Nokia Networks
Executive Summary
Nokia AirFrame
Data Center
Solution
Centralized and
distributed capabilities for
the telco cloud
Efficient telco cloud architecture
- Industry first cloud infrastructure to
support centralized and distributed
capabilities
- Network design focused on reducing
latency and network ingress traffic
- Data center infrastructure optimized
for telco applications for higher
efficiency and superior capabilities
- A state-of-the-art data center
solution that is complementary to our
commitment to open and interoperable
cloud solutions
Cloud computing has been
transforming the IT industry
over the last decade, driving
down costs and improving
business agility. Within the telco
environment, many benefits
are now being emulated, with
mobile operators shifting
telco resources to the cloud to
create large pools of resources
that enable a high level of
automation in the delivery of
services and network operations.
Distribution of cloud-based
resources is actually critical to
deliver the services of the future
that. Extremely low latency and
local processing capabilities of
exceptionally high data rates
centered in hotspot locations
will be vital. These are just a few
characteristics that are specific
to the telco environment and
are not given the same priority
in traditional IT-based cloud
environments.
Although a telco cloud
architecture brings a number
of advantages, we cannot
forget that telco services place
specific demands on network
infrastructure. A specific
approach to cloud architecture
and hardware infrastructure
is needed to ensure these
demands are met in the most
optimal manner.
Nokia has seen a need to
provide operators with a
cloud infrastructure solution
that is tailored to support
the requirements of the
telco domain, without losing
compatibility with IT applications.
The Nokia AirFrame Data Center
Solution will enable operators
to build greater flexibility within
their cloud deployments.
Future connectivity
Operators need solutions that address their current
requirements but also future-proof them for the services of
the future. In terms of future mobile connectivity, existing
mobile technologies will not provide the capabilities needed
to meet the demands of a high performance 5G environment
that will support a gigabit experience with virtually zero
latency. The 5G networks of tomorrow will support a multitude
of applications and different use cases that include people,
things and machines.
5G networks will need to be scalable, having the ability to
be tailored to extremely diverse use cases in order to meet
specific performance requirements, and in some cases in
specific areas. This will further drive the evolution of network
architectures towards the cloud but will also define a need
for the cloud environment to become distributed as well as
centralized in order to cope with the future demands outlined
above.
Nokia has already identified a key distributed cloud-based
capability that will be necessary for 5G and future connectivity:
Cloud Radio Access Networks (RAN). One of its key aspects
is the coordination of the different layers of baseband
processing capacity that has already been identified as part of
the 5G target network architecture. A number of base station
Radio Frequency (RF) modules or radio heads operating with
different frequency bands and technologies will be deployed
close to the traffic demand, connected to multiple layers of
distributed and centralized baseband processing capacity that
is orchestrated automatically to support all kinds of traffic
peaks wherever they happen.
AirFrame will realize this distributed capability within the RAN,
in a distributed manner, adding efficiency and flexibility to 5G
architecture. With unparalleled radio processing capacity and
native support for Nokia Virtual Network Functions (VNFs),
AirFrame becomes a very important building block of future 5G
network deployments.
Differentiators
• Advanced cloud management solution to handle telco cloud
architectures (centralized and distributed)
• Greater efficiency compared to current x86 hardware when
running data demanding telco applications (e.g. baseband
radio)
• Fully compliant with IT standards and able to run the most
common IT cloud applications in parallel to telco cloud
• Enables operators to not only implement its Network
Function Virtualization (NFV) strategy but also rent
spare data center capacity for enterprise customers’ IT
applications
Nokia AirFrame Data Center Solution Executive Summary
3
Nokia AirFrame Data Center Solution
Components
Nokia AirFrame Cloud Server (including storage) An ultra-dense two-socket rackmount server, supporting
Intel® Xeon® processors. Offering more than a traditional
x86 server, it includes Nokia-specific enhancements that
make it more efficient than existing x86-based servers to run
demanding telco applications.
