DevOps is leading to faster 5G deployment with increased automation and integration processes. DevOps – a fusion word for Development and Operations is based on the agile culture imbibed within the organisation for deployment and operations undergoing rapid changes with stability and balancing the entire activity leading to reduced time-to-market and faster product delivery.
In an enterprise setting, processes and techniques using DevOps and relying on automation are credited leading to significant efficiency increase of the software delivery cycle for operational processes on the whole. Considering 5G networks transition, telco vendors and operators are adapting to various ways of DevOps in order to boost competitiveness and lessen delivery cycles and give better customer experience.
- What are the DevOps challenges operators face while implementation?
- Since telcos are slow in exploring various DevOps opportunities from 5G rollout to setting up edge computing devices leveraging Open Stack technology with enough level of security, there is a delay in bridging the gap between networking and DevOps technology. Transforming from traditional data centre to modern architectures of app development require skilled resources with complex configuring as well as management skills.
- DevOps follows an agile methodology which is quite cumbersome for operators. Telcos work for making a strict reliable network to gain the KPI commitments made to their clients which contradicts with the pure changing and adapting nature of DevOps.
- Telecom networks are heterogenous in nature and is totally different from setups of IT/web-scale enterprises who tend to offer software-as-a-service (SaaS).
- DevOps in the telecom sector must be enabled to deliver software to different types of customers based on their requirements unlike single-owned service of web-based enterprises.
- Passing through the hurdles is critical to get utmost benefits of DevOps
In order to stabilise these requirements, collaboration between operators and telco vendors is key with an automated workflow to deliver software and documentation, test cases and deployment components to the operator. With this, operators can follow up with their continuous deployment and testing activities, for instance performing continuous 5G tests and make changes accordingly, and forward comments and requests to the telco vendor so that they can work on enhancing the software based on specific requirements.
Such a collaborative is likely to be a win-win situation for operators and telco vendors both with seamless working method and building a good vendor/operator relationship for a long-term. The operator gives some development tasks to vendor which the latter deploys it in DevOps processes in the operator’s surroundings making it a to-and-fro automated activity executed on quick intervals and satisfy business needs to deliver products and services to clients without any further delay. It is expected that around $57 billion USD revenue may be awarded to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) who deliver the best mobile network coverage. Having said that, implementation of DevOps in an efficient manner is a matter of question to achieve competitive advantage for MNOs and establish as a top market leader in the upcoming years.
- Applications of DevOps to build agile 5G telecom networks
- 5G networks have complex architecture and using DevOps brings transparency and efficient control over the entire network, even in cases of establishing private 5G network for a specific industry such as mining, education, manufacturing – to name a few.
- DevOps basically uses three main principles – Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Continuous Integration (CI), and Continuous delivery (CD)
- Using DevOps, manual labour is reduced as network hardware and appliances are configured automatically with continuous integration and deployment methods (CI/CD).
- Dramatically reduction in Capital Expenditure (CAPEX).
- Resilient and scalable, high-availability of 5G network is possible due to implementation of DevOps in deployment process.
- Network resources are utilized and organized in real-time as per the requirement to get desired results with reduced extra resources.
- Overall shortens time-to-market new development features of 5G network, apps, solutions and services to consumers and business enterprises.
- Networking providers are continuing with the creation of modern infrastructure leveraging software such as software-defined networking (SDN), Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Open-Source Software (OSS) to better associate with a DevOps-based model.
- As telcos involve into OSS projects, like Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) and many more, it will aid in opening an array of new opportunities.
Summing Up
Success of 5G can be achieved with a great collaboration between telecom operators and vendors working together to satisfy their customers’ niche demands and give them a comprehensive immense enthralling quality of experience (QoE) of 5G wireless network. Putting automation into action with continuous integration and deployment procedures is what telecom sector still on the verge of applying it as a full-scale business process. However, telcos who are integrating DevOps into their operations is likely to produce more efficient and robust networks to enable different network services that could serve various use cases across industries and build a variety of new 5G-based applications leading to enhanced productivity and revenue growth of enterprises.
References:
https://www.nokia.com/blog/little-give-and-take-smooths-way-5g-and-devops/
https://techbeacon.com/devops/future-devops-21-predictions-2021
https://itsvit.com/industries/benefits-of-adopting-devops-in-the-telecom-industry/
https://www.informationntechnology.com/devops-can-create-smarter-more-agile-5g-telecom-networks/
