Demand for specialised network services is soaring as the world becomes increasingly connected. Building networks to accommodate the requirements of multiple service types is already challenging for service providers. Emerging shared resource business models with a diverse set of applications add further complications. But there is hope for service providers: network slicing has emerged as a key solution to address these challenges and facilitate the development of sophisticated multi-service transport networks.
Importance of network slicing in multiservice, multi-tenant and 5G transport networks
Network slicing empowers service providers to extract maximum value from their network resources by creating customised virtual networks within a single physical infrastructure. While different technologies can implement slicing, Optical Transport Network (OTN) technology offers distinct advantages. OTN provides a service-level agreement (SLA)-aware solution that allows service providers to offer premium wholesale and business services with flexibility, security and guaranteed performance. This is vitally important in multiservice, multi-tenant and 5G transport networks, where each service has unique requirements. With OTN, service providers can slice optical network capacity based on various quality of service (QoS) parameters such as data speed, latency, priority and reliability to adhere to SLAs.
Applicability of network slicing for business and wholesale services
OTN-enabled slicing can provide benefits to service providers that offer wholesale or retail business services over shared network resources. The figure below shows three examples where a service or wholesale provider creates slices to meet different service requirements and provide end customers with different levels of control over the management of the slices.
Figure: OTN-enabled network slicing examples
Through OTN slicing, the service provider can customise services more effectively, expedite time to market and maximise resource utilisation by grooming and aggregating service traffic. For mobile network operators, slices can support a variety of services—enhanced mobile broadband, ultra-reliable low latency communications, machine-type communications—that require different levels of network performance. Wholesale providers can use OTN slicing to give tenants more flexibility and greater control over their network slices so they can address changing service demands.
Satisfying diverse service requirements with hard and soft traffic isolation
In shared multiservice transport networks, service providers need to meet diverse QoS demands while ensuring that slices do not interfere with one another. This calls for tools that can isolate, monitor and protect each service, all while maximising bandwidth efficiency.
For each of the slicing examples described above, it can be advantageous to use a combination of hard and soft slicing. Hard isolation guarantees performance by dedicating specific resources to each slice, ensuring that there is no interference between slices. Soft slicing, on the other hand, provides flexibility in bandwidth granularity and improves efficiency through statistical multiplexing gains. Using OTN-enabled slicing, a service provider can implement a hybrid approach of hard and soft slicing to achieve the best of both worlds.
Combining these approaches enables service providers to support mission-critical networks or meet regulatory requirements effectively. For instance, a combination of Layer 2 switching for soft isolation and Layer 1 OTN for hard isolation within the same optical data unit (ODU) can ensure that dedicated connections meet performance guarantees and deliver a high level of security.
Embracing OTN-enabled network slicing to meet all service demands
When they build optical transport networks, service providers must prioritise robust, multi-service solutions that can support a flexible mix of services with guaranteed performance. By embracing OTN-enabled network slicing with flexible hard/soft isolation, providers can ensure that they have a responsive and tailored network infrastructure that’s ready to navigate the complexities of multi-service, multi-tenant and 5G transport networks to address evolving service demands.
