Intel and Lightbits Labs targets NVMe over Fabrics TCP

 Intel announced a partnership with Lightbits Labs focused on disaggregated storage solutions. The partnership includes technical co-engineering, go-to-market collaboration and an Intel Capital investment in Lightbits Labs. 

Lightbits, which is based in Israel, delivers high-performance shared storage across servers while providing high availability and read-and-write management designed to maximize the value of flash-based storage. 

Lightbits Labs has demonstrated LightOS NVMe over Fabrics TCP (NVMe-oF/TCP) storage with remote direct memory access-class performance when accelerated with the Intel Ethernet 800 Series Network Adapter with ADQ technology. (Credit: Lightbits Labs)

Lightbits Labs will enhance its composable disaggregated software-defined storage solution, LightOS, for Intel technologies, creating an optimized software and hardware solution. The system will utilize Intel Optane persistent memory and Intel® 3D NAND SSDs based on Intel® QLC Technology, Intel Xeon Scalable processors with unique built-in artificial intelligence (AI) acceleration capabilities and Intel Ethernet 800 Series Network Adapters with Application Device Queues (ADQ) technology. Intel’s leadership FPGAs for next-generation performance, flexibility and programmability will complement the solution.

In addition to the technical collaboration between the two companies, Lightbits and Intel are collaborating to provide complete solutions to customers and develop the ecosystem to drive broad adoption of these innovations. 

As a first example of the potential performance benefit this collaboration offers, Lightbits Labs demonstrated LightOS NVMe over Fabrics TCP (NVMe-oF/TCP) storage with remote direct memory access (RDMA)-class performance when accelerated with the Intel Ethernet 800 Series Network Adapter with ADQ technology. ADQ enables NVMe-oF/TCP to achieve distributed storage performance in the same range as RDMA-based protocols, while NVMe-oF/TCP enables broad adoption because of its ease of deployment and scalability.

https://newsroom.intel.com/news-releases/intel-strategic-collaboration-lightbits-labs/#gs.hjyccs

Read More

VMware's Project Monterey for SmartNICs - Pensando's perspective

Pensando Systems is working with VMware on Project Monterey to integrate the next generation of SmartNIC technology into fully virtualized enterprise networks.

The project aims to rearchitect VMware Cloud Foundation to enable disaggregation of the server including extending support for bare metal servers, thereby allowing physical resources to be dynamically accessed by applications based on policy or via software API.

In this video, Silvano Gai of Pensando Systems talks about Project Monterey and the benefits for customers, including performance, scale, and features such as firewalling, micro-segmentation, encryption, telemetry, etc.

https://youtu.be/74BBdbAI9tI

Next-Gen Infrastructure Acceleration

Monday, August 31, 2020  Infrastructure Acceleration  

The need for infrastructure acceleration has never been so acute. Advances in silicon are making possible highly programmable and very efficient network flow path engines for true data-centric computing.

Our Next-Gen Infrastructure Acceleration series collects and curates thought leadership videos from top players in this space, including Digital Realy, Evoque Data Center Solutions, NVIDIA (Mellanox), Fungible, Vapor IO and others.

We also present our 2020 Next-Gen Infrastructure Acceleration Report, which discusses infrastructure acceleration technologies adopted by CSPs and explores the products available from leading vendors. The report is available as a free download upon registration.


https://nextgeninfra.io/infrastructure-acceleration/

Pensado emerges from stealth, led by "MPLS" team from Cisco

Wednesday, October 16, 2019  Edge, Start-Ups  

Pensando Systems, a start-up based in San Jose, California, emerged from stealth to unveil its first product -- a software-defined edge services platform that was developed in collaboration with the world’s largest cloud, enterprise, storage, and telecommunications companies. Pensando ("thinking" in Spanish) is led by Cisco’s legendary “MPLS” team — Mario Mazzola, Prem Jain, Luca Cafiero, Soni Jiandani and Randy Pond. Hewlett Packard Enterprise...

READ MORE

Read More

Telecom Infra Project forms Solution Groups

The Telecom Infra Project (TIP) has formed a new "Solution Groups" that aim codify open, disaggregated, interoperable network elements, including TIP-incubated technology across all network layers, into a broad range of end-to-end solutions for specific deployment cases.

By introducing these new Project Groups and expanding their scope from individual network point solutions to end-to-end network solutions, the TIP community is incorporating additional value layers to its project lifecycle:

• Open, interoperable, disaggregated network components: In some Project Groups, TIP members develop individual network elements responding to specific technical requirements. The main outputs of this are validated products and suppliers.
• Open, interoperable, disaggregated network layers: Other TIP Project Groups also work to build end-to-end configurations for a single network layer (e.g. the RAN, or the Wi-Fi access network). These will typically be based on validated individual network elements. In this case the process will include integration and interoperability testing of the different elements, and the main outputs will be a set of validated end-to-end configurations, along with guidelines for their deployment and operation.
• Open, interoperable, disaggregated network end-to-end solutions: Finally, through the Solution Groups, we will be able to deliver end-to-end solutions for the whole network. In this case, the process will include the integration and interoperability testing of different elements across different network layers, and also the exploration of potential business models for commercialization of these solutions. As such, the outputs will include a set of validated end-to-end network solutions and guidelines for their deployment and operation, complemented with business model insights and recommendations, including Systems Integrators for go-to-market.

