Network Cloud Engine
Network Cloud Engine (NCE) is a next-generation autonomous platform for cloud-based networks launched by Huawei to facilitate carriers' digital transformation. It integrates management, control, and analysis functions and is the core of Huawei's Intent-Driven Network solution. Through NCE, a user-centered digital network is constructed on the previously connection-oriented physical network to implement intent-driven service automation, real-time network status awareness, and predictive maintenance. In this way, O&M is simplified, OPEX is reduced, operational efficiency is improved, and business innovation is accelerated.
NCE can be used in scenarios such as 5G transport, IP MAN, optical transmission, home broadband, enterprise private line, enterprise campus, and data center, making networks simpler, smarter, more open and secure, and gradually evolving them from automation to self-healing and autonomy to maximize business value.
Key features:
Intent-driven service automation
NCE provides user-centered GUIs. To implement end-to-end automated service management, users only need to define service requirements based on their intent instead of knowing how networks are constructed and use resources. Then, NCE converts the user intent into the specific network configurations and delivers the configurations.
Real-time awareness and continuous verification of network status
NCE uses technologies such as telemetry to collect network-wide data in real time. Based on a big data platform, NCE offers panoramic display and in-depth analysis of the quality and traffic data of the entire network, and continuously verifies the network design and configurations to ensure that the network accurately implements the user intent and is running stably.
Intelligent prediction and optimization suggestions for network faults
NCE is driven by AI. It uses expert systems and machine learning (random forest and Gaussian regression algorithms) to identify potential problems based on big data and provides optimization suggestions to reduce user complaints and improve user experience.
Unified cloud platform for flexible deployment
NCE uses a unified cloud platform to provide a user portal and authentication, a single API gateway, unified installation, deployment, and upgrade processes, as well as consistent data models, greatly simplifying O&M. However, the management, control, and analysis modules of NCE can also be deployed separately to meet different customer requirements.
Open interfaces to implement agile DevOps
NCE can be deployed on VMs or in the cloud. It provides RESTful APIs for interworking with third-party big data platforms, as well as southbound NETCONF or YANG standard interfaces for automatic configuration of third-party devices and telemetry-based service awareness. Currently, NCE can interwork with seven major cloud platforms, has more than 10 value-added services (VASs) pre-integrated, and provides open platforms such as remote labs and developer communities.
Key components:
Network management component: manages device configurations, alarms, performance, links, and QoS of physical resources, and enables automated connection-oriented service provisioning in real time.
Network control component: provides layer- and domain-based network control capabilities, including IP+optical cross-layer control, IP cross-domain control, and optical cross-domain control, optimizes routes through global route computation based on multiple factors, and delivers related control configurations.
Network analysis component: collects and monitors network-wide quality and traffic in real time based on a big data platform, detects potential risks through in-depth analysis and online simulation, and proactively generates warnings. This component consists of three modules: real-time network data collection and status awareness, in-depth analysis, and intelligent prediction.