Rakuten Mobile: All in the cloud from RAN to Core

Dr. Ashiq Khan Prakash Suthar

Head of Rakuten Cloud Platform Distinguished Engineer
Rakuten Mobile, Inc. Cisco Systems, Inc.
Agenda

• Rakuten, Inc.: an overview

• RAKUTEN CLOUD PLATFORM (RCP)
• Virtualized RAN (vRAN)
• Mobile Core and distributed Telco Cloud
• SDN based IPv6 transport network
• Operation system (OSS) from scratch: RNOS
• Testing and validation: CI/CD

2
#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Rakuten Ecosystem

3
#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Entry into MNO Business

100 mm Rakuten IDs

Approx. 17 mm Card Members

High CAPEX Efficiency Rakuten Synergy with

Lean Operation Group Services
MNO

Approx.1.7 mm MVNO Users

No.1 Market Share
4
#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Rakuten 4G/5G Timeline

4G Spectrum 5G Spectrum
Allocation Allocation
Apr 2018 Apr 2018

2018 2019 2020 2021

4G Service 5G Service
Launch 人口カバー率
Launch
Oct 2019 96.0%
Jun 2020

5
#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 Cloud Platform

Fully Virtualized Software Centric Automation

6 VERY CONFIDENTIAL
#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Rakuten Cloud Platform (Virtualized Network as a Platform)

Multi-Domain Orchestration & Automation Platform

VNF Manager

ACCESS vRAN EPC CORE IMS

vCU SGW PGW HSS SMSC OCS DRA

MME PCRF CSCF TAS SBC CG

vDU

5G CORE

Edge Cloud Central DCs

Horizontal TelcoCloud Software

COTS Simplified Hardware Sku’s

7
#CLUS © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Compact cell site
Traditional Site Deployment Rakuten Simplified Site Deployment

Power Power
Rectifier &
Board Board
Battery vBBU
BBU

BBU Rectifier & Cable &

Battery Cabinet RRU Jumper Rectifier & Battery
Antenna AAU

#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
• Deployment Ease
• Cost Saving
• No point of failure on site
• Reduce time to installation from One day to 15 minutes
• Negligible (0.2 dB) loss from customized Integrated RRH + Antenna
 vRAN Architecture

6 Sector per vDU 12 Sector per vCU

UE
Cell Site

vCU
IP/Ethernet
Ethernet vEMS
vDU

UE

Cell Site

LTE-PHY-Lower LTE-RLC,LTE-MAC,LTE-PHY Upper LTE-PDCP,RRM,RRC,MM,S1,X2,SON, IPSec

Altiostar Altiostar Altiostar

CIPRI
eCIPRI Ethernet Ethernet IP/Ethernet IP/Ethernet

RRH RIU Fronthaul VDU Midhaul VCU

#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 Open, Disaggregated and Virtualized
RAN
CDN
RIU Apps
UPF
Edge Cloud Control & Mgmt CVIM
RIU
vDU ACI
vCU
RIU vDU
VIM
EMS, OSS/BSS
RIU Switching Public Cloud
/OTT
vIMS
IPv6 Transport Network vEPC
Internet
RIU VIM
Edge Cloud Control & Mgmt ACI
RIU ACI
vDU CVIM
vCU UPF
vDU Apps
RIU CDN
VIM
Switching
RIU

Cell Sites GC (Pre-Aggregation) Regional DCs (Agg) Central DCs (Core)

Leaner Cell Site, Zero Touch Provisioning, Speed of Software

Mobile Edge Computing Low Latency. Edge Offload
#CLUS © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
5G System Architecture from Day 1

5G NR and UE 5G Systems Architecture

RAN Architecture 5G Transport Mobile Core

• Access indipendent • Adapted to Cloud RAN • Virtualized, CUPS
• Open, Virtualized and • Support 5G services – architecture for LTE
disaggregated RAN slicing, timing, security • Evolves to 5G core
• Converged

5G NR & UE
• New Radio
• UE’s with NR modem

Edge Computing Automation Ecosystem

• Low latency • Across domains • B2B, B2C, B2B2x and
• NFV, SDN, Network • Built to integrate into the Enterprise services
Fabric and Edge DC cloud • Integrates public cloud

12
#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Multi-vendor (100+ Virtualized Functions)
• Cisco – Cloud Infra, Transport, Datacenter, EPC, Automation, CloudOps, Security,
SON, system integrations etc.
• Altiostar – vRAN (vEMS, vDU, vCU)
• Nokia – IMS VNFs (20+)
• Mavenir – RCS VNF (15+)
• Radcom – Virtual Probes
• NEC (Innoeye/Netcracker) – OSS/BSS
• Allot – Parental Control, DDoS
• F5 – CGNAT
• …

13
#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 Distributed Telco Cloud
Spanning Across 1000s of Locations. Enabled by Rakuten Cloud Platform & Cisco VIM, NSO & ESC
vRAN – vSAEGW-U, vFW/NAT, vSAEGW-C, MME, vIMS,
vDU and vCU vCDN, MEC apps etc. vPCRF, OSS, BSS etc.

