HPA Architecture & Design Considerations

VNF developers use the VNFSDK tools to create VNF descriptors based on the TOSCA YAML templates. VNF hardware platform capability requirements, if any, are captured in the VNF descriptor.

VNF developers use the VNFSDK tools to create VNF packages and upload them to the VNF marketplace. Uploaded packaged are validated and made available for use by ONAP operator(s).

VNF packages are downloaded from the VNF marketplace using SDC tools and on-boarded into the SDC catalog for use by ONAP service designers.

Service designers use SDC design tools to build and maintain network services. Network services are stored in the SDC catalog and made available to service consumers.

Service consumers browse the SDC catalog and choose services for instantiation.

Requests for instantiation are passed to the SO. The SO obtains NSD and VNFD information from the SDC. Hardware platform capability requirements are downloaded as part of the VNFD data.

SO at present has 2 possible options to take over from here

1. Modify the existing flows (used by VCPE in amsterdam) to do service decomposition and call the OOF APIs to perform the optimize service/VNF homing and placement.

2. Introduce new flows that would invoke the TOSCA DO inside SO to perform the decomposition and OOF interactions

Hardware platform capability requirements are passed to the OOF.

The OOF uses the resource information stored in the AAI inventory database to obtain resource topology and capabilities data. It them makes use of placement policies to determine optimal homing and placement of a given network service.

Infrastructure providers register VIMs with the Multi-VIM layer, as part of the resource on-boarding process.

During the VIM registration process, resource topology and capabilities data is discovered and persisted in the AAI inventory database. From the HPA perspective, the AAI acts as the system of record for all HPA related information.

Any "day 2" operations that require VNF (re)instantiation, are performed by calling the SO and OOF components. Therefore, no changes to the "day 2" controllers is required in support of HPA.

VNFSDK

Specification of VNF hardware platform requirements and dependencies as part of the VNF descriptor.

SDC

Infrastructure validation during VNF on-boarding, based on ingested VNF hardware dependencies. Propagation of ingested VNF hardware platform dependencies.

POLICY

Definition of HPA centric constraint policies as they apply to VNF instantiation, VNF resource optimization and VNF instance operation.

SO

Use of hardware platform requirements as input into the resource homing and optimization process.

OOF

Use of hardware platform requirements as constraints for VNF component homing and resource placement.

DCAE

Use of hardware platform telemetry in determination of network service and VNF instance health.

APP-C

Use of hardware platform requirements as constraints for VNF instance operation and remediation.

VF-C

Use of hardware platform requirements as constraints for VNF instance operation and remediation.

AAI

Modeling and persistence of hardware platform capabilities as part of the inventory information.

Multi-VIM

Dynamic discovery of hardware platform capabilities during VIM on-boafding and operation.