Testing: Berlin, November 16-20, 2020
EANTC performed an interoperability test event focused purely on NETCONF and transport network-specific YANG models. This event differed from our annual SDN interop events in the springtime investigating only the management plane (between controllers/orchestrators and switches/routers).
We covered a number of use case scenarios:
- 5G end-to-end slicing across data center, core/aggregation and access using different transport technologies
- Enterprise VPN services, specifically data center interconnect (DCI)
- Cloud-RAN xhaul and packet network clocking
Technical Goals
Our goal is to help the industry to:
- Improve multi-vendor network management (provisioning, reconfiguration, fault management, performance monitoring) using the NETCONF protocol
- Provide a neutral, collaborative and amicable place for the whole industry where new NETCONF/YANG implementation aspects can be evaluated, outside competitive labs and service provider PoCs
- Promote the use of standardized Yang models where available and feasible and encourage the multi-vendor alignment of YANG models for standard device and service configuration aspects
- Understand and improve how third-party orchestrators can cope with non-standardized YANG models (some of which will always remain non-standardized due to competitive differentiation)
New Test Bed Approach
Following our successful mixed on-site and remote SDN interoperability test event in March 2020, and our series of fully remote interop and performance test programs in Network Function Virtualization (NFV) since 2016, we decided to take a step for SDN interop testing we had planned for a long time. Covid-19 changed the environment, encouraging us to go this way for multi-vendor testing as well:
- Remote testing
- Full remote control with VPNs, jump servers, videoconferencing sessions
- Virtualized platforms provided by EANTC
- Distributed (time shifted) testing
Benefits of Participation
EANTC’s interoperability reports are respected by service providers, raising customer awareness of the state of implementation for innovative network concepts. We describe use case scenarios and design blueprints which service providers can adopt for their network designs. Our reports have helped to kick off network innovation projects, to fulfill RFP requirements with regards to interoperability, and to avoid individual PoCs covering similar technical questions. Participation in this initiative accelerates multi-vendor interoperability and standards compliance of Yang model implementations.
The initiative provides a unique opportunity to test and troubleshoot interoperability with third-party vendors in a friendly pre-production environment. Previously, EANTC transport network interoperability tests took place only once per year. For NETCONF testing, a distributed, automated test bed with virtualized solutions will be more timely, more efficient, and require less support. Participating in the test event improves quality and reduces implementation time in customer projects.