David Hutton, Chief Engineer of TIP, said: “With our newly formed Solution Groups, TIP will incorporate additional components to its value proposition, including the validation of interoperability between different network elements, across the whole network, and insights and recommendations about the business model needed for commercialization of those solutions. This approach leverages all the work that TIP has been doing in building and validating open, disaggregated and interoperable network elements, which will now be integrated into end-to-end solutions addressing specific commercial needs.”

https://telecominfraproject.com/tip-launches-solution-groups-to-define-and-validate-end-to-end-open-network-solutions/

Read More

FCC seeks to facilitate 5G in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band

 The FCC is seeking to make 100 megahertz of mid-band spectrum in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band available for 5G deployment across the contiguous United States.  

The FCC adopted new rules for, and proposed additional changes to, the broader 3.3-3.55 GHz band. Specifically, the adopted rules remove the secondary, non-federal allocations from the 3.3-3.55 GHz band.  The Report and Order relocates non-federal radiolocation licensees to the 2.9-3.0 GHz band, allowing them to continue operating there on a secondary basis to federal operations.  It also allows amateur licensees to individually determine appropriate alternative spectrum from existing available spectrum allocations.

The FCC is also proposing to allocate the 3.45-3.55 GHz spectrum band for flexible-use service.  It seeks comment on an appropriate regime to coordinate non-federal and federal use and proposes a band plan, as well as technical, licensing, and competitive bidding rules for the band.  Lastly, it seeks comment on details regarding the processes for relocating non-federal radiolocation operators to the 2.9-3.0 GHz band and sunsetting amateur use in the 3.3-3.5 GHz band.

U.S. to open 3.45-3.55 GHz mid-band spectrum for 5G

Monday, August 10, 2020  Auction, FCC  

The Trump administration announced that 100 megahertz of contiguous, coast-to-coast mid-band spectrum will be made available for commercial 5G deployment.

The action, which will be taken by the FCC in collaboration with the Department of Defense, targets the 3.45-3.55 GHz band.

“I commend the President and Department of Defense for today’s announcement that the 3.45-3.55 GHz band will be made available for commercial 5G deployment.  This is a key milestone in securing United States leadership in 5G.  I also would like to thank FCC staff for their work to help create a framework that will promote 5G service in this important band.  Together with the spectrum being made available for 5G in the C-band as well as the 3.5 GHz band, we are now on track to have a 530-megahertz swath of mid-band spectrum available for 5G from 3.45 to 3.98 GHz.  The FCC looks forward to moving quickly to adopt service rules for the 3.45 GHz b 

Read More

FCC adopts new rules for 4940-4990 MHz band

 The FCC adopted rules permitting expanded use of 50 megahertz of mid-band spectrum in the 4.9 GHz (4940-4990 MHz) band that is currently underused.  

Under the new rules, states are allowed to lease this spectrum to third parties to boost wireless broadband, improve critical infrastructure monitoring, and facilitate public safety use cases.  This will allow individual states to use the spectrum to best meet their unique needs.  

In the 18 years since the FCC designated the 4.9 GHz band for public safety use, only about 3.5% of all potential licensees have taken advantage of this spectrum opportunity, and this spectrum remains largely unused outside major metropolitan areas.  

http://www.fcc.gov

Read More

DOCOMO, Fujitsu and NEC demo multivendor 5G carrier aggregation

NTT DOCOMO, Fujitsu, and NEC achieved carrier aggregation using the 3.7GHz and 4.5GHz frequency bands in a 5G multi-vendor radio access network (RAN). In addition to this dual connectivity achieved by bundling LTE bands, downlink speeds of 4.2 Gbps will be achievable.

DOCOMO already provides commercial 5G services in Japan through a multi-vendor RAN that connects baseband units and remote radio units manufactured by Fujitsu and NEC based on O-RAN's open fronthaul specifications. The same system configuration was used to achieve this 5G carrier aggregation.

Naoki Tani, Senior Vice President at DOCOMO, said: "The deployment of O-RAN-compliant products will enable DOCOMO to flexibly build networks and provide 5G services that meet customer needs. Carrier aggregation furthering 5G high-speed data communication in a multi- vendor RAN developed jointly with Fujitsu and NEC is an important achievement. DOCOMO will continue to work with industry partners to promote open RAN and 5G services."