NFVI NFVI NFVI

CPRI
RIU eCPRI WAN / MBH WAN / MBH
GC (Pre-Aggregation) Regional DC @
Central DC
Aggregation
~3000’s ~50 2

Optimized for smallest Optimized for Application Optimized for Capacity and
footprint and Performance Flexibility Scale
14 VERY CONFIDENTIAL
#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 5G Ready, SDN Based Centralized & Regional DC
(ACI) Application Centric Infrastructure
Management and Orchestration Systems
• Modular DC Architecture APIs

• Fully automated
• Policy driven
ACI Fabric
• Built for 5G scale in mind
• VM, Containers, Bare Metal
• Service Chaining
• Carrier Grade
• Highly secure
• Telemetry and assurance

15 VERY CONFIDENTIAL
#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 Cisco Multi-domain Telco DC (ACI) Architecture Centric Infrastructure

Distributed Edge DC Fabric

Analytics and Assurance
• Multi site SDN Controller
• Network as a Fabric
NSO • Streaming Telemetry and Analytics:
• Scale to MEC sites with Remote leaf or
Visibility and Performance
mini ACI
• Network Service Assurance:
• Consistent Policy Model across fabric
MSO Simulation and validation
Controller

SDN Fabric Management

Network and Security
Policy enforcement
ACI Controller
~ ACI Remote Leaf
ACI Controller
ACI Controller ~ 100 VMs+ •
Driven by virtualization
Micro POD ~ 1000 VMs • Fabric Automation
Full PODs • Ops tools for lifecycle management
~ 10s VMs+
Mini POD • Policy driven with Service Chaining
• SDN-ACI & SR-MPLS Integration for NaaS

Cloud Management

Group Center (pre- Regional DC Central DC sGi LAN Internet Peering • Workload Management across clouds
aggregation)
- Openstack
Transport (Native IPv6) - Kubernetes
• Virtual Network Connectivity across clouds

16 VERY CONFIDENTIAL
#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 5G Enabled IPv6 Transport/Backhaul Network

Fronthaul GC MBH RDC MBH CDC Internet Core The Internet

Cell Site GC Agg Core Peering
AG3
CDC
GC Edge AG1 AG3 Inet GW
RIU
Cloud AG1
AG4 Core The
Pre-Aggregation Ring AG2 AG3 Internet
Aggregation Ring
Cell Site GC Edge
AG2
IPv6 +
AG1 AG3 AG4 Core Peering
RIU
GC Edge IPv4
Cloud AG1 Inet GW
AG2 AG3
AG2 AG3
Cell Site GC
GC Edge AG1 RDC/MEC
RIU Cloud
Cloud AG1

End-to-End Native IPv6 Network

• Software defined, programmable WAN, native IPv6 networking

• Built for 5G with up to 400Gbps of bandwidth of Pre-Agg (GC) locations (vs. traditional 1G/10G)
• Terabits of Capacity in the Mobile Backhaul Core Network
• Scale with IPv6 to support zillions of connected devices
17 VERY CONFIDENTIAL
Low complexity hardware design

Traditional Network Rakuten Network

Mix of bare metal based Hardware and 20-50 different SKUs of Just 4 SKU for server are used to virtualize all network
Server elements

SAE- vMME vSGW vPGW 5G Core

DU/CU MME 5G Core vDU/vCU vEMS
GW VNF VNF VNF VNF

Bare Metal Bare Metal Bare Metal COTS

BBU MME SAE-GW

OSS/BS
EMS IMS MEC
S

OSS/BS
S vIMS MEC
VNF
Vendor Vendor Bare Metal COTS
Server Server IMS

18
#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 Rakuten Network Operations System

MODULES
FCAPS RF planning & IP address Trouble Collaboration SON Security
Optimization management Ticketing

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

VNF Management Business Intelligence Customer Experience Coverage & Capacity Auto Provisioning Auto Healing Digital workflow
Management Analytics automation

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Access Core DOMAINS

Transport Data Centers CDC

4G 5G TECHNOLOGY WIFI IOT

Adapters Big data AI/Machine Learning Close Loop

Aggregate Analyze Actionable Automate

19 VERY CONFIDENTIAL Virtualized Infrastructure

#CLUS © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 Automation Architecture Framework
Service
• Service Orchestration - Unified BSS/OSS Models BSS/OSS
Environment API Gateway To
Enterprises
Domain
• Services Workflow Models REST
Assurance

