21 UIM NFV Orchestration
You use the NFV Orchestration functionality of Oracle Communications Unified Inventory Management (UIM) to model network services, Virtual Network Functions (VNFs), and Physical Network Functions (PNFs). You also use this functionality to manage the life cycles of network services and VNFs.. See "Getting Started with Unified Inventory Management" for more information about how UIM manages your network resources and their life cycles.
Note:
As much as possible, use the NFV Orchestration pages to invoke life cycle actions. Updating the entities using UIM inventory pages requires you to correctly sequence the updates in the inventory data and any integrated southbound network systems such as the VIM and Element Management System (EMS).
See the following topics for more information about NFV Orchestration:
Working with Orchestration Requests
Orchestration requests represent arrangements that require actions on entities in the inventory. Orchestration requests enable you to implement custom functionality by using extension points. All the actions taken in the context of an orchestration request are made effective in the inventory when the orchestration request is completed. When you create and send an orchestration request, NFV Orchestration performs the actions that are associated with the custom functionality that you implemented by using ruleset extension points.
When you create and instantiate a network service, NFV Orchestration generates orchestration requests for network services, VNF, and PNFs.
Orchestration requests share many of the same features as business interactions. See "Working with Business Interactions" for information about business interactions.
See the following topics for more information about working with orchestration requests:
Creating Orchestration Requests
You create orchestration requests to extend the NFV Orchestration functionality.
To create orchestration requests:
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In the NFV Orchestration group of the navigation section, in the Orchestration subgroup, click the Orchestration Requests link.
The search page for Orchestration Requests appears.
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In the Search Results section, click Create.
The Orchestration Request - New page appears.
The New page includes required fields that are marked with asterisks.
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In the Specification list, select the specification you want to use for the orchestration request.
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If the ID field does not contain the text AUTOGENERATE, enter a unique ID for the request.
By default, most request IDs are generated automatically. Whether the ID is generated automatically or entered manually, it cannot be changed after the request is created.
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Enter information into all fields marked with asterisks.
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(Optional) In the Description field, enter a description for the new request. Entering a description is optional, but useful in managing your inventory.
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(Optional) Enter information into non-required fields.
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(Optional) To create an additional request based on the same specification, click Save and Add Another.
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Click Save and Continue.
The Summary page for the orchestration request you created appears. If you created multiple requests, you see the Summary page for the last request you created. See "Working in Entity Summary Pages" for more information.
Sending Orchestration Requests
You send an orchestration request when all changes included in it have been made and are ready to be executed. The changes become effective when the orchestration request is completed. The service configurations included in the orchestration request are completed when the orchestration request is completed.
When you send an orchestration request, NFV Orchestration performs the actions associated with the custom functionality that you implemented by using ruleset extension points. See UIM Concepts and UIM Developer's Guide for more information about rulesets and extension points.
Note:
You cannot reopen an orchestration request after you have sent it.
To send orchestration requests:
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Open the Summary page of the orchestration request that you want to send.
Alternatively, search for the orchestration request and select it in the search results.
The Information page for the orchestration request appears.
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From the Actions menu, select Send Request.
NFV Orchestration invokes the custom extension logic that you associated with this action and displays any resulting error messages in the upper part of the page. If no problems are found, no messages are displayed.
Depending on the custom extension functionality that you associated with the send request action, the relevant entities in the orchestration request are created, deleted or modified in the inventory.
You can also associate custom extension functionality with the other actions in the Actions menu.
Orchestration Request - New Page
You use the Orchestration Request - New page to create new orchestration requests.
Note:
The fields that appear on this page are determined by the specification used to create the orchestration request. In Design Studio, you create the specification and add characteristics, which are displayed as fields in the pages.
Field | Description |
---|---|
Specification |
Select a specification to use to define the new orchestration request. |
ID |
This field displays AUTOGENERATE and is read only. By default, most entity specifications are defined in Design Studio so that IDs are generated automatically. |
Name |
Enter the name of the new orchestration request. |
Other System |
(Used only in data cooperation scenarios.) Click to enter information about a cooperating system. |
Entity Name |
(Used only in data cooperation scenarios.) The name of the entity in the context specified in the System Name field. |
Entity ID |
(Used only in data cooperation scenarios.) The identifier of the entity. This identifier is unique in the context specified in the System Name field. |
System Name |
(Used only in data cooperation scenarios.) The name of the external system or domain that is participating in data cooperation. |
Effective Date |
Enter the date on which the orchestration request becomes active. |
Description |
(Optional) Enter a description of the orchestration request. |
Status |
Displays the current orchestration request status. Orchestration requests in UIM share the same life cycle as business interactions. See UIM Concepts for information about business interaction life cycles and statuses. |
Orchestration Request Details Page
You use the Orchestration Request Details page to view details about orchestration requests.
Note:
The sections listed in the following table are specific to the Orchestration Request Details page. See "Entity Summary Page" for information about Summary page fields that are common among all entities.
Section | Description |
---|---|
Orchestration Request Information |
Displays basic information about the orchestration request, most of which was defined when you created the request. Click Edit to change this information. Some data elements, such as the ID, cannot be changed after the request is created. See "Creating Entities" and "Orchestration Request - New Page" for more information. Click Other System to view fields related to systems with which UIM is cooperating. These fields are visible by default when populated and are hidden by default when not populated. |
Orchestration Request Hierarchy |
Displays a tree view of the orchestration request and any child orchestration requests. Orchestration Requests can include hierarchies of other orchestration requests. Use the View menu to control how the orchestration requests appear in the Orchestration Request Hierarchy section. See "Working with Entity Hierarchies" for more information. Right-click the orchestration request and click Add Child to add a child orchestration request. |
Orchestration Request Items |
Do one of the following:
Note: You cannot add or delete items for the orchestration requests that are provided with NFV Orchestration. You can do these tasks only for those orchestration requests that you create. |
Transactions Log |
Displays a list of inputs you provide for orchestration requests. Each row includes a hyperlinked sequence number, a hyperlinked transaction name, and a timestamp.Click the sequence number or the transaction name to view its full contents in the Transaction Summary page. |
Events |
Displays a list of the intermediate processes (including their statuses and timestamps) that are run to complete the NFV life-cycle actions. |
Orchestration Request Information Page
You use the Orchestration Request Information page to edit the information that appears in the Information section of the Orchestration Request Details page. Some data elements, such as the ID, cannot be changed after the orchestration request is created.