The AirFrame Server is optimized for lowering data center
operation cost with reduced energy consumption and provides
high storage flexibility to create optimal storage solutions,
which is ideal for virtualization and cloud computing.
Nokia AirFrame Racking A 42U rack to house the various data center infrastructure
components, with pre-installed cable sets. Also included is an
electric metered rack power distribution unit (PDU). The PDU
includes sensors that measure the current use of the PDU
and each attached device. The PDU can be managed remotely
through Web, Telnet, SNMP or SSH.
Product highlights: 1U server node, dual Intel Xeon Haswell
CPUs, DDR4 memory, impressive I/O scalability to eliminate
bottlenecks and increase agility to meet diverse applications,
ideal for the data center networking environment.
Nokia AirFrame Cloud Switch A high performance, high availability and low latency Layer
two/three Ethernet top-of-rack switch. It is optimal for
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) data center deployment for
high performance computing clusters.
The Nokia Cloud Switch has very high port density as well as
ultra-low latency characteristics making it ideal for demanding
workloads. Supports virtual machine mobility and enables
network scaling across Layer three subnets.
Product highlights: 48 x10 GE, 6 x 40GE ports, switching
capacity 1.44Tbps, forwarding rate: 1071Mpps, Software
Defined Networking (OpenFlow and Open API support) as SDN
solution for data center and cloud computing.
Data Center Services To maximize operational and service benefits, cloud hardware
and software needs effective services to be delivered endto-end. With Nokia Networks’ Global Services cloud portfolio,
business and technical risks are reduced in all phases of the
Airframe data center lifecycle, establishing a proven foundation
for operating telco applications on the cloud for any NFVs as
well as converged IT/enterprise scenarios.
Our Global Services portfolio supports all phases of the cloud
lifecycle, from consultancy that ensures business drivers are
realized to identifying business process changes that ensure
successful service realization to holistic integration and
support. Our services are further enhanced by combining with
our partner’s expertise in multivendor environments.
* An AirFrame rack is also available, with pre-installed cable
sets
4
Nokia AirFrame Data Center Solution Executive Summary
Nokia AirFrame Data Center Solution Executive Summary
5
Merging telco and IT
Cloud requirements for the telco environment are considerably
more stringent than those within the IT domain. Real-time
responsiveness and strict latency requirements will become
key criteria for future services. Telco cloud architectures will
need to follow layered and distributed topologies to better
deal with these requirements.
Nokia Networks’ AirFrame Data Center Solution will provide
unparalleled performance for telco cloud applications on
all domains, including Core, OSS/CEM and radio. The Nokia
AirFrame servers implement acceleration techniques that are
built for mobile broadband applications. These enhancements
boost packet processing capabilities for telco applications and
will support the ever increasing data demands of the telco
world and future connectivity technologies, such as 5G.
Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
P.O. Box 1
FI-02022
Finland
Visiting address:
Karaportti 3
ESPOO
Finland
© Nokia Solutions and Networks 2015
Large number of Nokia
VNFs for Core and Radio
VNF
Nokia defined
hardware enhanced
for demanding
applications
Combining the
flexibility of the Cloud
to deliver full endto-end telco and
enterprise services
HW
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Nokia AirFrame Data Center Solution Executive Summary
E2E
About Nokia
Nokia invests in technologies important in a world where billions of devices are connected. We are focused on three businesses: network infrastructure software,
hardware and services, which we offer through Nokia Networks; location intelligence, which we provide through HERE; and advanced technology development and
licensing, which we pursue through Nokia Technologies. Each of these businesses is a leader in its respective field.
Nokia Networks is the world’s specialist in mobile broadband. From the first ever call on GSM, to the first call on LTE, we operate at the forefront of each generation of
mobile technology. Our global experts invent the new capabilities our customers need in their networks. We provide the world’s most efficient mobile networks, the
intelligence to maximize the value of those networks, and the services to make it all work seamlessly. www.networks.nokia.com
Nokia is a registered trademark of Nokia Corporation. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks or trade names of their
respective owners.