Contents

Introduction

Prerequisites

Requirements

Components Used

Background Information

Abbreviations

Workflow of the MoP

Procedure

Preparation of vnfc Configuration

New card vnfc Configuration

Execute to Add a New Card from EM

Monitoring Card addition Progress

Check Card Status

Introduction

This document describes how to do manual scale-out ( addition of one new Service Function card ) to a  running VPC-DI (Virtual Packet Core - Dual Instance) setup without the need to reload or redeploy VPC gateway, This feature is to support the requirement of new capacity expansion of gateway.

Prerequisites

Requirements

Cisco recommends that you have knowledge of these topics:

- Cisco Ultra Virtual Packet Core solutions components

- Ultra Automation Services( UAS)

- Elastic Service Controllers ( ESC )

- Openstack

Other than that you  need  these as prerequisites:

- VPC-DI full-stack instance running with the proper configuration in a healthy environment

- All required network configurations are in place related to DI (Dual Instance) and service networks of targetted new SF( Service Function)  cards

- Required resources & permissions are available at Openstack level (Cloud) example, host, CPU RAM, and quota, etc.

- ESC is in a  healthy condition.

- Any other dependency based on your cloud setup design like additional interface, networks or resource.

- Cloud status is healthy and there are no warnings or alarms.

Components Used

The information in this document is based on these software and hardware versions:

- USP 6.6

- ESC: 4.4.0(88)

- StarOS : 21.12.0 (71244)

- Cloud - CVIM 2.4.16

- UCS M4 C240 servers - 4pc

The information in this document was created from the devices in a specific lab environment. All of the devices used in this document started with a cleared (default) configuration. If your network is live, ensure that you understand the potential impact of any command.

Background Information

The setup is called a standalone AutoVNF deployment setup where there are no NSO solutions. With this article, in an existing running VPC-DI setup, a person can add SF card from EM flawlessly to support additional capacity requirement,

It consists of these VMs types.

- AutoVNF VM - 1 instance

- Element Manager VM - 2 instance

- Control Function VM - 2 instance

- Session Function VM - 2 instance

- ESC ( VNFM ) - 2instance ( IN HA )

Currently, in VPC-DI gateway, you have one SF VM in running state i.e one SF card 3 is active at application levels, One more card (SF card 4) is added here as part of the scale-out activity.

High level setup architecture

Abbreviations

HA

High Availability

VNF

Virtual Network Function

CF

Control Function

SF

Service Function

ESC

Elastic Service Controller

MOP

Method of Procedure

OSD

Object Storage Disks

HDD

Hard Disk Drive

SSD

Solid State Drive

VIM

Virtual Infrastructure Manager

VM

Virtual Machine

EM

Element Manager

UAS

Ultra Automation Services

UUID

Universally Unique IDentifier

Workflow of the MoP

Procedure

Step 1. Ensure all VM is in an active and running status on Openstack levels.

nova list --tenant f35c8df20d6713430eda5565f241d74a399  --field name,status,task_state,power_state

+--------------------------------------+--------------------------+--------+------------+-------------+

| ID                                   | Name                     | Status | Task State | Power State |

+--------------------------------------+--------------------------+--------+------------+-------------+

| f5e2e048-f013-4b17-b2af-c427bbafd043 | lab-saegw-spgw-em-1      | ACTIVE | None       | Running     |

| 6a9a391a-e23c-4c1b-9d92-cdc3ed991c71 | lab-saegw-spgw-em-2      | ACTIVE | None       | Running     |

| ab08e077-aec7-4fa5-900c-11f5758998eb | lab-saegw-spgw-vdu-cf1-0 | ACTIVE | None       | Running     |

| 09524fd3-20ea-4eda-b8ff-4bd39c2af265 | lab-saegw-spgw-vdu-cf1-1 | ACTIVE | None       | Running     |

| ed6f7010-dabc-44ac-ae49-f625d297f8ad | lab-saegw-spgw-vdu-sf1-0 | ACTIVE | None       | Running     |

+--------------------------------------+--------------------------+--------+------------+-------------+

Step 2. Ensure all VM status are ALIVE on VNFM (ESC) monitoring. If any VM is in error, it has to fix it before proceeding with this activity.

