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Project: Connectivity Services LSO

Project Description:

The objective of this project is to develop, document and validate a new Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF)-compliant User Network Interface (UNI) Manager feature plug-in for OpenDaylight (ODL) and northbound APIs that use the plug-in to expose capabilities of ODL to configure and provision MEF-defined Ethernet services (and eventually other Connectivity Services) in physical and virtual network components through ODL. The project will reference existing data models defined by MEF for Ethernet services and will develop new data model components if needed.

In its initial phase this project will develop an Ethernet service provisioning information model, ODL plug-in for configuring User Network Interface (UNI) functionality in physical or virtual network elements, and northbound APIs for Ethernet Private Line (EPL) service as defined by MEF, as the first use case. Other use cases such as Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVPL) service and Ethernet LAN (ELAN) service provide opportunity for future extension.

Figure 1 Connectivity Services LSO Architecture

Figure 2 OpenDaylight Lithium Architecture with Proposed MEF-Compliant UNI Manager Feature Plug-in

The EPL Service Provisioning northbound APIs and ODL plug-in will allow applications to create EPL services on physical and virtual devices through existing ODL southbound interfaces.

EPL Service Management API endpoint (RESTful web service)
- Reference: Metro Ethernet Forum Technical Specification MEF 6.2 EVC Ethernet Services Definitions – Phase 3
Ethernet Virtual Connections (EVC) Management API endpoint (RESTful web service)
- References:
  - Metro Ethernet Forum Technical Specification MEF 10.3 Ethernet Services Attributes Phase 3;
  - Metro Ethernet Forum Technical Specification MEF 6.2 EVC Ethernet Services Definitions – Phase 3
Class of Service Management API endpoint (RESTful web service)
- Reference: Metro Ethernet Forum Implementation Agreement MEF 23.1 Carrier Ethernet Class of Service - Phase 2
User Network Interface (UNI) Management feature plug-in for OpenDaylight
- Reference: Metro Ethernet Forum Technical Specification MEF 7.2 Carrier Ethernet Management Information Model

The APIs and data models provide an interface for Ethernet services applications – including virtual network functions – to provision Ethernet services by configuring virtual or physical devices and the connections between them using OpenDaylight. The RESTful interfaces exposed by the proposed APIs can be leveraged by other SDN controller platforms as well.

The Ethernet Services Manager, EVC Manager, CoS Manager and UNI Management plug-in are established as foundation services for future Ethernet services use cases. MEF defines a UNI as the physical demarcation point between the responsibility of the Service Provider and the responsibility of the Subscriber. The UNI terminates connections between customer locations and some characteristics of the Ethernet service such as line rate are enforced at the UNI. The UNI must therefore be deployed and configured to support the Ethernet service.

MEF defines an Ethernet Virtual Connection as an association of two or more UNIs that limits the exchange of Service Frames to UNIs in the Ethernet Virtual Connection. The EVC creates the link between UNI and therefore is also necessary for the service.

The proposed APIs have been reviewed and validated by members active in MEF projects related to this work. MEF has several on-going projects updating their service definitions and object models, so it is possible that these APIs will evolve with MEF changes.

The proposed APIs are based on the capabilities of OpenDaylight to create and provision UNIs and EVCs on virtual or physical devices in the network.

An initial UML representation of the EPL information model based on MEF Technical Specification 7.2 Carrier Ethernet Management Information Model is shown in Figure 3. The project will develop UML and YANG versions of the model and evolve them as MEF specifications evolve. The data model will be used as reference for development of the MEF APIs.

Figure 3 Ethernet Private Line Service Initial Information Model

Project proposal page: https://wiki.opnfv.org/lar-e
Meeting minutes: https://wiki.opnfv.org/meetings/lsoapi

Key Project Facts

Project: Connectivity Services LSO (lsoapi)
Project Creation Date: July 14, 2015
Project Category: Requirements
Lifecycle State: Incubation
Primary Contact: Kevin Luehrs, CableLabs (k.luehrs@cablelabs.com)
Project Lead: Kevin Luehrs
Jira Project Name: Connectivity Services LSO
Mailing list tag: [lsoapi]
Jira Project Prefix: (lsoapi)
IRC: #opnfv-lsoapi