Shingo Mizuno, EVP and Vice Head of System Platform Business at Fujitsu, commented: "We are delighted to have succeeded in achieving carrier aggregation for 5G high-speed data communication in an environment featuring interconnection of multi-vendor equipment compliant with O-RAN specifications. This key milestone in the evolution of O-RAN will contribute greatly to the delivery of convenient 5G services and RAN openness, which Fujitsu is actively supporting with the aim of enhancing 5G services."

Atsuo Kawamura, Executive Vice President at NEC and President of the company's Network Services Business Unit, said: "The success of carrier aggregation in the 5G bands is a critical step in the ongoing enhancement of 5G network performance. I am very pleased that in collaboration with DOCOMO and Fujitsu we have now achieved high- performance O-RAN multi-vendor connectivity. This will lay the foundation for more open 5G services and business."

DOCOMO commits to multivendor O-RAN for 4G/5G

Wednesday, September 18, 2019  DOCOMO, O-RAN  

NTT DOCOMO has commenced deployment of a 4G/5G multivendor radio access network conforming to O-RAN specifications.

Working in collaboration with Fujitsu, NEC, and Nokia, DOCOMO has demonstrated multi-vendor interoperability across a variety of 4G and 5G base station equipment compatible with O-RAN. The O-RAN standards include fronthaul specifications and X2 profile specifications.

O-RAN fronthaul specifications are used to establish the connections between centralized units hosting baseband processing and remote units hosting radio processing in 5G remote-installed base stations. O-RAN fronthaul interface specifications provide a foundation for interoperability between centralized units and remote units of 5G remote-installed base stations manufactured by diverse partners.

The O-RAN X2 profile specifications provide a foundation for interoperability between 4G base stations and 5G base stations manufactured by diverse partners in 5G non-standalone (5G NSA) networks by taking 3GPP X2 interface specifications and specifying detailed standards for their usage. 5G NSA networks connect devices using both 4G and 5G technologies.

DOCOMO believes this represents the world's first realization of this level of multi-vendor interoperability in 4G and 5G base station equipment conforming to O-RAN specifications. The ability to deploy and interconnect base station equipment from different vendors will make it possible to select the equipment most suitable for deployment in any given environment, such as base stations offering broad coverage in rural areas or small base stations that can be deployed in urban areas where space is limited.

DOCOMO will deploy the equipment in the pre-commercial 5G service it plans to launch on September 20, 2019 in Japan.
https://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/info/media_center/pr/2019/0918_00.html

Fujitsu delivers 5G base station products to NTT DOCOMO

Wednesday, July 31, 2019  5G, Fujitsu, Japan, O-RAN  

Fujitsu Limited has begun delivery of 5G base station products, comprising of Central Unit (CU, 1) and Radio Unit (RU, 2), to NTT DOCOMO for its commercial 5G network.

The 5G CU products that Fujitsu has started delivering realize the 5G system through a proprietary software design from the company using software-defined radio technology, which can implement different wireless technologies on the same hardware.

The 5G RU products have built-in antennas (which had conventionally been installed externally) equipped with beam forming, enabling efficient network deployments. These RU products have a lineup consisting of 3 types of equipment that support 5G frequencies (the 3.7 GHz band, the 4.5 GHz band, and the 28 GHz band). he products are compliant with the O-RAN fronthaul interface specifications. Using this open interface, Fujitsu's products can connect to various vendors CU/RU products. The products also support 3GPP's (Release 15) specifications.

Fujitsu said it has been working with NTT DOCOMO to develop a CU and RUs that comply with the O-RAN fronthaul interface specifications

Read More

Japan's Rakuten Mobile launches 5G service

Rakuten Mobile officially launched its commercial 5G service in Japan and announced a “Rakuten UN-LIMIT V” service plan which offers customers access to 5G services for 2,980 yen monthly. Existing subscribers of the Rakuten UN-LIMIT 2.0 service plan will be able to use 5G services for no additional cost, in 5G service areas with a 5G-compatible device.

Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten, Inc., and Representative Director, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten Mobile, Inc. commented, “Less than six months since full-scale commercial launch of the world's first fully virtualized mobile network, today Rakuten Mobile takes another step forward to transform the mobile industry: We're offering customers 4G and 5G combined in one simple plan – Rakuten UN-LIMIT V – at the same low price as 4G.

Rakuten Mobile built an end-to-end fully virtualized cloud-native mobile network and launched full-scale commercial carrier services on the network in April 2020. In its 5G network, excluding the core network, all 5G network functions, such as the virtualized OpenRAN, cloud and OSS, are run on the Rakuten Communications Platform (RCP), a telco platform that is based on containers for more flexible and stable development. Rakuten Mobile’s telecommunications platform utilizes equipment and software from trusted partners. Rakuten Mobile’s network offers Non-Stand Alone (NSA) 5G service from September 30, 2020. Stand Alone (SA) 5G service is planned for launch in the second quarter of 2021. 