Note:
The fields that appear on this page are determined by the specification used to create the orchestration request. In Design Studio, you create the specification and add characteristics, which are displayed as fields in the pages.
Field | Description |
---|---|
Specification |
Displays the name of the specification used to define the orchestration request. |
Name |
Edit the name of the orchestration request. |
ID |
Displays the ID generated for the request. This field is read only. |
Other System |
(Used only in data cooperation scenarios.) Click to enter information about a cooperating system. |
Entity Name |
(Used only in data cooperation scenarios.) The name of the entity in the context specified in the System Name field. |
Entity ID |
(Used only in data cooperation scenarios.) The identifier of the entity. This identifier is unique in the context specified in the System Name field. |
System Name |
(Used only in data cooperation scenarios.) The name of the external system or domain that is participating in data cooperation. |
Effective Date |
Edit the date on which the orchestration request becomes active. |
Description |
(Optional) Edit the description of the orchestration request. |
Status |
Displays the current status of the orchestration request. See UIM Concepts for information about business interaction life cycles and statuses. |
Working with Network Services
You can create and instantiate network services for the network function that you want to implement. When you instantiate network services, the constituent VNFs are instantiated in your data center. Optionally, you can also add Physical Network Functions (PNFs) in a network service.
See UIM NFV Orchestration Implementation Guide for more information.
Note:
Network services in NFV Orchestration are not the same as the network services that exist in the context of UIM packet connectivity.
See the following topics for more information about working with network services:
Creating Network Services
When you create network services, you can either save the network services for later use or instantiate the network services instantly.
To create network services:
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In the NFV Orchestration group of the navigation section, in the Orchestration subgroup, click the Network Services link.
The search page for Network Services appears.
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In the Search Results section, click Create.
The Network Service - New page appears.
The New page includes required fields that are marked with asterisks.
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In the Descriptor list, select the network service descriptor that you want to use for the network service.
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In the Service Flavor list, select the service flavor that you want to use for the network service. The service flavors that this list displays are driven by the descriptor that you chose.
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If the ID field does not contain the text AUTOGENERATE, enter a unique ID for the request.
By default, most request IDs are generated automatically. Whether the ID is generated automatically or entered manually, it cannot be changed after the network service is created.
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In the Name field, enter a name for the network service.
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In the VNF FG Descriptor list, select the VNF forwarding graph descriptor that you want to use for the network service.
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Enter information into all fields marked with asterisks.
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(Optional) Enter information into non-required fields.
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Click the Endpoints tab and do the following:
Note:
A network service requires at least one endpoint to be included.
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In the Specification list, select the endpoint specification that you want to use for the network service.
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If the ID field does not contain the text AUTOGENERATE, enter a unique ID for the endpoint.
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If the Name field does not contain the text AUTOGENERATE, enter a name for the endpoint.
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(Optional) In the Service Location field, enter the location to which the endpoint relates.
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From the Reference list, select the endpoint that you defined in the network service descriptor.
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(Optional) Enter information into non-required fields.
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(Optional) Click the plus button to add another endpoint to the network service and enter information into all the required fields.
Note:
You can add up to 10 endpoints to your network services in the user interface. To add more than 10 endpoints to your network service, use the REST API for adding endpoints to network services. See UIM NFV Orchestration Implementation Guide for information about REST APIs.
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-
Click the VNFs tab and do the following:
Note:
A network service requires at least one VNF to be included.
-
In the Descriptor list, select the VNF descriptor that you want to use. The VNF descriptors that this list displays are driven by the network service descriptor and the service flavor that you chose for the network service in the Network Service section.
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If the ID field does not contain the text AUTOGENERATE, enter a unique ID for the request.
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In the Version list, select the version of VNF image that you want to use for the VNF. The versions that this list displays are driven by the VNF descriptor that you chose.
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In the Deployment Flavor list, select the deployment flavor that you want to use for the VNF. The deployment flavors that this list displays are driven by the VNF descriptor that you chose.
-
Enter information into all fields marked with asterisks.
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(Optional) Enter information into non-required fields.
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(Optional) Click the plus button to add another VNF to the network service and enter information into all the required fields.
Note:
You can add up to 10 VNFs to your network services in the user interface. To add more than 10 VNFs to your network service, use the REST API for adding VNFs to network services. See UIM NFV Orchestration Implementation Guide for information about REST APIs.
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-
(Optional) Click the PNFs tab and do the following:
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In the Name field, enter the name of the PNF that you want to add to the network service.
The name value is used to search for a matching PNF. If no matching PNF is found, you must create the PNF by registering the PNF using a REST API. See the UIM NFV Orchestration Implementation Guide for information about registering PNFs.
-
(Optional) Click the plus button to add another PNF to the network service.
Note:
You can add up to 10 PNFs to your network services in the user interface. To add more than 10 PNFs, use the REST API for adding PNFs to network services. See UIM NFV Orchestration Implementation Guide for information about REST APIs.
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-
Do one of the following:
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To create the network service and save it for later use, click Save and Continue.
The Network Service - Summary page for the network service you created appears. After you create the network service, you can instantiate it from the Network Service - Summary page.
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To instantiate the network service immediately, click Save and Instantiate.
At the top of the Network Service Summary page, a message appears informing you that the network service has been submitted for instantiation. In the Network Service Summary page, the Status field displays a status of Pending and a progress bar appears, which indicates that the process is in progress.
When the instantiation process is in progress, messages appear at the top of the Network Service Summary page informing you about the statuses and timestamps of the various intermediate processes that are run to instantiate the network service. After the process is completed successfully, the Status field displays a status of In Service.
Based on the configurations that the VNFs and PNFs in the network service require, instantiating the network service may take some time to complete. In UIM NFV Orchestration and in your VIM, the resources may not be created immediately after you complete the instantiation request.
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See UIM NFV Orchestration Implementation Guide for information about what happens during and after the instantiation of a network service.
Instantiating Network Services
You instantiate network services to deploy the constituent VNFs and configure the constituent PNFs in the network services. When you instantiate network services, all the resources that are allocated to the constituent VNFs and the PNFs are consumed by the network service. You can instantiate network services that you have already created and saved.
