Virtual Monitoring Function Solution
Roll Out New NFV-Enabled Services with Confidence
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) allows the migration of network
functions from proprietary, physical hardware to less expensive, more
flexible COTS (Commercial Off-the-Shelf) servers. While NFV is not
a new concept, it has the power to change the way service providers
do business forever. The promise of NFV to generate new sources of
revenue lies in the ability to quickly roll out services subscribers want
and swiftly eliminate those they don’t.
Service providers that embrace NFV will realize several other
advantages including increased operational flexibility and efficiency,
and operational cost savings. In this new virtual world, how can
operators know that these Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs) are
working correctly and guarantee service reliability? Enter Tektronix
Communications’ Virtual Monitoring Function (VMF) solution. Our VMF
solution delivers proactive, cost-effective assurance for virtual and
physical networks.
Virtual Monitoring Function Solution - www.tekcomms.com
What is the Value of VMF?
• Enables fast and costefficient service rollout with
confidence
• Real-time, end-to-end view
of virtual and physical
networks
• Eliminates visibility gaps
between VNFs
• Open APIs that permit
dynamic management via
the service orchestrator
Our Monitoring Vision
At Tektronix Communications, we are committed to evolving our monitoring
platform to support service providers’ hybrid networks, which contain both
physical and virtual functions. Our solutions leverage existing physical
infrastructure to provide a single view of the network, utilizing the familiar
workflows of the Iris server applications - Iris Session Analyzer, Iris Traffic
Analyzer, Iris Performance Intelligence, Protocol Analyzer, and Iris Analytics.
Virtual Monitoring for Physical Networks
Transition to NFV will be gradual, which means that networks will operate
in hybrid environments for the foreseeable future. Even as more legacy
equipment and functions are virtualized, physical networks are not going
away completely. Tektronix Communications’ monitoring solutions allow
Communications Service Providers (CSPs) to leverage their physical
infrastructure and still experience the operating cost savings associated
with NFV. Our GeoSoft Core software-only or virtual probe runs on COTS
hardware and when used in physical network environments enables real-time
monitoring and troubleshooting of traditional use cases, all from a single
IrisView interface.
Virtual Monitoring for Virtual Networks
As CSPs begin to offer more revenue-generating applications and value
added services via NFV, ensuring the reliability and availability of the network
is critical. Our VMF solution includes three modules to deliver proactive, costeffective assurance for virtual network environments. VMF allows CSPs to
launch new services with confidence.
Module 1: GeoSoft Core Virtual Probe
GeoSoft Core virtual probe supports EPC and IMS network functions
and provides an independent, single view of the network, real-time and
historical end-to-end call trace, network-wide KPI visibility, and continuity
of data feeds. Our virtual probe captures and delivers real-time network
performance data to protect the reliability and availability of virtual and
physical networks, and to provide a consistent user experience.
Module 2: Visibility Agent
Due to the dynamic nature of NFV, there will be a loss of visibility between
VNFs. Whether the VNFs are located on virtual machines (VMs) on the same
server, on different servers, or migrating between servers, the Visibility Agent
of our VMF solution eliminates visibility gaps between VNFs. Regardless of
the physical locations of the VMs, traffic between VNFs is captured and sent
directly to the monitoring fabric of our GeoSoft Core virtual probe, as well as
our physical probing platforms.
Module 3: Orchestration Agent
Under NFV, the process of deploying new services will be faster, more
efficient, and more cost-effective than ever. This agility begins with the
virtual service orchestrator which eliminates the inefficiencies associated with
the maintenance and operation of purely physical networks, such as manual
processes that add time and expense to service rollout. Our Orchestration
Agent uses open APIs to simplify integration with the service orchestrator
and other NFV solutions. The VMF solution’s virtual orchestrator provides
lifecycle, network topology, capacity, and probe configuration management
and includes support for OpenStack and KVM environments.
Virtual Monitoring Function Solution - www.tekcomms.com
Cost-effective,
decentralized
monitoring
Traditional, centralized
probing strategies can
create challenges for service
providers with respect
to aggregation, traffic
grooming, and back-hauling.
This is especially true for
scenarios involving multiple
low bandwidth sites that
require monitoring. GeoSoft
Core enables decentralized
probing that allows CSPs
to locate a software-only
probe closer to a data
source to monitor traffic
of interest. For example, a
GeoSoft Core virtual probe
can be cost-effectively
deployed in the voice
network of a rural service
area, thereby extending
Tektronix Communications’
best-in-class monitoring
and troubleshooting to low
bandwidth environments.
2
Virtual Monitoring Function Solution
Architecture
About Tektronix Communications:
Tektronix Communications provides service
providers and equipment manufacturers
around the world an unparalleled suite of
network diagnostics and service assurance
solutions for fixed, mobile, IP and converged
multi-service networks. This comprehensive
set of solutions support a range of
architectures and applications such as LTE,
fixed mobile convergence, IMS, broadband
wireless access, WiMAX, VoIP and triple play.
Tektronix Communications
is headquartered in Plano, Texas.
Learn more about the company’s test,
measurement and service assurance
solutions by visiting www.tekcomms.com
For Further Information:
Tektronix Communications maintains a
comprehensive, constantly expanding
collection of application notes, technical
briefs and other resources to help engineers
working on the cutting edge of technology.
Please visit www.tekcomms.com
Contact Tektronix Communications:
Please visit www.tekcomms.com
The elements of our VMF solution include the TekComms VMF (GeoSoft Core virtual
probe), TekComms VMF Manager (Iris software component), EMS (IrisView OAM and server
applications), and open interface/API support (Or-Vnfm: TekComms-defined APIs, Vi-Vnfm:
VIM-defined APIs, and Ve-Vnfm: Existing Iris APIs).
Our VMF solution features:
• Software-only, virtual probes running on COTS servers
• Real-time, end-to-end view of virtual and physical networks
• Familiar Iris workflows and a single interface
• Seamless integration with service orchestrator
Which translates to:
Phone: 1-800-833-9200 option 1
+1-469-330-4000
About this Document:
The information contained in this document is subject
to change without notice and does not carry any
contractual obligation for Tektronix Communications.
Tektronix Communications reserves the right to make
changes to any products or services described in
this document at any time without notice. Tektronix
Communications shall not be held responsible for
the direct or indirect consequences of the use of the
information contained in this document.
Copyright © Tektronix. All rights reserved. Tektronix
products are covered by U.S. and foreign patents,
issued and pending. Information in this publication
supersedes that in all previously published material.
Specification and price change privileges reserved.
TEKTRONIX and TEK are registered trademarks of
Tektronix, Inc. All other trade names referenced
are the service marks, trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies.
• OPEX savings
• Leveraging of physical infrastructure
• Elimination of visibility issues between VNFs
Virtual Monitoring Function Solution - www.tekcomms.com
02/15