1. Cloud Native Core Release Notice
  2. Feature Descriptions

2 Feature Descriptions

This chapter provides a summary of each feature released in Cloud Native features release 2.3.0.

Cloud Native Environment (CNE)

Cloud Native Environment (CNE) 1.6.0 provides the following major feature in this release:
  • Operations Services Overlay Enhancements: OSO packaging has been modified to support the CSAR format. For more information, see Operations Services Overlay Installation Guide.
  • DB Tier Overlay Enhancements: DB Tier Overlay packaging has been modified to support the CSAR format. For more information, see Cloud Native Core DB Tier User Guide.
  • Virtual Infrastructure: Support has been added for a number of OpenStack infrastructure options, including:
    • Use TLS to access the OpenStack Controller
    • Use config_drive
    • Use external DNS
    • Use non-Nova availability zones

    For more information, see Cloud Native Environment Installation Guide.

  • Bare Metal Infrastructure: Generic support has been added for deploying OC-CNE on new hardware types. For more information, see Cloud Native Environment Installation Guide.
  • New vCNE Load Balancer: MetalLB has been added as a load balancer for virtualized deployments. For more information, see Cloud Native Environment Installation Guide.
  • Automated Data Tier Maintenance Operations: Automated repair for several common failure scenarios has been included in this release. For more information, see Cloud Native Environment Installation Guide.
  • CNE 1.6.0 updates Kubernetes to version 1.17.5.

Cloud Native Core Console (CNCC)

Cloud Native Core Console (CNCC) 1.3.0 has been updated with the following enhancements:
  • CNCC Helm Test : The new Helm Test feature validates the successful CNCC installation along with readiness (Readiness probe url configured will be checked for success) of all the pods. The pods that needs to be checked, will be based on the namespace and label selector configured during the helm test configurations.
  • Metric support has been introduced for CNCC Core and CNCC IAM Ingress Gateway. For more information on the metric details, see Cloud Native Core Console User's Guide.
  • CNCC 1.3.0 is compatible with the latest version of the following Network Functions (NF):
    • SCP 1.8.0
    • NRF 1.8.0
    • UDR 1.8.0
    • CNC Policy 1.8.0
  • The following GUI enhancements is introduced in CNCC 1.3.0:
    • New screen for UDR Diameter Service
    • NRF System options screen is updated as per latest API changes
    • Policy Import functionality has been improved for better user experience

Cloud Native Core Policy (CNC Policy)

CNC Policy 1.8.0 has been updated with the following enhancements:
  • OCCNE and OSO Integration : CNC Policy and PCF supports OSO integration. For more information on integrating CNC Policy with OSO, see Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Policy Installation Guide.
  • Converged Diameter Gateway and Binding Service Enhancements : With this enhancement, new diameter metrics have been added. For more information on Binding Service and metrics, see Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Policy User's Guide.
  • Nudr to support OperatorSpecificData : CNC Policy supports custom JSON feature that enables flexible data schema for policy validation from Nudr interface. This enhancement allows you to configure flexible data schema as part of OperatorSpecificData and apply policies based on the data set. For more information, see Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Policy User's Guide and Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Policy Design Guide.
  • Policy Action for bulk PCC Rule Removal: Starting with CNC Policy Release 1.8.0, policy complexity has been reduced by enabling bulk PCC Rule Removal for pre-defined and dynamic rules. For more information on Policy Action for bulk PCC Rule Removal, see Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Policy Design Guide.
  • Spending Limit Counter - With this enhancement, Policy solution enables you to use activation time in pending policy counter as input to the Condition Data for either activation time or deactivation time. This functionality is available for condition data used by PCC rules and session rules. For more information on spending limit pending counter, see Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Policy User's Guide and Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Policy Design Guide.
  • Policy Event Records : Policy Event Records feature allows you to view transaction related information that includes input data set, policies that were evaluated and resulting policy actions from any transactions. For more information on configuration parameters related to policy event records, see Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Policy User's Guide.
  • Subscriber Activity Logging for UDR notification: You can now capture and monitor subscriber logs for UDR/CHF notifications and associated call flow in Session Management (SM) and egress gateway. For more information on subscriber activity logging, see Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Policy User's Guide.
  • Dynamic override for Policy Data Configurations: With this feature, an operator can override and/or update attributes in real-time via policy actions. This feature is currently applicable to PCC Rules and Session Rules that were predefined at PCF. For more information on how to override policy data configurations dynamically, see Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Policy Design Guide.
  • Support for XFCC Header: With this enhancement, support for PCF as a producer has been added, to check, if SCP which has sent the HTTP request is the same proxy consumer or client, which is expected to send a HTTP2 request. This is achieved by comparing the FQDN of SCP present in the “x-forwarded-client-cert” (XFCC) of http2 header, with the FQDN of the SCPs configured in PCF. For more information on configurable parameters for XFCC header, see Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Policy Installation Guide.
  • Support for Session Retry and Alternate Route Service: In previous releases, CNC Policy and PCF were being configured with primary and secondary NRF statically and limiting to a specific number. Starting with CNC Policy Release 1.8.0, session retry enables the alternate recovery mechanisms to mitigate impact of any unavailable resource. Policy system provides flexible and configurable retry behavior for selected interfaces. To support this behavior, SRV Records has been added. This would add more options for NF FQDN to be configured and maintained dynamically at the DNS Server, which can be further selected by PCF, when there is an NF failure. For more information on configuring retry profile, see Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Policy User's Guide and for more information on configurable parameters for alternate route service (DNS-SRV), see Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Policy Installation Guide.