Before you instantiate network services, ensure that your Virtual Infrastructure Manager (VIM) is registered and that the data center resources that are managed by your VIM are discovered. If your network services include PNFs, register the PNFs with NFV Orchestration. See UIM NFV Orchestration Implementation Guide for information about registering your VIM, registering PNFs, and discovering your VIM resources.
To instantiate network services:
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If you have already created and saved a network service that you want to instantiate, open the summary page of the network service. Otherwise, create the network service. See "Creating Network Services" for details about creating network services.
Alternatively, search for the network service and select it in the search results.
The summary page for the network service appears.
-
On the summary page of the network service, from the Actions menu, select Instantiate.
At the top of the Network Service Summary page, a message appears informing you that the network service has been submitted for instantiation. In the Network Service Summary page, the Status field displays a status of Pending and a progress bar appears, which indicates that the process is in progress.
When the instantiation process is in progress, messages appear at the top of the Network Service Summary page informing you about the statuses and timestamps of the various intermediate processes that are run to instantiate the network service. After the process is completed successfully, the Status field displays a status of In Service.
Based on the configurations that the VNFs and PNFs in the network service require, instantiating the network service may take some time to complete. In UIM NFV Orchestration and in your VIM, the resources may not be created immediately after you complete the instantiation request.
See UIM NFV Orchestration Implementation Guide for information about what happens during and after the instantiation of a network service.
Terminating Network Services
You terminate a network service to undeploy all the constituent VNFs in the network service. When you terminate a network service, all the resources that were allocated to the constituent VNFs and the PNFs are released and become available for consumption by other network services.
To terminate network services:
-
Open the summary page of the network service that you want to terminate.
Alternatively, search for the network service and select it in the search results.
The summary page for the network service appears.
-
From the Actions menu, select Terminate.
At the top of the Network Service Summary page, a message appears informing you that the network service has been submitted for termination. In the Network Service Summary page, the Status field displays a status of In Service and a progress bar appears, which indicates that the process is in progress.
When the termination process is in progress, messages appear at the top of the Network Service Summary page informing you about the statuses and timestamps of the various intermediate processes that are run to terminate the network service. After the process is completed successfully, the Status field displays a status of Disconnected.
Terminating network services may take some time to complete. In UIM NFV Orchestration and in your VIM, the resources may not be released immediately after you complete the request for termination.
See UIM NFV Orchestration Implementation Guide for information about what happens after the termination of a network service.
Adding VNFs to Network Services
You add VNFs to a network service when you create the network service. Every network service requires at least one VNF to be included in it. You can add multiple VNFs to a network service.
Note:
Before you instantiate a network service, you can add and remove constituent VNFs in a network service by using the Network Service Summary pages. After a network service is instantiated, you can add VNFs to the network service by using the scale options only. See "Scaling Virtual Network Functions" for information about scaling VNFs.
To add VNFs to a network service:
-
Open the summary page of the network service to which you want to add a VNF.
Alternatively, search for the network service and select it in the search results.
The summary page for the network service appears.
-
Click Edit.
The Network Service Edit page appears.
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Click the VNFs tab.
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Click the plus button.
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In the Descriptor list, select the descriptor that you want to use for the VNF.
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If the ID field does not contain the text AUTOGENERATE, enter a unique ID for the request.
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In the Name field, enter a name for the VNF.
-
In the Version list, select the version of VNF image that you want to use for the VNF.
-
In the Deployment Flavor list, select the deployment flavor that you want to use for the VNF.
-
Enter information into all the required fields.
-
(Optional) Enter information into non-required fields.
-
Do one of the following:
-
To save the network service for later use, click Save and Continue.
The Network Service Summary page for the network service you created appears.
-
To instantiate the network service immediately, click Save and Instantiate.
At the top of the Network Service Summary page, a message appears informing you that the network service has been submitted for instantiation. In the Network Service Summary page, the Status field displays a status of Pending and a progress bar appears, which indicates that the process is in progress.
When the instantiation process is in progress, messages appear at the top of the Network Service Summary page informing you about the statuses and timestamps of the various intermediate processes that are run to instantiate the network service. After the process is completed successfully, the Status field displays a status of In Service.
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Removing VNFs from Network Services
Before you instantiate a network service, you can remove any VNF that you have already added to your network service and saved the network service.
Note:
You cannot remove VNFs from a network service that is already instantiated. To disassociate VNFs from a network service that is already instantiated, use the scale options. See "Scaling Virtual Network Functions" for information about scaling VNFs.
To remove VNFs from a network service:
-
Open the summary page of the network service.
Alternatively, search for the network service and select it in the search results.
The summary page for the network service appears.
-
Click the VNFs tab.
-
Click the delete button for the VNF that you want to remove.
NFV Orchestration removes the VNF from the network service and displays the Network Service Summary page for the network service.
-
Do one of the following:
-
To save the network service for later use, click Save and Continue.
The Network Service Summary page for the network service you created appears.
-
To instantiate the network service immediately, click Save and Instantiate.
At the top of the Network Service Summary page, a message appears informing you that the network service has been submitted for instantiation. In the Network Service Summary page, the Status field displays a status of Pending and a progress bar appears, which indicates that the process is in progress.
When the instantiation process is in progress, messages appear at the top of the Network Service Summary page informing you about the statuses and timestamps of the various intermediate processes that are run to instantiate the network service. After the process is completed successfully, the Status field displays a status of In Service.
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Adding Endpoints to Network Services
Endpoints describe the service access points for your network services. You add endpoints to a network service as part of creating and instantiating network services. Every network service requires at least one endpoint to be included in it. You can add multiple endpoints to your network services.
Note:
Before you instantiate a network service, you can add and remove endpoints in a network service by using the Network Service Summary page. After a network service is instantiated, you cannot add or remove endpoints in a network service.
To add endpoints to a network service:
-
Open the summary page of the network service to which you want to add endpoints.
Alternatively, search for the network service and select it in the search results.
The summary page for the network service appears.
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Click Edit.
The Network Service Edit page appears.
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Click the Endpoints tab.
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Click the plus button.
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In the Specification list, select the specification that you want to use for the endpoint.
The fields that appear on the Endpoints page are determined by the specification used to create the endpoint.
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If the ID field does not contain the text AUTOGENERATE, enter a unique ID for the request.
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In the Name field, enter a name for the endpoint.
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Enter information into all the required fields.
-
(Optional) Enter information into non-required fields.
-
Do one of the following:
-
To save the network service for later use, click Save and Continue.
The Network Service - Summary page for the network service you created appears.