DEPLOYMENT NAME              VM NAME                                                         STATE

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

lab-saegw-spgw-em            lab-saegw-spgw-e_lab-sa_0_2a70c6b5-b9c7-4382-82a6-f1ad052bb824  VM_ALIVE_STATE

lab-saegw-spgw-e_lab-sa_0_ea3113bc-7582-4b49-8876-a70bf1b74634  VM_ALIVE_STATE

lab-saegw-spgw-usp-em-6.6.0  lab-saegw-spgw-u_cf1_0_a7d8d54b-2d02-415e-93f8-907f90999e2b     VM_ALIVE_STATE

lab-saegw-spgw-u_cf2_0_3a4f9330-2481-4178-94e3-a656dfa45bdd     VM_ALIVE_STATE

lab-saegw-spgw-u_sf1_0_9cf03821-08bf-4ef3-b6bc-471d9bf869fc     VM_ALIVE_STATE

Step 3. Ensure all cards are healthy status inside VPC-DI gateway, and emctrl status is Alive.

[local]ugp-saegw# show card table

Slot         Card Type                               Oper State     SPOF  Attach

-----------  --------------------------------------  -------------  ----  ------

1: CFC      Control Function Virtual Card           Active         Yes

2: CFC      Control Function Virtual Card           Standby        -

3: FC       6-Port Service Function Virtual Card    Active         Yes

[local]ugp-saegw#

[local]ugp-saegw# show emctrl status

emctrl status:

emctrl in state: ALIVE

[local]ugp-saegw#

Step 4. Log in to EM and check health/sync status.

ubuntu@lab-saegw-spgw-em-1:~$ ncs_cli -u admin -C

admin@scm# show ems

EM            VNFM

ID  SLA  SCM  PROXY  VERSION

------------------------------

21  UP   UP   UP     6.6.0

admin@scm#

admin@scm# show ncs-state ha

ncs-state ha mode master

ncs-state ha node-id AVNTSwpVTwABHAdV

ncs-state ha connected-slave [ AVNTSwpVTwABHAdW ]

admin@scm#

There are a few more lists of health checkups meant for  EM which are out of the scope of this article. Hence, a suitable action must be taken accordingly if any other errors are observed.

Step 5. Addition of new SF Card 4 from EM.

Preparation of vnfc Configuration

Note: You must be careful in making vnfc configuration. It must not conflict with the existing vnfc cards. Hence ensure to do changes on top of your last vnfc. For example, if in gateway you have 5 cards in sf vdu, you have to pick and consider 5th vnfc card configuration for preparation of new card vnfc configuration. Get the existing last card vnfc configuration and target the highlighted variables to be changed to the next numbers for new cards on top of it as per this example.  In our examples, the last card number is 3 and the new card number is 4.

admin@scm# show running-config vnfdservice:vnfd lab-saegw-spgw element-group ugp constituent-vdu vdu-sf1

vnfdservice:vnfd lab-saegw-spgw

element-group ugp

constituent-vdu vdu-sf1

vnfc sf1                     >>>>>>>>>>>>> has to change to “sf2”

vim-id   lab-saegw-spgw-vdu-sf1-0      >>>>>>>>> has to change to “lab-saegw-spgw-vdu-sf1-1”

vnfc-ref sf-vnfc-ugp

host     host-3                >>>>>>>>>>>>>> has to change to “host-4”

lifecycle-event-initialization-variable staros_param.cfg

destination-path-variables CARD_TYPE_NUM

value 0x42070100

!

destination-path-variables SLOT_CARD_NUMBER

value 3                       >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> has to change to “value 4”

!

destination-path-variables VNFM_PROXY_ADDRS

value 172.20.20.21,172.20.20.22,172.20.20.23

!

!

!

!

!

Copy the same vnfc configuration with change vnfc, vim-id, host, SLOT_CARD_NUMBER value variables to the suite to activate new card 4 as indicated above,

New card vnfc Configuration

After the above changes are performed to variables, vnfc, vim-id, host, SLOT_CARD_NUMBER , the final new card vnfc configuration is ready for activation.

vnfdservice:vnfd lab-saegw-spgw

element-group ugp

constituent-vdu vdu-sf1

vnfc sf2

vim-id   lab-saegw-spgw-vdu-sf1-1

vnfc-ref sf-vnfc-ugp

host     host-4

lifecycle-event-initialization-variable staros_param.cfg

destination-path-variables CARD_TYPE_NUM

value 0x42070100

!

destination-path-variables SLOT_CARD_NUMBER

value 4

!

destination-path-variables VNFM_PROXY_ADDRS

value 172.20.20.21,172.20.20.22,172.20.20.23

!

!

!

!

!

