.
Last but not least, for mass deployment, software-defined
CPE must offer the same level of performance, power and
cost as conventional CPE. Only hardware solutions designed
and optimized for access networks will be able to deliver on
these requirements.
SDN-friendly
The hardware solution not only needs to be programmable,
but also should comply with the OpenFlow pipeline.
Essentially, the OpenFlow pipeline is based on
match-and-action tables. A hardware solution with a similar
architecture that allows multiple iterations of lookup and
processing in the pipeline will make it much easier to
implement software-defined CPE.
Future-proof
Summary
Adopting SDN on CPE devices in the access network will
maximize the benefits of SDN technology, so software-defined
CPE is the natural choice for SDN deployment. Moreover,
when choosing a hardware solution to implement
software-defined CPE, programmability is the most important
consideration.
Software-defined CPE with WinPath
Network Processor
The OpenFlow protocol is still evolving: the ONF releases a
new version every few months, with more extensions being
added. Carrier grade OpenFlow is still under development.
Ideally, software-defined CPE should evolve along with the
OpenFlow standard. This is only achievable if the hardware
solution is flexible enough to accommodate changes and
additions to the OpenFlow pipeline.
Microsemi’s WinPath access network processor has an
architecture that is fully programmable, compatible to
OpenFlow’s match-and-action pipeline, specially designed for
enterprise access applications, and equipped with a security
engine, making it the perfect hardware choice for
software-defined CPE.
NFV (network function virtualization) enabler
Figure 2 • Microsemi’s WinPath Solution for
Software-defined CPE
Adopting SDN in CPE devices is not the end game. Carriers
already have virtual CPE on the roadmap, where the CPE
device will be capable of delivering network/IT services from
cloud servers. Some additional features become mandatory
on such virtual CPE devices in order to enable NFV, for
example security, which is necessary to protect the data
between the CPE and the cloud server. A hardware solution
with a security engine is desirable to support future migration
from software-defined CPE to virtual CPE.
OF-Config
UNI:
4xGE / GE
Combo
Optional:
4xT1 / E1
OpenFlow
VSC8504
4x PHY
WinPath 3
Superlite
SFP
SFP
NNI:
2xGE
Fiber
PM4359
4xE1 / T1
DDR3
Flash
Together with turnkey third-party SDN software, the WinPath
solution provides system vendors with an SDN-controlled CPE
platform that can be used as a Carrier Ethernet switch, a small
PTN box, or a small IP RAN router, all through software
programming.
CONFIDENTIAL Document No.: ESC-2160593 , Issue 1
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