-
To instantiate the network service immediately, click Save and Instantiate.
At the top of the Network Service Summary page, a message appears informing you that the network service has been submitted for instantiation. In the Network Service Summary page, the Status field displays a status of Pending and a progress bar appears, which indicates that the process is in progress.
When the instantiation process is in progress, messages appear at the top of the Network Service Summary page informing you about the statuses and timestamps of the various intermediate processes that are run to instantiate the network service. After the process is completed successfully, the Status field displays a status of In Service.
You can instantiate the network service if you have already added the VNFs that you want to instantiate.
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Removing Endpoints from Network Services
Before you instantiate a network service, you can remove any endpoint that you have already added to your network service and saved the network service.
Note:
You cannot remove endpoints from a network service that is instantiated.
To remove endpoints from a network service:
-
Open the summary page of the network service from which you want to remove the endpoint.
Alternatively, search for the network service and select it in the search results.
The summary page for the network service appears.
-
Click the Endpoints tab.
-
Click the delete button for the endpoint that you want to remove.
NFV Orchestration removes the endpoint from the network service and displays the Network Service Summary page for the network service.
-
Do one of the following:
-
To save the network service for later use, click Save and Continue.
The Network Service - Summary page for the network service you created appears.
-
To instantiate the network service immediately, click Save and Instantiate.
At the top of the Network Service Summary page, a message appears informing you that the network service has been submitted for instantiation. In the Network Service Summary page, the Status field displays a status of Pending and a progress bar appears, which indicates that the process is in progress.
When the instantiation process is in progress, messages appear at the top of the Network Service Summary page informing you about the statuses and timestamps of the various intermediate processes that are run to instantiate the network service. After the process is completed successfully, the Status field displays a status of In Service.
You can instantiate the network service if you have already added the VNFs that you want to instantiate.
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Adding PNFs to Network Services
You can add Physical Network Functions (PNFs) to your network services. Before you can add PNFs to a network service, you must register the PNFs in the inventory. See UIM NFV Orchestration Implementation Guide for information about registering PNFs in the inventory.
Note:
You cannot add PNFs to a network service that is instantiated.
To add PNFs to a network service:
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Open the summary page of the network service to which you want to add a PNF.
Alternatively, search for the network service and select it in the search results.
The summary page for the network service appears.
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Click Edit.
The Network Service Edit page appears.
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Click the PNFs tab.
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Click the plus button.
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In the Name field, enter the name of the PNF that you want to associate with the network service.
The name value that you enter in the Name field is used to search for a matching PNF that is registered in the inventory. If no matching PNF is found, you must register the PNF by using a RESTful API. See the UIM NFV Orchestration Implementation Guide for information about registering PNFs.
-
Do one of the following:
-
To save the network service for later use, click Save and Continue.
The Network Service Summary page for the network service you created appears.
-
To instantiate the network service immediately, click Save and Instantiate.
At the top of the Network Service Summary page, a message appears informing you that the network service has been submitted for instantiation. In the Network Service Summary page, the Status field displays a status of Pending and a progress bar appears, which indicates that the process is in progress.
When the instantiation process is in progress, messages appear at the top of the Network Service Summary page informing you about the statuses and timestamps of the various intermediate processes that are run to instantiate the network service. After the process is completed successfully, the Status field displays a status of In Service.
You can instantiate the network service if you have already added the VNFs that you want to instantiate.
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Removing PNFs from Network Services
Before you instantiate a network service, you can remove any PNF that you have added to a network service and saved the network service. When you remove a PNF from the network service, you disassociate the PNF from the network service. The PNF still exists in the inventory.
Note:
You cannot remove PNFs from a network service that is instantiated.
To remove PNFs from a network service:
-
Open the summary page of the network service.
Alternatively, search for the network service and select it in the search results.
The summary page for the network service appears.
-
Click the PNFs tab.
-
Click the delete button for the PNF that you want to remove.
NFV Orchestration removes the PNF from the network service and displays the Network Service Summary page for the network service.
-
Do one of the following:
-
To save the network service for later use, click Save and Continue.
The Network Service Summary page for the network service you created appears.
-
To instantiate the network service immediately, click Save and Instantiate.
At the top of the Network Service Summary page, a message appears informing you that the network service has been submitted for instantiation. In the Network Service Summary page, the Status field displays a status of Pending and a progress bar appears, which indicates that the process is in progress.
When the instantiation process is in progress, messages appear at the top of the Network Service Summary page informing you about the statuses and timestamps of the various intermediate processes that are run to instantiate the network service. After the process is completed successfully, the Status field displays a status of In Service.
You can instantiate the network service if you have already added the VNFs that you want to instantiate.
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Canceling Network Services
You cancel network services when NFV Orchestration fails to instantiate the network services and the partially allocated resources are not rolled back completely after you tried instantiating the network service. When you cancel a network service, all the resources that were allocated to the constituent VNFs and the PNFs are released and become available for consumption by other network services. You also cancel network services when you do not want to use the network services that you created and saved for later use.
Note:
When you cancel a network service that failed to instantiate, NFV Orchestration does not roll back the resources in your VIM. You must remove the allocated resources in your VIM manually.
To cancel network services:
-
Open the summary page of the network service that you want to cancel.
Alternatively, search for the network service and select it in the search results.
The summary page for the network service appears.
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From the Actions menu, select Cancel.
At the top of the Network Service Summary page, a message appears informing you that the network service has been submitted for cancellation. In the Network Service Summary page, the Status field displays a status of Pending.
After the cancellation process is completed successfully, the Status field displays a status of Cancelled.
Canceling network services may take some time to complete. In UIM NFV Orchestration and in your VIM, the resources may not be released immediately after you cancel a network service.
Network Service - New Page
You use the Network Service - New page to create new network services.
Note:
The fields that appear on this page are determined by the descriptor used to create the network service. In Design Studio, you create a specification for the descriptor and add characteristics, which are displayed as fields in the pages.
Field | Description |
---|---|
Descriptor |
Select the descriptor that you want to use for the network service. |
ID |
This field displays AUTOGENERATE and is read only. By default, most entity specifications are defined in Design Studio so that IDs are generated automatically. |
Name |
Enter a name for the new network service. |
Service Flavor |
Select the service flavor that you want to use for the network service. |
VNF FG Descriptor |
Select the VNF forwarding graph descriptor that you want to use for the network service. |
The Network Service - New page includes three tabs:
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Use the Endpoints Tab to add endpoints to a network service.