Execute to Add a New Card from EM

Execute the new vnfc prepared as shown for card 4 and do not forget to commit the execution at last.

admin@scm(config)#vnfdservice:vnfd lab-saegw-spgw element-group ugp  constituent-vdu vdu-sf1 vnfc sf2

admin@scm(config-constituent-vdu-vdu-sf1)# vnfc sf2 vim-id lab-saegw-spgw-vdu-sf1-1 vnfc-ref sf-vnfc-ugp host host-4 lifecycle-event-initialization-variable staros_param.cfg destination-path-variables CARD_TYPE_NUM value 0x42070100

admin@scm(config-destination-path-variables-CARD_TYPE_NUM)# exit

admin@scm(config-lifecycle-event-initialization-variable-staros_param.cfg)# destination-path-variables SLOT_CARD_NUMBER value 4

admin@scm(config-destination-path-variables-SLOT_CARD_NUMBER)# exit

admin@scm(config-lifecycle-event-initialization-variable-staros_param.cfg)# destination-path-variables VNFM_PROXY_ADDRS value 172.20.20.21,172.20.20.22,172.20.20.23

admin@scm(config-destination-path-variables-VNFM_PROXY_ADDRS)# commit

Commit complete.

admin@scm(config-destination-path-variables-VNFM_PROXY_ADDRS)#

Monitoring Card addition Progress

At CVIM/Openstack:

[root@PNQVFIBULD01 ~]# nova list --tenant f35c8f206713430ea5565f241d74a399  --field name,status,task_state,power_state

+--------------------------------------+--------------------------+--------+------------+-------------+

| ID                                   | Name                     | Status | Task State | Power State |

+--------------------------------------+--------------------------+--------+------------+-------------+

| f5e2e048-f013-4b17-b2af-c427bbafd043 | lab-saegw-spgw-em-1      | ACTIVE | None       | Running     |

| 6a9a391a-e23c-4c1b-9d92-cdc3ed991c71 | lab-saegw-spgw-em-2      | ACTIVE | None       | Running     |

| ab08e077-aec7-4fa5-900c-11f5758998eb | lab-saegw-spgw-vdu-cf1-0 | ACTIVE | None       | Running     |

| 09524fd3-20ea-4eda-b8ff-4bd39c2af265 | lab-saegw-spgw-vdu-cf1-1 | ACTIVE | None       | Running     |

| ed6f7010-dabc-44ac-ae49-f625d297f8ad | lab-saegw-spgw-vdu-sf1-0 | ACTIVE | None       | Running     |

| ba7edb9a-eba9-4e96-845b-6bb9041dfcfb | lab-saegw-spgw-vdu-sf1-1 | BUILD  | spawning   | NOSTATE     |

+--------------------------------------+--------------------------+--------+------------+-------------+

[root@PNQVFIBULD01 ~]#

At VPC-DI Gateway:

[local]ugp-saegw# show card table

Slot         Card Type                               Oper State     SPOF  Attach

-----------  --------------------------------------  -------------  ----  ------

1: CFC      Control Function Virtual Card           Active         Yes

2: CFC      Control Function Virtual Card           Standby        -

3: FC       6-Port Service Function Virtual Card    Active         Yes

4: FC       6-Port Service Function Virtual Card    Starting       -

[local]ugp-saegw#

[local]ugp-saegw#

Check Card Status

VPC-DI:

[local]ugp-saegw# show card table

Slot         Card Type                               Oper State     SPOF  Attach

-----------  --------------------------------------  -------------  ----  ------

1: CFC      Control Function Virtual Card           Active         Yes

2: CFC      Control Function Virtual Card           Standby        -

3: FC       6-Port Service Function Virtual Card    Active         No

4: FC       6-Port Service Function Virtual Card    Standby        -

[local]ugp-saegw#

EM (Element Manager):

admin@scm# show vnfmproxy:vnfd vdus

CONSTITUENT                                                                   MEMORY  STORAGE

DEVICE  ELEMENT      IS                                                        CPU    UTILS   USAGE

NAME            ID       CARD TYPE         ID   DEVICE NAME           GROUP   GROUP        INFRA  INITIALIZED  VIM ID                                UTILS  BYTES   BYTES

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

lab-saegw-spgw  vdu-cf1  control-function  cf1  lab-saegw-spgw-cf-nc  cf-nc   ugp          true   true         ab08e077-aec7-4fa5-900c-11f5758998eb  -      -       -

cf2  lab-saegw-spgw-cf-nc  cf-nc   ugp          true   true         09524fd3-20ea-4eda-b8ff-4bd39c2af265  -      -       -

vdu-sf1  session-function  sf1  -                     -       ugp          true   false        ed6f7010-dabc-44ac-ae49-f625d297f8ad  -      -       -

sf2  -                     -       ugp          true   false        ba7edb9a-eba9-4e96-845b-6bb9041dfcfb  -      -       -

Note: Manual scale-out( addition) of SFs is fully supported in 6.3 release.