NFV Platform Software Toolkit

The NPS toolkit is a purpose-built, optional, software package designed to automate, install, and configure the Telco Blueprint. The NPS toolkit software has been enhanced to enable deployment on a remote host. You can now deploy the NPS toolkit package on a NPS toolkit VM, that is hosted on a remote machine (such as a laptop), which can then be connected to the rack that is being configured for the blueprint deployment. The NPS toolkit VM must have one of its interfaces connected to the customer network such that it can access the Telco Blueprint rack to be set up.

In addition to end-to-end deployment, the NPS toolkit also provides the ability to deploy its microservices independently in separate module or as a combination of modules.

The NPS toolkit extends its capability of using a single NPS installation to deploy multiple topologies. Those topologies include NFV racks that are in the same data center or across different data centers spread over geographical locations. This is only applicable if those racks are reachable or connected to the remote NPS.

The block diagram of NPS toolkit shows the various microservices:
Figure 9: NPS toolkit with microservices

The functions of the microservices are described as follows:

  • Server Microservice: Redfish-based micorservice is developed to configure the boot, BIOS, NIC, and RAID with customizable parameters using hardware profiles. This microservice comes packaged with default hardware profiles, such as:

    • default_controller_profile for DL VIM controller

    • default_storage_profile for DL storage controller

    • default_compute_profile for DL compute nodes

    • default_el8k_hci_compute_profile for EL8000 HCI compute

    • default_el_controller_profile for EL4000 undercloud/controller

    • default_undercloud_profile for DL undercloud host

    This microservice also enables you to create custom hardware profile containing the boot sequence, BIOS, NIC, and RAID parameters. Ensure that these parameters are supported by DMTF (Distributed Management Task Force) Redfish.

  • Networking Microservice: NETCONF-based microservice is developed for HPE FlexFabric switches to configure the ports, VLANs, trunks, and bonds that are required for the cloud platform. The profiles are also developed to allow customization based on the networking topologies. Similarly, a Cumulus-based microservice is developed to support white box-based switches (such as M-Series Mellanox switches running Cumulus NOS). The microservice comes packaged with default switch profiles such as:

    • 6960_core_hci

    • 5950_core_without_dcn

    • 2100_core

    • 2100_core_addon

    • 2100_el8k_rhosp_2p

  • VIM Microservice: VIM microservice has been developed to automate the deployment of complete RHOSP 13 platform.

  • iLO DHCP Agent Microservice: This microservice is used to configure DHCP server on a management switch that facilitates the automatic iLO-OOBM IP address allocation for all the servers. It is an optional microservice.

  • Image service: Image service is a method of installing and configuring a baremetal as an Undercloud host.
    NOTE:

    This microservice is applicable only for HPE ProLiant DLs and HPE Edgeline ELs.