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Use the Virtual Network Functions Tab to add VNFs to a network service.
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Use the Physical Network Functions Tab to add PNFs to a network service.
Endpoints Tab
You use the Endpoints tab to specify details about the endpoints that you want to use for the network service. To add an endpoint to the network service, click the plus button.
Note:
Even if your network service does not require a VNF forwarding graph, you must specify at least one endpoint to access the network service.
Note:
The fields that appear on this page are determined by the specification used to create the endpoint. In Design Studio, you create a specification and add characteristics, which are displayed as fields in the pages.
Field | Description |
---|---|
Specification |
Select the specification that you want to use for the endpoint. |
ID |
This field displays AUTOGENERATE and is read-only. By default, most entity specifications are defined in Design Studio so that IDs are generated automatically. |
Name |
This field displays AUTOGENERATE and is read-only. By default, most entity specifications are defined in Design Studio so that IDs are generated automatically. |
IP Address |
Enter the IP address for the endpoint. |
Reference |
Select the endpoint that is defined in the network service descriptor file. |
Service Location |
(Optional) Enter the location to which the endpoint relates. |
External Network |
This field is required only if the service endpoint is of type Floating IP. Enter the external network to which the Floating IP belongs. |
Virtual Network Functions Tab
You use the Virtual Network Functions tab to specify details about the VNFs that you want to include in the network service. To add VNFs, click the plus button.
Note:
The fields that appear on this page are determined by the descriptor used to create the VNF. In Design Studio, you create a specification for the descriptor and add characteristics, which are displayed as fields in the pages.
Field | Description |
---|---|
Descriptor |
Select the descriptor that you want to use for the VNF. |
ID |
This field displays AUTOGENERATE and is read only. By default, most entity specifications are defined in Design Studio so that IDs are generated automatically. |
Name |
Enter a name for the VNF. |
Version |
Select the version of the VNF image that you want to use. |
Deployment Flavor |
Select the deployment flavor that you want to use. |
Physical Network Functions Tab
You use the Physical Network Functions tab to specify details about the PNFs that you want to include in the network service. To add PNFs, click the plus button.
Note:
The fields that appear on this page are determined by the descriptor used to create the PNF. In Design Studio, you create a specification for the descriptor and add characteristics, which are displayed as fields in the pages.
Field | Description |
---|---|
Name |
Enter the name of the PNF that you want to add to the network service. The name value that you enter in this field is used to search for a matching PNF. If no matching PNF is found, you must register the PNF in the inventory by using a RESTful API. See UIM NFV Orchestration Implementation Guide for information about registering PNFs. |
ID |
This field displays AUTOGENERATE and is read only. By default, most entity specifications are defined in Design Studio so that IDs are generated automatically. |
Descriptor |
Displays the name of the descriptor based on which the PNF was created. |
Network Service Summary Page
You use the Network Service Summary page to view the summary of a network service.
The Network Service Summary page includes the Network Service Information section and the following tabs:
-
Use the Network Service Information Section to view basic information about the network service.
-
Use the Configuration Tab to view the configuration information about the network service.
-
Use the Forwarding Graphs Tab to view a visualization (schematic view) of the network forwarding paths in a network service.
-
Use the Endpoints Tab to view the details about the endpoints that are associated with the network service.
-
Use the Virtual Network Functions Tab to view the details about the VNFs that are associated with the network service.
-
Use the Physical Network Functions Tab to view the details about the PNFs that are associated with the network service.
-
Use the Monitoring Tab to view the performance metrics about the VNFs that are associated with the network service.
Network Service Information Section
The Network Service Information section in the Network Service Summary page displays basic information about the network service, most of which was defined when you created the network service.
Note:
The fields that appear on this page are determined by the descriptor used to create the network service. The descriptor is created in Design Studio.
Field | Description |
---|---|
Descriptor |
Displays the descriptor used to create this network service. |
ID |
Displays the ID generated for the network service. This field is read-only. |
Name |
Displays the name of the network service. |
VIM ID |
Displays the ID of the VIM. |
Service Flavor |
Displays the service flavor used to create the network service. |
Status |
Displays the current status of the network service. |
Status Date |
Displays the date on which the status of the network service was last changed. |
Server Group |
Displays the name of the server group in which the network service is instantiated. |
Data Center |
Displays the name of the data center in which the network service is instantiated. |
Configuration Tab
You use the Configuration tab to view the configuration information about the network service. The Configuration tab contains two sections.
Section | Description |
---|---|
Network Service Configuration Information |
Displays the configuration information about the network service. The Version list enables you to select the configuration version whose information is displayed in the Configuration Items section. |
Configuration Items |
Displays the configuration hierarchy of the selected configuration version. See "Working with Entity Configurations" for information about how to work with the hierarchy. |
Forwarding Graphs Tab
You use the Forwarding Graphs tab to view a visualization (schematic view) of the network forwarding paths (NFPs) in a network service. This tab contains the Forwarding Graph Hierarchy section that displays a list of all the VNF forwarding graphs (VNFFGs) in a network service. Click the triangle icon beside a VNFFG to view a list of NFPs included in that VNFFG. The NFPs are shown as links. Clicking the link of an NFP opens the new Network Forwarding Path page that displays a read-only visualization (schematic view) of that NFP.
In the Network Forwarding Path page, click the plus sign (+) to expand the VNF and its connection points. After the VNF and its connection points are expanded, click the minus sign (-) to collapse them.
Endpoints Tab
You use the Endpoints tab to view details about the endpoints that are associated with a network service.
Note:
The fields that appear on this tab are determined by the specification used to create the endpoint.
Field | Description |
---|---|
ID |
Displays the ID of the endpoint. |
Name |
Displays the name of the endpoint. |
Specification |
Displays the name of the specification used to create the endpoint. |
Status |
Displays the status of the endpoint. |
IP Address |
Displays the IP address of the endpoint. |
Reference |
Displays the endpoint that is defined in the network service descriptor file. |
Service Location |
Displays the location to which the endpoint relates. |
External Network |
Displays the external network to which the endpoint Floating IP belongs. |
Virtual Network Functions Tab
You use the Virtual Network Functions tab to view details about the VNFs that are associated with a network service.
