Content for TS 28.500 Word version: 17.0.0

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4.1 Background 4.2 Concepts 4.2.1 NE and VNF 4.2.2 The relationship between NE and VNF
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4 Background and concepts p. 8

4.1 Background p. 8

It is expected that future implementation options for the entities of the 3GPP system include various technologies for virtualization. Network and service providers make use of different information in several different ways which also may vary from network to network and from time to time. Hence, entities of the 3GPP system that have been implemented with virtualization options should be managed in the same manner as entities implemented with non-virtualization options, to the extent possible.

Virtualized 3GPP entities still require some underlying hardware resources. One of the NFV business objectives is that VNFs are procured independently from the underlying hardware resources. The underlying hardware resources are expected to be administered independently from the virtualized entities required for the 3GPP system.

4.2 Concepts p. 8

4.2.1 NE and VNF p. 8

The components of NE can be shown as below (see Figure 4.2.1-1), where a Network Function (NF) is a processing function in a network which has defined functional behaviour and defined interfaces:

Reproduction of 3GPP TS 28.500, Fig. 4.2.1-1: NE components

Figure 4.2.1-1: NE components

A VNF is NF(s) that runs on a NFV Infrastructure (NFVI) (see Figure 4.2.1-2):

Reproduction of 3GPP TS 28.500, Fig. 4.2.1-2: VNF running on NFVI

Figure 4.2.1-2: VNF running on NFVI

NOTE:

A VNF holds the following: a) functionality of the NF(s), b) elements for supporting the NF functionalities (the set a) and b) referred as application part of the VNF), and c) elements enabling VNF to run on NFVI (referred as virtualization-specific part of the VNF). Examples of elements for supporting the NF functionalities are library, database, protocol stacks. From this perspective, for the same type of NF, the function of a VNF is equivalent to the NF realized by an NE. The VNF set-a and set-b are managed by EM using the Type 1 interface (subclause 5.1.2.1 of [5]) in case the EM is not realized by the above mentioned VNF. In the case the EM and NF are realized within one VNF, the managing interface between EM and NF is not defined. The VNF set-c is managed by VNFM using the ETSI NFV defined Ve-Vnfm-vnf Reference Point (subclause 5.3 of [10]) between VNFM and VNF.

Examples for the NE instance

The same telecommunication function of an NE instance could be carried as illustrated in the following examples (see also Figure 4.2.1-3):

EXAMPLE 1:

One VNF instance composed of one or more VNFC instances running on NFVI.

EXAMPLE 2:

NF(s) running on dedicated hardware, where the the NF is 3GPP defined mobile network function (as described in Figure 7.3.3.1 in TS 32.102).

Reproduction of 3GPP TS 28.500, Fig. 4.2.1-3: Examples of NE instances: a) virtualized and b) non-virtualized.

Figure 4.2.1-3: Examples of NE instances: a) virtualized and b) non-virtualized.

4.2.2 The relationship between NE and VNF p. 9

From 3GPP perspective, VNF contains the NE's Network Function(s). The relation between NE instance and VNF instance depends on the relation between the NFs of NE and the functions contained within VNF.

Relation1: The NE instance is 1:1 related to VNF instance if the VNF contains the whole Network Function(s) of the NE.