By Sree Nandan Atur, Technical Director – Cloud BU at Rakuten Symphony. Rakuten Symphony’s Rakuten Cloud won the Best Platform-as-a-Service / Cloud Middleware category at the 2023/24 Cloud Awards.

It is anticipated that by 2026, there will be 4.8 billion global subscriptions to 5G.

Operators today are increasingly facing a daunting reality. The advent of 5G and enterprise edge deployments has brought about unprecedented complexities in telecom ecosystems.

In this new world, the need for advanced automation and orchestration solutions has become more pronounced than ever. They are no longer just tools for managing complexity; they are essential for survival and success in an increasingly competitive landscape. By investing in advanced middleware solutions that leverage these technologies, enterprises and telecom operators can transform their operations, enhance their service offerings, and pave the way for a more dynamic, efficient, and resilient future.

The day 1 and day 2 double dilemma

Telecom operators today are not just battling with complex day 1 deployments but also with the demands of day 2 lifecycle management. An exponentially increasing number of data centers, demanding end-to-end automation, adds another layer of complexity. Even as far back as 2020, the industry’s expenditure on 5G infrastructure amounted to a whopping US$4.2 billion. With software instances running into hundreds and edge locations into tens of thousands, this figure is understandable. However, managing these multi-technology, multi-vendor ecosystems is an escalating challenge. Traditional approaches, heavily reliant on legacy cloud and VM-based platforms, are increasingly falling short.

Transition to Kubernetes: Carrots and caveats

The telecom industry’s recent shift towards containerized environments running on Kubernetes (K8s) has been a significant step forward. Kubernetes offers a more unified approach to managing the inherently disparate resources within telco frameworks. However, the diverse components of the solution stack, ranging from bare-metal servers and networking to cloud-native platforms and network functions, each bring its unique management and integration requirements. The resulting complex web of workflows, with unique automation languages and scripting, require large support teams and coding experts on a day-to-day basis. This in turn elevates operational costs and reduces overall efficiency.

The rise of stateful edge applications

The increasing prevalence of stateful edge applications, such as edge analytics, IoT, and network-aware apps, further complicates the scenario. These applications require persistent compute and storage solutions that can keep up with their dynamic nature. While existing solutions like the Container Storage Interface (CSI) provide some relief, they often fall short in addressing the dynamic needs of Kubernetes applications.

The imperative for advanced technology solutions

As we navigate through this turn of events, automation and orchestration solutions need to simplify the management of multi-vendor ecosystems, and enhance the performance and efficiency of operations. The future of telecom depends on our ability to address these challenges head-on, paving the way for more streamlined, efficient, and cost-effective operations.

Automation and orchestration of complex ecosystems

Modern-day automation and orchestration platforms are not just tools. They are essential strategies to manage the increasingly complicated web of operations and services.

• In an environment where hundreds of software instances and tens of thousands of edge locations need to be managed, automation stands as the backbone of efficiency and reliability. By automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks, telecom operators can significantly reduce human errors, increase operational efficiency, and accelerate service delivery. Automation enables real-time responses to network conditions and user demands, ensuring optimal performance and customer satisfaction.
• While automation handles tasks, orchestration manages the relationships and interactions between these automated tasks. Since diverse components and systems need to work in harmony, orchestration has become a non-negotiable component of modern-day telecom. It ensures that different processes and tools work together seamlessly, providing a coherent and unified management layer. With orchestration, operators can align network behaviors with business objectives, creating a more responsive and adaptable ecosystem.

The true power of automation and orchestration lies in their synergy. Together, they provide a framework for managing not just the infrastructure but also the services and applications that run on top of it. This is particularly crucial in an era where the demand for stateful edge applications and services is skyrocketing.

Use case – a multi-location smart city

Let’s look at a simple use case of deployment and management of a network of IoT devices in a multi-location smart city. Telecom operators are central to the success of these cities. They provide the essential infrastructure and services that make the interconnected, intelligent functionality of smart cities possible. Smart city devices include traffic sensors, air quality monitors, and public safety cameras. Not only the initial deployment is to be managed, but also ongoing maintenance, updates, and troubleshooting.

Physically managing each device (often referred to as “truck rolls” in a telecommunications setup) is costly and time-consuming. Each visit to a site incurs travel costs, labor costs, and potential downtime. Furthermore, as demand for new, revenue-generating services increases, operators need a rapidly deployable, scalable solution. This, alongside the ability to manage new devices and services on demand.

Automation and orchestration in edge setups

• Automated deployment and configuration: As the very first step, automation enables operators to remotely deploy and configure the IoT devices from a central location. This involves automatically pushing firmware updates, security patches, and configuration changes – no physical presence needed.
• Edge orchestration: An orchestration layer manages the devices at the edge of the network. It monitors the status of devices, automatically reroutes traffic if a device fails, and scales resources up or down based on demand. This ensures optimal performance and reliability without manual intervention.
• Analytics for predictive maintenance: The system uses data analytics and machine learning to predict when devices are likely to fail or require maintenance. It then automatically schedules maintenance tasks before problems occur, reducing downtime and the need for emergency visits.

Cost savings

• In this instance, automation and orchestration tools dramatically reduce the number of physical visits to sites. This translates into direct savings in travel and labor costs.
• Predictive maintenance and real-time monitoring prevent outages and reduce the time taken to resolve issues, minimizing the cost associated with downtime and disruption of city services.
• It also frees city staff to focus on higher-value tasks, increasing overall operational efficiency.

Monetization opportunities

• With a scalable and flexible edge infrastructure in place, the city administration can quickly launch new smart city services.
• The data collected from the IoT devices can be analyzed and used to provide insights for urban planning, environmental management, or public safety.
• Improved reliability and new services enhance the quality of life for citizens, leading to increased satisfaction and the potential for innovative city offerings.

Thus, by leveraging automation and orchestration in an Edge setup, city administrations can significantly reduce costs associated with physical management and downtime. Further, they can also unlock new opportunities for revenue generation through innovative smart city services. As networks become more dynamic and complex, the ability to automatically deploy, manage, and scale services becomes a competitive advantage.

Conclusion

In the context of today’s 5G and enterprise edge deployments, where complexity is the norm and the stakes are high, the relevance of cloud middleware and PaaS solutions like Rakuten Cloud cannot be overstated. The journey ahead demands innovation, adaptability, and a relentless pursuit of efficiency. It is challenging, but with the right tools and strategies, it is a journey we can navigate successfully. This is why, in future, solutions like Rakuten Cloud will not just be an option; they will become imperative for telecom operators to thrive in an increasingly complex and dynamic environment.