Note:
The fields that appear on this tab are determined by the descriptor used to create the VNF. In Design Studio, you create a specification for the descriptor and add characteristics, which are displayed as fields in the pages.
Field | Description |
---|---|
ID |
Displays the ID of the VNF. |
Name |
Displays the name of the VNF. |
Status |
Displays the current status of the VNF. |
Descriptor |
Displays the name of the descriptor used to create the VNF. |
Image |
Displays the name of the VNF image. |
Version |
Displays the version of the VNF image used to create the VNF. |
Data Center |
Displays the name of the data center in which the VNF is deployed. |
Deployment Flavor |
Displays the deployment flavor used to create the VNF. |
Physical Network Functions Tab
You use the Physical Network Functions tab to view details about the PNFs that are associated with a network service.
Note:
The fields that appear on this tab are determined by the descriptor used to create the PNF.
Field | Description |
---|---|
ID |
Displays the ID of the PNF. |
Name |
Displays the name of the PNF. |
Descriptor |
Displays the name of the descriptor used to create the PNF. |
Monitoring Tab
When you create specifications for your network services in Design Studio, you can define the characteristics to capture URLs of web pages of your monitoring systems as characteristics. You can define the specifications to capture any number of URLs of web pages. See Design Studio documentation about working with characteristics and specifications in Design Studio.
In UIM NFV Orchestration, when you add and specify details about the network service, you can specify the URLs of web pages of your monitoring systems. After the network service is instantiated, each URL that you specified for your monitoring system displays an embedded page in a tab in the Network Service Summary page.
You can use the monitoring tabs to view the following metrics about the network services:
-
CPU
-
Memory
-
Disk
See UIM NFV Orchestration Implementation Guide for more information.
Network Service Edit Page
You use the Network Service Edit page to modify the information about a network service. On the Network Service Summary page, click the Edit button to modify the information. Some data elements, such as the ID, cannot be changed.
You can modify the network service information and the information about endpoints, VNFs, and PNFs in their respective tabs:
-
Use the Network Service Information Section to edit information about the network service.
-
Use the Endpoints Tab to edit details about the endpoints in the network service.
-
Use the Virtual Network Functions Tab to edit details about the VNFs in the network service.
-
Use the Physical Network Functions Tab to edit details about the PNFs in the network service.
Network Service Information Section
You use the Network Service Information Section to modify details about the network service.
Note:
The fields that appear on this page are determined by the descriptors used to create the network service. The descriptor is created in Design Studio.
Field | Description |
---|---|
Descriptor |
Displays the descriptor used to create this network service. |
ID |
Displays the ID generated for the network service. This field is read-only. |
Name |
Edit the name of the network service. |
VIM ID |
Displays the ID of the VIM. |
Service Flavor |
Select the service flavor used to create the network service. |
VNF FG Descriptor |
Select the VNF forwarding graph descriptor that you want to use for the network service. |
Endpoints Tab
You use the Endpoints tab to modify details about the endpoints included in the network service. You can also add new endpoints to the network service. To add an endpoint, click the plus button.
Note:
The fields that appear on this page are determined by the specification used to create the endpoint. In Design Studio, you create a specification and add characteristics, which are displayed as fields in the pages.
Field | Description |
---|---|
Specification |
Displays the specification used for the endpoint. |
ID |
This field displays AUTOGENERATE and is read only. By default, most entity specifications are defined in Design Studio so that IDs are generated automatically. |
Name |
This field displays AUTOGENERATE and is read-only. By default, most entity specifications are defined in Design Studio so that IDs are generated automatically. |
IP Address |
Enter the IP address for the endpoint. |
Reference |
Select the endpoint that is defined in the network service descriptor file. |
Service Location |
(Optional) Enter the location to which the endpoint relates. |
External Network |
This field is required only if the service endpoint is of type Floating IP. Enter the external network to which the Floating IP belongs. |
Virtual Network Functions Tab
You use the Virtual Network Functions tab to modify details about the VNFs included in the network service. You can also add new VNFs to the network service and delete existing VNFs. To add a VNF, click the plus button.
Note:
The fields that appear on this page are determined by the descriptor used to create the VNF. In Design Studio, you create a specification for the descriptor and add characteristics, which are displayed as fields in the pages.
Field | Description |
---|---|
Descriptor |
Displays the descriptor used to create the VNF. |
ID |
This field displays AUTOGENERATE and is read only. By default, most entity specifications are defined in Design Studio so that IDs are generated automatically. |
Name |
Modify the name of the VNF. |
Version |
Displays the version of the VNF image used. |
Deployment Flavor |
Displays the deployment flavor used. |
Physical Network Functions Tab
You use the Physical Network Functions tab to modify details about the PNFs that are included in the network service. You can also add new PNFs to the network service and delete existing PNFs. To add a PNF, click the plus button.
Note:
The fields that appear on this page are determined by the descriptor used to create the PNF. In Design Studio, you create a specification for the descriptor and add characteristics, which are displayed as fields in the pages.
Field | Description |
---|---|
Name |
Enter the name of the PNF that you want to add to the network service. The name value that you enter in this field is used to search for a matching PNF. If no matching PNF is found, you must register the PNF in the inventory by using a RESTful API. See UIM NFV Orchestration Implementation Guide for information about registering PNFs. |
ID |
This field displays AUTOGENERATE and is read only. By default, most entity specifications are defined in Design Studio so that IDs are generated automatically. |
Descriptor |
Displays the name of the descriptor based on which the PNF was created. |
Working with Virtual Network Functions
Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) represent network functions that can be deployed on a virtualized infrastructure.
See the following topics for more information about working with VNFs:
Note:
Based on the configurations that your VNFs require, some tasks that you perform on the VNFs may take some time to complete. In UIM NFV Orchestration and in your VIM, the resources may not be created, removed, or updated immediately after you complete the task.
Creating Virtual Network Functions
You create and add VNFs to a network service as part of creating network services. You cannot create VNFs independently as you can do with most entities in NFV Orchestration. See "Adding VNFs to Network Services" for instructions about creating VNFs.
Rebooting Virtual Network Functions
You reboot VNFs in a network service to restart the virtual machines on which the VNFs are deployed. As part of the VNF reboot action, NFV Orchestration reboots all the constituent VDUs of the VNF.
To reboot VNFs:
-
In the NFV Orchestration group of the navigation section, in the Orchestration subgroup, click the VNFs link.
The search page for VNFs appears.
