Automation is key to operationalizing network function virtualization and software-defined networking and achieving the benefits of higher service agility and lower operational costs. IBM® Agile Lifecycle Manager V1.2 is a robust services design, testing, and automated deployment platform that manages the end-to-end lifecycle of virtual network services, from release management of virtualized network function software packages to the continuous orchestration or running of virtualized network function and services instances.
- Lifecycle continuous integration and deployment. Automatically test and certify virtualized network functions and services across development, test, and production environments.
- Intent-driven orchestration. Automatically create, update, and migrate services across multiple data centers based on current topology.
- Lifecycle resource management framework. Standardized state model and interface enable rapid onboarding and high levels of automation.
Network function virtualization brings a significant operational paradigm shift for service providers. Current physical network appliances require highly manual processes to manage their end-to-end lifecycle. Testing, installation, configuration, and problem management of network appliances all revolve around manual activities that often require a physical truck roll or a human to run each lifecycle process.
The software paradigm of network function virtualization promises fully automated lifecycle processes for bringing network services into production and maintaining them thereafter. Virtual network functions allow for a much simpler set of lifecycle tasks, enabling near full automation of the creation and healing of virtual services; a major improvement when compared to their physical counterparts.
Vast business opportunities are associated with network function virtualization transformation, including new revenue streams, improved customer experience, and reductions in both operational and capital expenditure. However, a fully automated lifecycle solution for network function virtualization brings additional complexities.
IBM Agile Lifecycle Manager V1.2 is a robust services design, testing, and automated deployment platform that addresses the challenges and complexities of the network function virtualization paradigm. It delivers an end-to-end automated service lifecycle solution from initial design to production.
Agile Lifecycle Manager V1.2 offers three core capabilities:
Continuous integration and deployment
- Agile service assembly. Quickly assemble versions of services from virtualized network function building blocks while testing interoperability and healing scenarios that can further reduce automation errors.
- Continuous deployment. Automatically test and certify virtualized network functions and services across development, test, and production environments.
Intent-driven operations
- Intent-driven orchestration. Automatically create, update, and migrate services across multiple data centers based on current topology.
- Online service healing. Automatically diagnose service issues and heal running virtualized network function and services with no down time.
Resource management framework
- Virtualized network function lifecycle integration. Standardized state model and interface for rapid onboarding with high levels of automation.
- Virtualized network function building blocks. Quickly wrap third-party Virtualized network function software into agile service building blocks that can be tested individually for performance and to reduce errors that require manual intervention in production.
The key differentiating features of Agile Lifecycle Manager V1.2 include:
- Standard lifecycle model to automatically manage virtualized network functions and services, designed to significantly reduce manual operation costs
- Virtualized network function and service assembly and design tools to rapidly build virtualized network function and service packages, allowing for the rapid introduction of niche services to market to target new revenue growth
- Intent-driven orchestration, enabling automatic generation of lifecycle execution plans to bring virtualized network function and services to desired state, resulting in increased agility and reduced manual operations
- Cloud-native solution that is purpose-built on cloud frameworks and best practices
