Subject: [tsvwg] List for Reliable VNF

From: Zongning <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2013 02:55:43 +0000

Hi,

A new list vnfpool ([email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>) has been created to discuss the reliability issues of virtualized network functions (VNFs). To subscribe to this list, please visit https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/vnfpool.

In the context of VNF, events over the lifetime of a virtualized instance can impact reliability, much as they can with physical instances, but there are additional events, such as elasticity in a running instance and migration, that are peculiar to virtualized functions.  Our concern is how to achieve VNF reliability both during a live event and during a VNF failure.  An initial set of problems include:

1) VNF instance selection and status monitoring. Select a suitable VNF instance from a group of candidates and replace the VNF instance in case of instance failure.

2) Backup instance selection and announcement. Backup instances of a VNF instance have to be selected and notified to the instances in the adjacent VNFs.

3) Service state synchronization. The service state of the VNF instance should also be synchronized between the instance and its backup for stateful network function.

4) VNF instance transition handling. How to notify the VNF instance transition to the instances in the adjacent VNFs? How to re-establish the network connection and session with an acceptable level of service continuity?

5) VNF instance deployment policy enforcement. Examples would include isolation policies requiring that VNF instances be placed on separate physical servers or separate DC sites.

It would also be interested to see how TSV technologies such as RSerPool, SCTP, MPTCP could be applicable to this new area.
We've laid out an initial description of the problem in https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-zong-vnfpool-problem-statement/ and are looking for discussion and feedback on the vnfpool list ([email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>).

Thanks.

-Ning