-
In the Search page, search for and open the summary page of the VNF that you want to reboot.
-
On the summary page of the VNF, from the Actions menu, select Reboot.
At the top of the VNF Summary page, a message appears informing you that the VNF has been submitted for reboot. After the process is completed successfully, a message appears informing you that the VNF has been rebooted.
Replacing Virtual Network Functions
You replace VNFs in a network service to undeploy existing VNFs and deploy new VNFs. As part of the VNF replace action, NFV Orchestration replaces all the constituent VDUs of the VNF.
To replace VNFs:
-
In the NFV Orchestration group of the navigation section, in the Orchestration subgroup, click the VNFs link.
The search page for VNFs appears.
-
In the Search page, search for and open the summary page of the VNF that you want to replace.
-
On the summary page of the VNF, from the Actions menu, select Replace.
At the top of the VNF Summary page, a message appears informing you that the VNF has been submitted for replacement. After the process is completed successfully, a message appears informing you that the VNF has been replaced.
Scaling Virtual Network Functions
You scale VNFs in a network service when there is high or low utilization of CPU and memory on the machine on which the network service is instantiated. When you scale VNFs, you can either clone existing VNF instances in a network service or remove VNFs from a network service.
To scale VNFs in a network service:
-
In the NFV Orchestration group of the navigation section, in the Orchestration subgroup, click the VNFs link.
The search page for VNFs appears.
-
In the Search page, search for and open the summary page of the VNF that you want to scale.
-
On the summary page of the VNF, from the Actions menu, select any of the following:
-
Scale Out to add additional instances for each constituent VDU of the VNF in the network service based on the scaling quantity defined for the constituent VDUs in the VNF descriptor. As part of VNF scale out, you can add VDU instances only up to the maximum instance limit defined for the constituent VDUs in the VNF descriptor. Even if one of the VDUs in a VNF has reached its maximum instance limit, and the other VDUs in that VNF have not reached their maximum instance limit, NFV Orchestration does not allow you to further scale out the VNF.
-
Scale In to remove existing VDU instances of each constituent VDU of the VNF in the network service based on the scaling quantity defined for the constituent VDUs in the VNF descriptor. As part of VNF scale in, you can remove VDU instances only up to the minimum instance limit defined for the constituent VDUs in the VNF descriptor. Even if one of the VDUs in a VNF has reached its minimum instance limit, and the other VDUs in that VNF have not reached their minimum instance limit, NFV Orchestration does not allow you to further scale in the VNF.
At the top of the VNF Summary page, a message appears informing you that the VNF has been submitted for scaling. After the process is completed successfully, a message appears informing you that the VNF has been scaled.
-
See UIM NFV Orchestration Implementation Guide for more information about scaling VNFs.
Monitoring Virtual Network Functions
When you create specifications for your VNFs in Design Studio, you can define the specifications to capture URLs of web pages of your VNF monitoring systems as characteristics. You can define the specifications to capture any number of URLs of web pages. See Design Studio documentation about working with characteristics and specifications in Design Studio.
In UIM NFV Orchestration, when you add VNFs to network services, you specify the URLs of web pages of your VNF monitoring systems. After the network service is instantiated, each URL that you specified for your VNF monitoring system displays an embedded page in a tab in the Network Service Summary page.
You can use the monitoring tabs to view the following metrics about the VNFs:
-
CPU
-
Memory
-
Disk
See UIM NFV Orchestration Implementation Guide for more information.
To monitor VNFs:
-
In the NFV Orchestration group of the navigation section, in the Orchestration subgroup, click the VNFs link.
The Search page for VNFs appears.
-
In the Search page, search for and open the summary page of the VNF that you want to monitor.
-
On the summary page of the VNF, click the tab for the VNF monitoring page.
The VNF monitoring page appears as an embedded page in the tab.
Note:
The VNF monitoring tabs are displayed only if you have specified URLs of the monitoring pages for your VNFs. You specify VNF monitoring pages when you create and instantiate the network service.
Switching Between Virtual Network Function Configurations
You can switch between different VNF configurations and view the configuration details for each VNF.
To switch between VNF configurations:
-
In the NFV Orchestration group of the navigation section, in the Orchestration subgroup, click the VNFs link.
The search page for VNFs appears.
-
In the Search page, search for and open the summary page of the VNF.
-
On the summary page of the VNF, in the Configuration tab, from the Version menu, select the VNF version about which you want to view the configuration details.
Virtual Network Function Summary Page
The VNF Summary page displays information about the VNF. The VNF Summary page includes the VNF Information section and the following tabs:
-
Use the VNF Information Section to view basic details about VNFs.
-
Use the Configuration Tab to view the VNF configurations.
-
Use the Virtual Deployment Units Tab to view basic details about the Virtual Deployments Units (VDUs) of a VNF.
-
Use the Device View Section to view a list of constituent VDUs and the hierarchy of the connection points in the VNF configuration.
Note:
The VNF Summary page also displays monitoring tabs that display embedded web pages if you have defined your VNF specifications to capture URLs of web pages and provided the URLs when you created the VNFs and network services. See "Monitoring Tab" for more information about monitoring tabs.
VNF Information Section
The VNF Information section displays basic information about the VNF, most of which was defined when you created it. Click Edit to change this information. Only some information can be changed.
Note:
The fields that appear on this page are determined by the descriptor used to create the VNF. The descriptor is created in Design Studio.
Field | Description |
---|---|
Descriptor |
Displays the descriptor used to define this VNF. |
ID |
Displays the automatically-generated ID of the VNF. |
Name |
Displays the name of the VNF. |
Version |
Displays the version of the VNF. |
Flavor |
Displays the deployment flavor used. |
Assignment Status |
Displays the assignment status, such as Pending Assign or Assigned, of the VNF. Assignment statuses indicate the availability of the resource for consumption. |
External ID |
Displays the external ID of the VNF. |
VIM ID |
Displays the ID of the VIM. |
Network Service |
Displays the name of the network service on which the VNF is instantiated. The network service name is displayed as a link that you can click to navigate to the Network Service Summary page, which displays detailed information about the network service. |
Configuration Tab
You use the Configuration tab to view and manage the VNF's configurations.