The company says its innovative network architecture allows for substantial reductions in capital investment and operating costs. 

Overview of the service plan

• Plan name: Rakuten UN-LIMIT V
• Monthly fee: 2,980 yen
• Service area: Parts of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Hokkaido, Osaka and Hyogo (as of September 30, 2020) 
• 5G transmission speed - As of September 30, 2020: Maximum download speed: Approx. 870Mbps / Maximum upload speed: Approx. 110Mbps
• As of November 2020 (planned): Maximum download speed: Approx. 2.8Gbps / Maximum upload speed: Approx. 275Mbps

Read More

Orange Polska selects ADTRAN’s Gfast fiber extension solutions

 Orange Polska, Poland’s leading operator with 28% market share and over 13.7 million active customers, has selected ADTRAN’s 2nd Generation Gfast fiber extension solutions to further accelerate its delivery of high-quality, high-capacity broadband services to more homes and businesses.

“Orange Polska's ambition is to reach several thousand additional customers per year with faster broadband services, which we believe will improve their quality of life and allow more people to benefit from the Gigabit Society,” said Michal Wal, Director, Fixed Access Networks at Orange Polska. “ADTRAN was able to deliver the right solution, at scale, that will enable us to best serve our customers and achieve our network service goals today and into the future.”

“ADTRAN is committed to helping operators, like Orange Polska, build their best networks and extend the range and reach of high-capacity broadband services to any customer,” said Dr. Werner Heinrich, Head of Solutions Management at ADTRAN. “We offer the industry’s widest range of FTTH and fiber extension solutions, have the deepest access domain experience and a demonstrated commitment to delivering the open, scalable, standards-based solutions the industry needs to keep everyone connected.

Read More

AWS launches Timestream, a serverless time series database for IoT

 Amazon Web Services announced the general availability of Amazon Timestream, a new time series database for IoT and operational applications that can scale to process trillions of time series events per day up to 1,000 times faster than relational databases.  

Amazon Timestream saves customers effort and expense by keeping recent data in-memory and moving historical data to a cost-optimized storage tier based upon user-defined policies, while its query processing gives customers the ability to access and combine recent and historical data transparently across tiers with a single query, without needing to specify explicitly in the query whether the data resides in the in-memory or cost-optimized tier. 

“What we hear from customers is that they have a lot of insightful data buried in their industrial equipment, website clickstream logs, data center infrastructure, and many other places, but managing time series data at scale is too complex, expensive, and slow,” said Shawn Bice, VP, Databases, AWS. “Solving this problem required us to build something entirely new. Amazon Timestream provides a serverless database service that is purpose-built to manage the scale and complexity of time series data in the cloud, so customers can store more data more easily and cost effectively, giving them the ability to derive additional insights and drive better business decisions from their IoT and operational monitoring applications.”

Amazon Timestream is available today in US East (N. Virginia), US East (Ohio), US West (Oregon), and EU (Ireland), with availability in additional regions in the coming months.

https://aws.amazon.com/timestream

Read More

DC BLOX completes metro fiber network in Huntsville

 DC BLOX, a Tier III multi-tenant data center operator, completed contruction of a new metro fiber network in Huntsville, Alabama.

This network, achieved in partnership with Huntsville Utilities, leverages their extensive dark fiber infrastructure to provide connectivity to a vast majority of local organizations. The network is now available and ready for service. 

“Huntsville Utilities constructed a robust fiber-optic network to move our community forward,” said Wes Kelley, President and CEO of Huntsville Utilities. “It not only serves existing utility and municipal needs; it is a catalyst for innovative partners like DC BLOX, who provide cutting-edge solutions for Huntsville’s job creators. We are excited to watch as our infrastructure is paired with great services that make our community stronger.”

Read More

Elisa Finland picks Nokia for 5G

 Finnish mobile operator Elisa as the nationwide supplier of 5G RAN. 

Nokia will provide its AirScale 5G RAN portfolio. The deal continues Nokia’s long-standing partnership with Elisa into the 5G era and will focus on Elisa’s efforts to digitize Finland and make it a leading global 5G market. Deployment is expected to begin immediately.

To support digitalization in Finland, Nokia will supply its flexible AirScale 5G Radio Access portfolio for enhanced mobile connectivity, as well as additional use cases such as Massive IoT and Ultra-Reliable Low Latency services (URLLC). This strengthens the partnership Nokia and Elisa have in other areas such as Core and IP Networks, as well as in Telco Cloud and IT domain.

The project will also focus on mobile network technology migration so that new radios will serve both 5G and 4G subscribers across the country. Elisa plans to decommission its 3G network by 2023 to support its move to 5G services.]

Read More