CNC NF Data Collector

Cloud Native Core Network Function Data Collector Tool 1.1.0 has below enhancements:

  • Information on how to view and delete NF logs, metrics, and traces. For more information, see Cloud Native Core Network Function Data Collector User's Guide.
  • Appendices to understand logs and metrics inclusion filter keywords. For more information, see Cloud Native Core Network Function Data Collector User's Guide.
  • Information on how to remove pending resources from namespace. For more information, see Cloud Native Core Network Function Data Collector User's Guide.
  • Support of K8 Namespace in Network Function Deployment data collection tool: This feature has been introduced since there can be multiple helm releases in same namespace. After new enhancements, helm specific data will also be collected belonging to entered namespace. For more information, see Cloud Native Core Network Function Data Collector User's Guide.
  • Support of path for data collection output: Starting with CNC NF Data Collector Tool version 1.1.0, path for data collection output has been made configurable. For more information, see Cloud Native Core Network Function Data Collector User's Guide.

Cloud Native Diameter Routing Agent (CnDRA)

There are no new features or updates implemented in CNC 2.3.0 release.

Binding Support Function (BSF)

There are no new features or updates implemented in CNC 2.3.0 release.

Inter-Working Function (IWF)

There are no new features or updates implemented in CNC 2.3.0 release.

Network Exposure Function (NEF)

There are no new features or updates implemented in CNC 2.3.0 release.

Network Repository Function (NRF)

OCNRF 1.8.0 has been updated with the following enhancements:
  • Per NF Heartbeat Configuration Enhancement: OCNRF supports Per NF Type configuration for heartbeat range and allowed heartbeat miss count. For more information, see Oracle Communications Network Repository Function User's Guide.
  • NF Authentication using TLS Certificate: OCNRF authenticates consumer NF by Validating NF identity from TLS Certificate before allowing to use any NRF Services. For more information, see Oracle Communications Network Repository Function User's Guide.
  • AccessToken Request Validation: OCNRF authorizes the consumer NF by applying local policy before issuing Access Token. For more information, see Oracle Communications Network Repository Function User's Guide.
  • Dynamic Log Level change: OCNRF supports changing Log level dynamically for nfregistration, nfsubscription, nfdiscovery, nfaccesstoken, nrfconfiguration and nrfauditor micro-services. Remaining services, such as ocnrf-app-info, ingressgateway and egressgateway, continues to use helm based log level configuration. For more information, see Oracle Communications Network Repository Function User's Guide.

  • Alerts and metrics: Supports additional System Level and Application level alerts and metrics. For more information, see Oracle Communications Network Repository Function User's Guide.

Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF)

There are no new features or updates implemented in CNC 2.3.0 release.

Service Communication Proxy (SCP)

SCP 1.8.0 has been updated with the following enhancement:

  • Aspen Service Mesh 1.4.6-am9 (ASM) Integration with OSO: The Aspen Service Mesh integration supports inter-NF communication. The service mesh integration supports the services by deploying a special sidecar proxy in the environment to intercept all network communication between microservices. For more information, see Service Communication Proxy Installation Guide.
  • Optional ClusterRole and ClusterRoleBinding for SCP deployment: This feature provides user with the option to choose between using or not using cluster role binding for SCP. For more information on configuring ClusterRoleBinding, see Service Communication Proxy Installation Guide.

Security Edge Proxy Protection (SEPP)

There are no new features or updates implemented in CNC 2.3.0 release.

Unified Data Management (UDM)

There are no new features or updates implemented in CNC 2.3.0 release.

Unified Data Repository (UDR)

UDR 1.8.0 has been updated with the following enhancements:
  • Diameter configuration on CNC Console: UDR users can now configure Diameter Service using CNC Console. For more information, see Cloud Native United Data Repository User's Guide.
  • OAuth2 support on UDR/SLF: UDR supports OAUTH2 authentication and tokens for ingress traffic. For more information on the relevant metrics, see Cloud Native United Data Repository User's Guide, and for information on creating certificate, see Cloud Native United Data Repository Installation and Upgrade Guide.
  • Migration of 4G Policy Subscriber's data to 5G UDR: Using Migration Tool, UDR Users can migrate 4G UDR subscribers information to 5G UDR. For more information on migration tool, see Cloud Native United Data Repository User's Guide..
  • Bulk Import Provisioning: Using Bulk Import tool, UDR users can import subscriber’s data for PCF and SLF in bulk, in the .csv format. For more information on installing the Bulk Import tool, see Cloud Native United Data Repository Installation and Upgrade Guide, and for instructions on using the Bulk Import tool, see Cloud Native United Data Repository User's Guide.
  • Provisioning Gateway Enhancements: Starting with Release 1.8.0, user can disable Provisioning when segment is not reachable. This procedure covers detecting failed SLF segment, removing that failed segment from network, fixing the issue, and then restoring the segment back to the network. It also covers information on Auditor service, its report types format, and method to generate auditor service reports. For more information on handling SLF Segments, see Cloud Native United Data Provisioning Gateway Guide.
  • Supports default Alerts for UDR and Provisioning Gateway: For information on alerts related to UDR, see Cloud Native United Data Repository User's Guide, and for information on alerts for Ingress Traffic related to Prov GW, see Cloud Native United Data Provisioning Gateway Guide.
  • Integrated with ASM: UDR and Provisioning Gateway users can enable service mesh by following instructions given as an appendix in the Cloud Native United Data Repository Installation and Upgrade Guide or Cloud Native United Data Provisioning Gateway Guide.
  • Consolidated PCF provisioning API: For information on consolidated PCF provisioning API, see Cloud Native UDR REST Specification Guide.
  • Quota support using Diameter Sh Interface: For information on quota support, see Cloud Native United Data Repository User's Guide.