Section | Description |
---|---|
VNF Service Configuration Information |
Displays the details about the VNF. The Version list enables you to select the configuration version whose information is displayed in the Device View and Configuration View sections. |
Configuration Items |
Displays the configuration hierarchy of the current configuration version for the VNF. See "Working with Entity Configurations" for more information. |
Virtual Deployment Units Tab
You use the Virtual Deployment Units tab to view basic details about the virtual deployment units of a VNF.
Field | Description |
---|---|
ID |
Displays the automatically-generated ID of the VDU. Each ID appears as a link that you can click to navigate to the VDU Summary page, which displays detailed information about the VDU. |
Name |
Displays the name of the VDU. |
Specification |
Displays the specification used to create the VDU. |
VDU Flavor |
Displays the flavor of the VDU. |
Status |
Displays the current status of the VDU. |
Device View Section
You use the Device View section to view a list of the constituent VDUs and the hierarchy of the connection points in the VNF configuration.
Field | Description |
---|---|
VNF |
Displays the name of the VNF and its constituent VDUs, including the connection points in the VNF configuration. |
Specification |
Displays the specification used to create the VNF, VDUs, and the connection points. |
Inventory Status |
Displays the inventory status of the VNF, VDUs, and connection points. |
Assignment Status |
Displays the assignment status of the VNF, VDUs, and connection points. Assignment statuses indicate the availability of the resource for consumption. |
IP Address |
Displays the IP address of the connection point. |
Working with Virtual Deployment Units
Rebooting Virtual Deployment Units
You reboot VDUs in a network service to restart the virtual machines on which the VNFCs are deployed.
To reboot VDUs:
-
In the NFV Orchestration group of the navigation section, in the Orchestration subgroup, click the VNFs link.
The search page for VNFs appears.
-
In the Search page, search for and open the summary page of the VNF.
-
Click the Virtual Deployment Units tab and click the hyperlinked ID of the VDU that you want to reboot.
The summary page of the VDU appears.
-
From the Actions menu, select Reboot.
At the top of the VDU Summary page, a message appears informing you that the VDU has been submitted for reboot. After the process is completed successfully, a message appears informing you that the VDU has been rebooted.
VDU Summary Page
The VDU Summary page displays information about the VDU. The VDU Summary page includes the VDU Information section and the Connection Points section:
-
Use the VDU Information Section to view basic details about the VDU.
-
Use the Connection Points Section to view basic details about the connection points of the VNF components in the VDU.
VDU Information Section
The VDU Information section displays basic information about the VDU, most of which was defined when you created it.
Field | Description |
---|---|
ID |
Displays the automatically-generated ID of the VDU. |
Name |
Displays the name of the VDU. |
Specification |
Displays the specification used to create the VDU. |
Status |
Displays the assignment status, such as Pending Assign or Assigned, of the VDU. Assignment statuses indicate the availability of the resource for consumption. |
Image |
The name of the VDU image for instantiate. |
Availability Zone |
The name of the availability zone where the VDU gets instantiated. |
External ID |
Displays the external ID of the VDU. |
Host |
The host ID where the VDU is instantiated. |
Security Groups |
The security groups for the VDU. |
Flavor |
Displays the deployment flavor used to create the VDU. |
VNF ID |
Displays the ID of the VNF to which the VDU is assigned. Clicking the VNF ID opens the summary page for the VNF. |
Connection Points Section
The Connection Points section displays basic information about the connection points of the VNF components in the VDU.
Field | Description |
---|---|
ID |
Displays the automatically-generated ID of the connection point. |
Name |
Displays the name of the connection point. |
IP Address |
Displays the IP address of the connection point. |
Network |
Displays the network to which the connection point is connected to. For example, Management network, DATA_IN network, or DATA_OUT network. |
External ID |
Displays the external ID of the connection point. |
Working with Descriptors
Descriptors describe network services and VNFs in terms of their deployment and operational behavior. They describe the attributes of the VNF and network service specifications.
See the following topic for more information about working with descriptors:
Viewing Descriptor Files
You can view the content of the descriptor files in UIM NFV Orchestration.
To view network service or VNF descriptor files:
-
In the navigation section, in the NFV Orchestration group, in the Catalog subgroup, click the Network Service Descriptors link to search for a network service descriptor or click the VNF Descriptors link to search for a VNF descriptor.
The Search page appears.
-
Enter search criteria in the desired fields. Some fields require that you enter text; others allow you to select from lists.
-
In the Search Results section, in the Name column, click the link for the descriptor that you want to view.
The Descriptor Information page appears.
See UIM NFV Orchestration Implementation Guide for more information about the descriptor files.
Related Topics
Network Service Descriptor - Details Page
You use the Network Service Descriptor - Details page to view information about network service descriptors. The information in this page is read only.
Section | Description |
---|---|
Descriptor Information |
Displays basic details about the network service descriptor. |
Descriptor File |
Displays the text of the network service descriptor in XML format. You can search for specific words and values or navigate to any specific line in the content. |
Composition |
Displays the hierarchy of the network service composition. See "Viewing Specification Relationship Information" for more information. |
Characteristics |
Displays detailed information about the descriptor's characteristics. Each characteristic appears as a link that you can click to navigate to the Characteristic Specification page. Additionally, this section indicates whether a value for the characteristic is required for this network service or network service descriptor. The Required option defined for a descriptor can differ from the default setting. |
Extension Point Rulesets |
Displays the ruleset and extension point combinations that are associated with the descriptor. |
VNF Descriptor - Details Page
You use the VNF Descriptor - Details page to view information about VNF descriptors. The information in this page is read only.
Section | Description |
---|---|
Descriptor Information |
Displays basic details about the VNF descriptor, including the descriptor name and the entity type to which it applies. |
Descriptor File |
Displays the text of the descriptor in XML format. You can search for specific words and values or navigate to any specific line in the content. |
TOSCA Deployment Template |
Displays the text of the VNF descriptor in a Topology and Orchestration Specification for Cloud Applications (TOSCA) deployment template form. You can search for specific words and values or navigate to any specific line in the content. |
Composition |
Displays the hierarchy of the VNF composition. See "Viewing Specification Relationship Information" for more information. |
Characteristics |
Displays detailed information about the descriptor's characteristics. Each characteristic appears as a link that you can click to navigate to the Characteristic Specification page. Additionally, this section indicates whether a value for the characteristic is required for this VNF or VNF descriptor. The Required option defined for a descriptor can differ from the default setting. |
Extension Point Rulesets |
Displays the ruleset and extension point combinations that are associated with the descriptor. |