• Service Lifecycle Managements Service

Orchestration

REST
• Network Orchestration – NSO/ESC
WAN
Netconf Automation
• VNF Instantiations
REST
Netconf Netconf
• VNF Lifecycle Management SR Path
Computation
Netconf
PCE
REST
• VNF configurations Management Templates Templates
NE
Models
Templates

• WAN Automation Engine (WAE) RAN & Cloud Edge Cloud

PCEP
Transport NFV
Orchestration Orchestration Orchestration Orchestration
• IP Topology modeling Netconf

• Best path computations VNFM VNFM

Cloud Cloud
Mgr Mgr
RAN Elements Edge Cloud Transport Telco DCs

20 VERY CONFIDENTIAL
#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 VNF Auto provisioning
1 4 7
Planning Data Policy Manager NFVO/ VNFM/VIM /Fabric

• VNF Lifecycle • VNF Onboarding

• Planning Data
Management • VNF Instantiation

2 5
Digital Workflow Configuration Mgt.
• VNF Onboarding templates 8
• Site Build out Lifecycle • VNF Day 1 templates
• Acceptance test • IP Templates vNF/VNF
• Inventory management • Naming Templates
• Fabric Template
• VNF Application On Air
• Security Template

3 6
Inventory management FCAP & Security
• Physical • Fault Management
• Logical • Performance Mgt.
• Forecasting • Ticket Management
• Security
21 VERY CONFIDENTIAL
 vRAN Deployments Workflow in Action
Central DC
Edge DC
1. Radio Interface Unit sends
notification to EMS
11. Sectors activated …
2. EMS notifies OSS
with RIU/eNB ID

3. OSS sends
GPS
ESC NSO OSS EMS indication to NSO
NTT-PT vCU
Cell Site 1 1 4. NSO tells ESC to
vDU 2 deploy vRAN at GC
3
5. vCU queries EMS
for configuration 4 6. EMS queries OSS
5
for vRAN config
9. vDU gets config from vCU 6
7. OSS sends config
7 to EMS
10. RIU gets config from vDU 8
9 8. vCU receives Config
VERY CONFIDENTIAL
10 from EMS
22
#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 Industry First Cloud
5G Automated Zero Downtime
Most AI/ML Quality Predictor
Advanced Testing Upgrades
Test Tools
Rakuten CICD Test Automation Framework

Vendor Score card Automated

Multi-Vendors Delivery of
Agile Co- SW from
Development Vendors
A single Portal with
Best in class UX

23
#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 Rakuten best in calls CICD Framework brings
…

Increased Speed in Security Reduced

Code Quality Deployment Compliance OPEX

24
#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 Rakuten SDN Test Automation Framework

TRADITIONAL TELECOM TESTING Rakuten SDN Test Automation Framework

25
#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
 Automating tests in depth and with
Increased Code Quality wider scope
achieved by AI/ML driven Insight provided from
test bed & production to vendors

Minimizing risk through proactive

Speed in Deployment of AI/ML analysis
Code to Production Shorter time to market of
Innovation

Outcome AI/ML based insight into probable problems using

pattern matching
Achieved
Security Compliance and Conformance as part of
Testing

Reduced Opex through automation of complex

testing process

26
#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Rakuten 4G Network Progress: End-to-End Tests Completed
 First End-to-End tests nearby Rakuetn’s headquarters

27
#CLUS BRKSPM-2950 © 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
28
Cisco Webex Teams

Questions?
Use Cisco Webex Teams to chat
with the speaker after the session

How
1 Find this session in the Cisco Live Mobile App
2 Click “Join the Discussion”
3 Install Webex Teams or go directly to the team space
4 Enter messages/questions in the team space

Webex Teams will be moderated cs.co/ciscolivebot# BRKSPM-2950

by the speaker until June 16, 2019.

© 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Public 29
#CLUS
Complete your
online session • Please complete your session survey
after each session. Your feedback
evaluation is very important.
• Complete a minimum of 4 session
surveys and the Overall Conference
survey (starting on Thursday) to
receive your Cisco Live water bottle.
• All surveys can be taken in the Cisco Live
Mobile App or by logging in to the Session
Catalog on ciscolive.cisco.com/us.

Cisco Live sessions will be available for viewing on

demand after the event at ciscolive.cisco.com.

© 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Public 30
#CLUS BRKACI-3456
Continue your education

Demos in the
Walk-in labs
Cisco campus

Meet the engineer

Related sessions
1:1 meetings

© 2019 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Public 31
#CLUS Session ID
Thank you

#CLUS
#CLUS