News & Events
TECH UPDATE – SM-Apps: SDN applications portfolio for the wireless backhaul network
The Software Defined Networking (SDN) model has been driving operators to re-think their supervision and management architecture, moving towards a service orchestration based model. In the past years several working groups (ONF, ETSI, IETF) have defined and worked on models to fast forward the adoption of SDN to bridge the gap between the current network and the automated service centric network enabled by SDN.
There are two main models that have been tested by mobile operators, either accessing the equipment directly, or using a domain controller between the first level of orchestration and the equipment. The second solution offers several advantages; firstly the orchestrator interacts with a single element presenting the entire network connectivity, instead of every single network element, simplifying the communication processes, secondly the controller may also include in his management layer the existing legacy equipment, moving under the SDN umbrella from day one the complete network.
SIAE MICROELETTRONICA has been actively working in the above mentioned working group for the definition of the microwave radio yang model as well as the T-API interfaces. Latest achievement being:
- ETSI FIRST MILLIMETRE WAVE TRANSMISSION SDN PLUG -TEST
- ONF 5TH POC ORGANIZED BY ONF “MULTI-DOMAIN TRANSPORT SDN MADE REAL IN THE ONF PROOF OF CONCEPT FOR WIRELESS TRANSPORT”
In the ONF 5th POC both wireless and fibre SDN models where successfully tested. (SM-Optics, part of SIAE MICROELETTRONICA group, participated with the optical transport platforms. www.sm-optics.com
Our diving position has been recognized by major mobile operators who co-operated and partnered with us for their first live microwave trial SDN network deployment using our SM-DC (SIAE MICROELETTRONICA – Domain Controller).
- FIRST COMMERCIAL SDN PILOT ON A MICROWAVE TRANSPORT NETWORK
- SIAE MICROELETTRONICA SUCCESSFULLY TESTS THE SDN APPLICATION IVERITAS IN TELEFÓNICA DEUTSCHLAND’S SDN LIVE WIRELESS NETWORK
Further SIAE MICROELETTRONICA demonstrated how with the integration of a hierarchical controller, end to end IP/MPLS services could be automatically set-up and orchestrated starting on a wireless microwave radio at the access and terminated on a packet optical equipment in the regional fibre network.
In light of these achievements SIAE MICROELETTRONICA has launched a portfolio of SDN applications named SM-Apps. SM-Apps includes applications grouped into four macro areas:
- Network Optimization with performance analytics
- Real Time Network awareness with automatic discovery
- Fault root cause analysis with Machine Learning (presented at MWC2019)
- Preventive maintenance with traffic prediction
The applications interact with the controller via standard RESTconf T-API interfaces.