The figure below shows the collection of technologies that enables the Akraino Edge Stack Network Cloud (NC) Blueprint. This picture also highlights the items in the initial seed code of this blueprint. This blueprint is the demonstration of end to end stack compiled using multiple upstream projects and maintained using Akriano's CI/CD process to support the lifecycle.
The Akraino Portal at the Regional site provides a menu-driven user interface to select a blueprint for the edge site. Once a blueprint is selected, end-to-end edge automation is used to build the site. Building a site entails making sure network connectivity exists for all compute and control nodes in the rack and between racks including connectivity to network racks.
This blueprint plans to utilize Platform for Intelligent Network Control (PINC) to provide network automation which includes bootstrapping the network devices in the CLOS fabric and providing needed configuration for fabric connectivity (PINC is not part of initial seed). Once network readiness is achieved, automation can start the build process for the given site with the chosen blueprint using the portal. Akraino leverages upstream open source project AirShip to provide deployment automation for the under cloud as well as the deployment of OpenStack components at the edge site.
The Akraino portal intend to provide single pane of glass view of deployment and management functions of the edge sites. Portal also capability to deploy Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) at a select sites.
The portal leverages the Camunda workflow engine to execute a set of scripts that operate on declarative configuration management principles.
ONAP supports inventory, catalog, orchestration, analytics, policy, mediation, optimization and exposure functionality for deploying VNFs. It provides both design time and run-time capabilities. The design time framework is a comprehensive development environment with tools, techniques, and repositories for defining/describing resources, services, and products. The runtime execution framework executes the rules and policies distributed by the design and creation environment.
ONAP can be leveraged for on-boarding VNFs where deployed. VNF can also be deployed through the Akraino portal directly, where ONAP is not deployed.
As part of End-to-End Edge automation, this blueprint uses Dawn which is a DMTF Redfish API based automation to bootstrap OS on a bare metal server offering the capability of true Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP). AirShip deployment automation is leveraged next to bring up the under cloud components.
