Getting Started with the Designer Tools

Create a Request for a Configuration Template

Procedure

1. Click Menu in the top left of the page and select Configuration Designer.
2. Click Home > Requests > New Template.
3. Specify the details for the template.
4. Click Create.

   A new configuration template request is created.

Design a Configuration Template

This task describes how to design a configuration template with a data model. You can alternatively design a configuration template with a working configuration.

Procedure

1. Hover over the bottom right of the request, and select Begin with Data Model.

   The configuration template wizard appears with the Data Model Schema page displayed.

2. In the Data Model Schema page, enter or copy and paste your data model schema in the space provided for it.

   The data model schema defines the VNF.

3. Click Next.

   The Jinja Template page is displayed.

4. Enter or copy and paste your Jinja template content in the space provided for it.

   The Jinja template is specific to the VNF and contains variables or expressions which are replaced with values when the template is rendered.

5. Click Next.

   The configuration template wizard automatically generates a UI Builder page with view definitions based on your data model schema. The fields on this page map to the parameters in the configuration template and are read-only.

6. Click Validate.

   The Validate Template page appears.

7. Specify values that you want to validate, and click Validate.

   A configuration template is generated using the values that you entered.

8. In the Validate Template page, make sure your data in the template is complete and correct.
9. Click OK and then Close.
10. Click Next.

    The Summary page is displayed.

11. Click Done to save your configuration template.

Publish the Configuration Template

Procedure

1. Select Home > Designs.

   The Designs page appears. All the configuration templates are displayed in a table.

2. Select the configuration template that you want to publish.

   The status of the template is Validated.

3. Select Publish, from the Edit drop-down list at the end of the row.

   Your configuration template is published and available in Contrail Service Orchestration (CSO). Its status changes from Validated to Published.

   • If you are designing a device template, you can now view the template in Administration Portal.

   • If you are designing a VNF package, you can view the template in Resource Designer.

Create a Request for a VNF Package

Procedure

1. Click Menu in the top left of the page and select Resource Designer.
2. Click Home > Requests > New Request.
3. Specify details for the request.
4. Click Create.

   A new VNF package request is created.

Design a VNF Package

The information that you need to design a VNF package for a software application is specific to that application. You must use the documentation for the application to determine how it initializes and functions in the network. You specify that information when you design the VNF package.

Procedure

1. Click Home > Requests.

   You see the requests that you have created.

2. Hover over the bottom right of a request and click Begin.

   The VNF package wizard appears with the Basic Information page displayed.

3. In the Basic Information page, specify details for the VNF package, select configuration templates for the VNFs in the package, and add package flavors to specify required resources for the package

   Note You must provide values for all the fields on this page.

   • Name of the VNF package that appears in Network Service Designer

   • VNF Manager

     • Name—Name of the VNF manager

     • Admin name—Username for logging in to the VNF manager

     • Password—Password for logging in to the VNF manager

     • Plug in—Type of plug-in that the VNF manager uses to manage the VNF

       • Built-in—CSO plug-in

       • External—Proprietary plug-in

     • Plug in name—Name of the plug-in

   • The deployment type:

     • vCPE—VNF is for use in a service provider cloud

     • uCPE—VNF is for use on a CPE device

   • Configuration templates specific to the VNF for

     • Basic—Information about the container in which the VNF resides.

     • Bootstrap—Information that the VNF uses when it initiates.

     • Networking—Information that enables the VNF to manage network traffic, such as information about interfaces or IP addresses..

   • The attributes that apply to the VNF—select all that apply. CSO uses these attributes to orchestrate the VNF..

     • SRIOV-DATA—Supports single-root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV) data interfaces for the container in which the VNF resides. This option works with the basic template that you specify.

     • SRIOV-MGMT—Supports SR-IOV management interfaces for the container in which the VNF resides. This option works with the basic template that you specify.

     • CDROM-Bootstrapping—Supports initialization of the VNF from a CD-ROM image. The CPE device treats the bootstrap configuration template as a CD-ROM image and initializes the VNF from that image.

     • UserData-Bootstrapping—Supports initialization of the VNF through Cloudinit. The CPE device treats the bootstrap configuration image as a Cloudinit image to initialize the VNF.

     • MGMT-VLAN-Tagged-Traffic—Supports VLAN tagged traffic and its management interfaces in conjunction with the networking configuration template that you specify.

     • DATA-VLAN-Tagged-Traffic—Supports VLAN tagged traffic and its data interfaces in conjunction with the networking configuration template that you specify.

     • Transparent-mode—Supports filtering of packets that traverse the VNF without modifying any of the source or destination information in the IP packet headers. This option works with the networking configuration template that you specify.

     • L3-mode—Enables Layer 3 networking for the VNF using the networking configuration template that you specify.

     • Direct-OAM-Reachability—Requires Operation, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) access for management. You must select this option for any third-party VNF packages that you create.

   • One or more package flavors, which specify the required resources. A higher performance VNF package, such as a Gold flavor, typically uses more resources.

4. Click Next.

   The Supported Function page is displayed.

5. Click each standard function that you want to include in the VNF package and add any custom functions.
6. Click Next.

   The Supported Functions Chain page is displayed.

