What is SO Service Orchestrator

Delving into SO Service Orchestrator: The Maestro of Network Services

In the realm of telecommunications, particularly within the framework of Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP), Service Orchestrator (SO) emerges as a critical component. SO acts as the conductor, coordinating and automating the lifecycle management of various network services. Let's embark on a technical exploration of SO, dissecting its functionalities, architecture, and the vital role it plays in building dynamic and agile service delivery in modern networks.

Understanding Service Orchestration:

Service orchestration refers to the automated process of provisioning, configuring, and managing network services across different network domains. This encompasses tasks like:

• Service Design and Modeling: Defining the components and workflows required to deliver a specific network service.
• Resource Allocation: Requesting and allocating required network resources (compute, storage, network) from underlying infrastructure.
• Service Activation and Deactivation: Automating the deployment and activation of services, as well as their termination upon request.
• Service Monitoring and Fault Management: Continuously monitoring service performance and health, and taking corrective actions in case of failures.

SO Service Orchestrator in ONAP:

ONAP serves as a standardized architecture for building automated and intelligent networks. SO, within ONAP, acts as the highest-level service orchestration component. It interacts with various other ONAP components to achieve comprehensive service lifecycle management.

SO Architecture:

SO can be broadly divided into the following functional blocks:

• API Handler: This component provides northbound interfaces for receiving service requests from external clients. It can handle both service-level requests related to service activation or deactivation, as well as infrastructure requests regarding specific network resources.
• Service Catalog: The SO catalog serves as a repository of pre-defined service models. These models encompass the components, configurations, and workflows required to deliver specific network services. The SO leverages this catalog to identify the appropriate service model for a given request.
• BPMN Execution Engine: SO utilizes an engine capable of executing Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) workflows. BPMN workflows define the sequence of steps and actions required to provision, configure, and manage a service.
• Resource Adapters: These adapters facilitate communication between SO and various underlying network infrastructure components like SDN controllers (Software Defined Networking) or VIM (Virtual Infrastructure Manager). They translate SO requests into commands understood by these infrastructure components.
• Data Stores: SO relies on data stores to manage information about service requests, service models, and the overall state of network services.

SO Functionalities:

SO offers several key functionalities for service orchestration:

• Model-Driven Service Orchestration: SO leverages pre-defined service models to automate service delivery. This reduces manual configuration errors and ensures consistent service behavior.
• Multi-Vendor Integration: SO can interact with various network equipment and software from different vendors through resource adapters, enabling orchestration across heterogeneous networks.
• Workflow Automation: SO automates the execution of service workflows defined in BPMN, streamlining service lifecycle management tasks.
• Error Handling and Rollback: The SO is equipped to handle potential errors during service provisioning or configuration. It can initiate rollback procedures to revert to a previous state if necessary.

Benefits of Utilizing SO:

• Improved Service Agility: SO facilitates faster service delivery and reduces time-to-market for new network services.
• Reduced Operational Costs: Automated service orchestration streamlines tasks and minimizes manual intervention, leading to lower operational expenses.
• Increased Service Consistency: Model-driven orchestration ensures consistent service configuration and behavior across different deployments.
• Improved Network Efficiency: SO can optimize resource allocation and utilization based on service requirements.

The Future of SO Service Orchestrator:

As network virtualization and cloud technologies continue to evolve, SO will play an increasingly critical role in managing complex network services. Future advancements might include:

• Integration with Artificial Intelligence (AI): SO could leverage AI for intelligent service optimization, resource allocation, and proactive service management.
• Closed-Loop Automation: SO could evolve towards closed-loop automation, where it not only automates service lifecycle management but also continuously analyzes service performance and adapts configurations for optimal service delivery.

Conclusion:

Service Orchestrator (SO) stands as a cornerstone technology within the ONAP framework. By automating service lifecycle management tasks and facilitating integration between diverse network components, SO empowers communication service providers (CSPs) to deliver agile, efficient, and scalable network services in today's dynamic and demanding network environment. As network complexity continues to rise, SO will remain an essential tool for managing and orchestrating services that meet the ever-growing demands of modern communication landscapes.