ZTE Communications ›› 2014, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (3): 53-61.DOI: DOI:10.3939/j.issn.1673-5188.2014.03.007

• Research Paper • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Reliability of NFV Using COTS Hardware

Li Mo   

  1. CTO Group, ZTE Corporation, RicTX 75080, USA
  • Received:2014-04-09 Online:2014-09-25 Published:2014-09-25
  • About author:Li Mo (Mo.li@ztetx.com) is the chief architect of the CTO Group, ZTE Corporation. He has more than 20 years’experience in the telecommunications industry. Prior to joining ZTE in 2001, he worked extensively with IBM, Nortel and Fujitsu. His current research interests include SDN, NFV, P2P network, next -generation core networks, IMS, and fixed mobile convergence. He is an active member of the IEEE, ETSI, and ITU -T, where he edited two published recommendations. He has more than 10 approved US patents and many more in progress.
    Dr. Mo received his PhD degree in electrical engineering from Queen's University, Canada, in 1989.

Reliability of NFV Using COTS Hardware

Li Mo   

  1. CTO Group, ZTE Corporation, RicTX 75080, USA
  • 作者简介:Li Mo (Mo.li@ztetx.com) is the chief architect of the CTO Group, ZTE Corporation. He has more than 20 years’experience in the telecommunications industry. Prior to joining ZTE in 2001, he worked extensively with IBM, Nortel and Fujitsu. His current research interests include SDN, NFV, P2P network, next -generation core networks, IMS, and fixed mobile convergence. He is an active member of the IEEE, ETSI, and ITU -T, where he edited two published recommendations. He has more than 10 approved US patents and many more in progress.
    Dr. Mo received his PhD degree in electrical engineering from Queen's University, Canada, in 1989.

Abstract: This paper describes a study on the feasibility of using commercial off -the -shelf (COTS) hardware for telecom equipment. The study outlines the conditions under which COTS hardware can be utilized in a network function virtualization environment. The concept of silent -error probability is introduced to account for software errors and/or undetectable hardware failures, and is included in both the theoretical work and simulations. Silent failures are critical to overall system availability. Site -related issues are created by combined site maintenance and site failure. Site maintenance does not noticeably limit system availability unless there are also site failures. Because the theory becomes extremely involved when site failure is introduced, simulation is used to determine the impact of those facts that constitutes the undesirable features of using COTS hardware.

Key words: reliability, COTS hardware, NFV

摘要: This paper describes a study on the feasibility of using commercial off -the -shelf (COTS) hardware for telecom equipment. The study outlines the conditions under which COTS hardware can be utilized in a network function virtualization environment. The concept of silent -error probability is introduced to account for software errors and/or undetectable hardware failures, and is included in both the theoretical work and simulations. Silent failures are critical to overall system availability. Site -related issues are created by combined site maintenance and site failure. Site maintenance does not noticeably limit system availability unless there are also site failures. Because the theory becomes extremely involved when site failure is introduced, simulation is used to determine the impact of those facts that constitutes the undesirable features of using COTS hardware.

关键词: reliability, COTS hardware, NFV