7. Drag the supported functions in the required order to the Supported Function Chains area.
8. Click the pen icon of each supported function to specify a configuration template for this function.

   You specify a configuration template that you created in Configuration Designer for a particular VNF.

9. Specify guaranteed values for the assurance parameters of the VNF package.

   These values are displayed in Network Service Designer and used to evaluate the performance specification of a network service that you create for your customers.

10. Click Next.

    The service chain is created and displayed in the same page.

11. If you use more than one network function in the VNF package, click Service Chain to create the next combination of services.
12. Repeat steps 7 through 9 to create a service chain.
13. Repeat steps 11 and 12 until you have added all possible combinations of the network functions, including each function on its own.
14. Click Next.

    The Summary page is displayed.

15. Check the settings for the VNF package and make any required changes.
16. Click Done.

Publish the VNF Package

Procedure

1. Select Home > Designs.

   The VNF Package Designs page appears. All the VNF packages are displayed in a table.

2. Select the VNF package that you want to publish to the Network Service Designer.

   You can publish VNF packages with the state Validated.

3. Select Publish to NSD from the drop-down list at the end of the row.

   Your VNF package is published and available in Network Service Designer. The status of the package changes from Validated to Published.

Create a Request for a Network Service Design

Procedure

1. Click Menu in the top left of the page and select Network Service Designer.

   The Network Service Designer Requests page is displayed.

2. Click New Request at the bottom right of the page.

   The requests wizard appears with the Request Information page displayed.

3. Specify details for the request.
4. Click NEXT.

   The Service Chain and Design Goals page appears, displaying the Goals area, the Functional Service Design area, and the Function Palette.

5. Create a chain of network functions:

   • For a centralized deployment, drag and drop the required functions in the required order for the service from the Function Palette to the Functional Service Design area.

   • For a distributed deployment, drag and drop the network functions from the Function Palette to the appropriate section on the service chain structure in the Functional Service Design area.

6. Add goals for the network service parameters.
7. Click NEXT.

   The Summary page appears, displaying the details you entered for the request.

8. Review the details and make corrections if necessary.
9. Click CREATE.

   The request for the network service design appears on the Requests page.

Design and Publish a Network Service for a Centralized Deployment

Procedure

1. Click HOME in the toolbar and Requests in the left navigation bar.

   The Requests page appears, displaying the open requests.

2. Hover over the bottom right of a request and click Begin.

   The Build page displays the requested network functions and the goals.

3. Click the first function in the chain.

   The VNF catalog at the bottom right of the page updates to show only the VNFs that provide this function.

4. Drag and drop a VNF from the catalog to the Network Service Design workspace.

   The function appears inside the VNF image.

5. Add an ingress point to the first VNF in the chain.

   The Performance Goals pane updates to indicate how the network service design meets the customer goals.

6. Click the next function in the chain.

   The Vendor catalog at the bottom right of the page updates to show only the VNFs that provide this function, and, If a VNF in the Network Service Design workspace supports this function, a faded image of the function appears inside the VNF image.

7. Choose a VNF for this function:

   • To implement this function with the same VNF, click the faded image in the VNF image.

   • To implement this function with a different VNF, drag the VNF from the Vendor catalog to the Network Service Design workspace.

8. Repeat Step 6 and Step 7 until you have assigned a VNF to each required network function.
9. If you used multiple VNFs in your design, connect them in the direction of packet flow.
10. Add an egress point to the last VNF in the chain.

    The Performance Goals pane again updates to indicate how the network service design meets the customer goals.

11. (Optional) Click Functional Configuration to configure the Network Service.
12. Click Save NSD on the top right of the page.
13. Click Publish NSD on the top right of the page to add the service to the catalog.
14. Specify information about the network service that you want your customers to see.
15. Click Publish.

    The network service is published to the network service catalog and you can see it in Administration Portal.

Design and Publish a Network Service for a Distributed Deployment

Procedure

1. Click HOME in the toolbar and Requests in the left navigation bar.

   The Requests page appears, displaying the open requests.

2. Hover over the bottom right of a request and click BEGIN.

   The Build page displays the service chain with the requested network functions, ingress and egress points, direction of traffic flow, and the goals for the network service.

3. Click the first function in the chain.

   The VNF catalog at the bottom right of the page updates to show only the VNFs that provide this function.

4. Drag and drop a VNF from the catalog to the Network Service Design workspace to the appropriate location in the service chain.

   The function appears inside the VNF image, and the Performance Goals widget updates to indicate how the network service design meets the customer goals.

5. Repeat Step 3 and Step 4 until you have assigned a VNF to each network function in the service chain. If you make an error, you can right-click a component in the design area and delete the component.
6. (Optional) Click Function Configuration and configure the network service.
7. Click Save NSD in the top right of the page to save the design.
8. Click Publish NSD on the top right of the page to add the service to the catalog.
9. Specify information about the network service that you want your customers to see.
10. Click Publish.

    The network service is published to the network service catalog and you can see it in Administration Portal.

Related Documentation

• Creating Requests for Configuration Templates

• Designing Templates with a Configuration

• Publishing Configuration Templates

• Creating Requests for VNF Packages

• Designing VNF Packages

• Publishing VNF Packages

• Creating Requests for Network Services

• Designing Network Services

• Publishing Network Service Designs