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The complexities of information and communication technologies is responsible for limiting a wider adoption of solutions that are essential for many organizations. Simplifying the process of deploying, operating and maintaining new technologies can increase the number of users while at the same time giving them the confidence to address issues that can affect the quality of service. As part of the MEF16 Proof of Concept (PoC) Showcase, ADTRAN and Spirent (News - Alert) demonstrated the future of user driven services of fully automated provisioning and assurance of Carrier Ethernet (CE) services over SDN-controlled NG-PON2 networks.

This demonstration showed the ADTRAN (News - Alert)-Spirent PoC fully automates the on-boarding process for 10G services. In addition to being able to activate new or updated services within minutes of customer requests, newly provisioned services can be verified automatically by the network while isolating issues that can impact services to improve the quality of experience for the end-user, as well as ensuring service-level agreements are delivered.

The zero-touch, end-user initiated on-boarding of cloud-based 10G Carrier Ethernet (CE) services over SDN-controlled NG-PON2 networks addresses the needs of leading edge service providers. The more connected we become in our lives, workplace and elsewhere, it is critically important for service providers to move to a more customer-centric model where end users can request services while getting the assurance of quality right away, in this case within minutes.

The ADTRAN Mosaic Cloud Platform and Spirent’s Lumos Service Assurance Controller were used for the PoC demonstration. Mosaic was the foundation for the PoC demo. It integrated open-source SDN control and orchestration layers to SDN-enabled network elements and a Service Assurance Controller. Beginning with service creation and bandwidth allocation to complete on-boarding process from customer request to successful activation, it delivered.

Lumos Service Assurance Controller configured virtual test functions to provision verifications and SLA monitoring, controlling active TCP, IP and Ethernet tests and managing test result data.

"Open, programmable and scalable SD-Access architectures integrated with innovative cloud-based applications such as Spirent’s Service Assurance Controller, Lumos, allows service providers to support rapid service creation and delivery while significantly reducing the cost of subscriber acquisition and maintenance," said Robert Conger, AVP of cloud and portfolio strategy at ADTRAN.

Service providers are now transitioning to web-scale operations, because it allows them to deliver service creation and activation with a model that is user driven. This gives customers more control to access services when they needed right away.