5G Network Slicing is a technology and an architecture that enables service providers to create on-demand, isolated, and end-to-end logical networks, running on a shared and common infrastructure.

These custom overlay networks are associated with specific business purposes following a set of predefined Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Quality of Service indicators (QoS), security, and regulatory requirements. 5G Network Slicing provides a standard way of managing and exposing network resources to the end-user (the UE) while assuring the delivered slice's purpose and characteristics (for example, throughput, latency, geographical location, isolation level, and so on).
Note: This feature is on a technical preview for this release. For more details, contact [email protected].

Adopt VMware Telco Cloud Automation for Network Slicing

VMware Telco Cloud Automation offers, as tech-preview feature for the current version, a 3GPP standard-compliant Network Slicing management layer (including the CSMF, NSMF, and NSSMF) enabling users to plan, design, and instantiate end-to-end network slices across the Radio Access Network (RAN) and the mobile core network domains. The addition of network slicing to VMware Telco Cloud Automation enables service providers to unify domains automation and close the gap between the endpoint consumed services and the required network resources, from a physical or a cloud infrastructure.

Technical Overview

VMware Telco Cloud Automation follows the 3GPP Network Slicing Management architecture, which comprises of the following components:
  • Communication Service Management Function (CSMF), which acts as the interface towards service order management and Operations Support Systems (OSS).
  • Network Slice Management Function (NSMF), which manages the life cycle of the end-to-end slice across the network domains: Radio Access Network (RAN), 5G Core network, and the transport network.
  • Network Slice Subnet Management Function (NSSMF), which manages the lifecycle of the Network Slice subnets within a network domain and applies the NSMF’s life cycle management commands (For example, instantiate, scale, heal, terminate). There can be more than one NSSMF in a network.

Use Cases

Network Slicing allows service providers to create a new breed of services that their customers are expecting, that utilize their network resources better with fine-grained differentiated services, and is on-demand and secured.

Differentiated network slices based on traffic or Usage Profiles
  • Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) for large scale lesser bandwidth connected devices.
  • Ultra-reliable Low Latency Communication (uRLLC) for critical and latency sensitive device connectivity.
  • Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) for high bandwidth applications.

On-demand and SLA-assured network resources

Design, create, and manage the life cycle of on-demand network slices that are defined and fulfilled under a user created SLA.

Streamline and standardize way network resources are exposed to the OSS layer and the consumers of the network slices

Network Slicing provides a standard framework to design, create, and manage network resources that can be packaged and exposed directly to the end users.