TOSCA Virtual Network Function Template

The definition follows the TOSCA Simple Profile for Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) Version 1.0 Regarding the objects defined from ETSI please see: ETSI GS NFV-MAN 001

Premise: some of the objects are defined by OpenBaton

Mapping between TOSCA and ETSI NFV

TOSCA Type	ETSI Entity
tosca.nodes.nfv.VDU	Virtual Deployment Unit (vnfd:vdu)
tosca.nodes.nfv.VL	Virtual Link Descriptor
tosca.nodes.nfv.CP	Connection Point

Important Note: Remember for each component to specify the type and always use the types above. Otherwise the component will not be recognised and can not be parsed.

Deploy a VNFD TOSCA Template

We are going to create a Virtual Network Function Descriptor (VNFD) from a TOSCA-defined VNFD Template. It has the following structure:

tosca_definitions_version: tosca_simple_profile_for_vnf_1_0
description: Example of VNFD Template

metadata:
  ID: dummy-server
  vendor: Fokus
  version: 1.0

inputs: #Explained below
topology_template: #Explained below

Name	Description
tosca_definitions_version	The TOSCA NFV version that the template follows.
description	A short description of the template.
metadata	An Object containing metadata about the Virtual Network Function - name, version and creator.
inputs	Explained below
topology_template	Explained below

Inputs Template

The Inputs Template consists of parameters needed for creating a Virtual Network Function Descriptor that can be added to Open Baton. An example of how the template should look like is shown below.

inputs:
  vnfPackageLocation: https://github.com/openbaton/vnf-scripts.git
  endpoint: dummy
  deploymentFlavour:
    - flavour_key: m1.small
  interfaces:
    lifecycle:
      INSTANTIATE :
        - install.sh
        - start-srv.sh
  configurations:
    name: server-configurations
    configurationParameters:
      - key: value
      - key2: value2

Inputs Template parameters:

Name	Value	Description
vnfPackageLocation	URL	It is URL where the Orchestrator will fetch the Scripts needed in the lifecycle events defined in the interfaces
deploymentFlavour	List of flavour_key	It is a list flavors each one refers to Virtual hardware templates called "flavors" in OpenStack
endpoint	String	The VNFManager deploying the VNF itself
interfaces	See the Table below	Defines the lifecycle events and the scripts needed for their execution.
configurations	Object with two values name, configurationParameters	name: is a String with the name of the Configuration, configurationParameters: the list of Parameters defined by a pair of < key, value >

The Interfaces for the VNF has only one option at the moment: lifecycle

For the lifecycle object are the following events defined in compliance with the ETSI Lifecycle Events.

Lifecycle event	Value	Description
INSTANTIATE	List of Script files	The Scripts will be called for this Lifecycle event
CONFIGURE	List of Script files	The Scripts will be called for this Lifecycle event
START	List of Script files	The Scripts will be called for this Lifecycle event
STOP	List of Script files	The Scripts will be called for this Lifecycle event
TERMINATE	List of Script files	The Scripts will be called for this Lifecycle event

Topology Template

At the moment the Topology template includes only the Node Templates.

Node Templates

The Node Templates are the descriptions of the objects (Virtual Deployment Units, Connection Points, Virtual Links) which constitute the Virtual Network Function. Each node is defined by its name and the parameters needed to create its descriptor.

Node Template: Virtual Deployment Unit (VDU)

This is an example of a VDU template and similar to above after that we explain briefly the components of the template.

VDU2:
  type: tosca.nodes.nfv.VDU
  properties:
    scale_in_out: 2
    vim_instance_name:
         - test-vim-instance
  artifacts:
    type: tosca.artifacts.Deployment.Image.VM
    file: ubuntu-14.04-server-cloudimg-amd64-disk1

Name	Value	Description
type	tosca.nodes.nfv.VDU	Type of the node. In the example it defines the node as a VDU node.
properties	See the Table below	Defines parameters needed for deploying a VDU
requirements	List of requirement	Describes the component requirements for the VDU
artifacts	List of artifacts	Describes the list of images in OpenStack that will be used to instantiate a VNFC

The Properties Object of a VDU node has the following components:

Name	Value	Description
scale_in_out	Integer	Maximum value of VNFCs that can be instantiated in the process of scale-in/out
vim_instance_name	List < String >	Names of Points of Persistence (PoP) where this VNFC will be instantiated NOTE: This is not required.

The Artifacts Object of a VDU node has the following components:

Name	Value	Description
type	tosca.artifacts.Deployment.Image.VM	Only one type supported at the moment
file	String	Name of the file located on OpenStack

The Requirements Object of a VDU node defines a list of virtual links to Connection Points. Exactly like the VNF Node the Requirements define a list of key-value pair, but in this case the only key is defined as follows:

Name	Value	Description
virtualLink	String	Shows where the VDU is connected

Node Template: Connection Point (CP)

This is an example of a CP template and similar to above after that we explain briefly the components of the template.

CP1:
  type: tosca.nodes.nfv.CP
  properties:
    floatingIP: random
  requirements:
    - virtualBinding: VDU1
    - virtualLink: private

Name	Value	Description
type	tosca.nodes.nfv.CP	Type of the node. In the example it defines the node as a CP node.
properties: floatingIP	String	Only property defined at the moment is floatingIP. In this case floatingIp means that has a public IP chosen random by OpenStack
requirements: virtualBinding	String	It describes the requirements for the CP in the example above the CP needs a virtualBinding to the VDU in this case VDU1. The bindings can be multiple hence the requirements is a node.
requirements: virtualLink	String	It refers to Node Template which describes the Virtual Link in this case the Virtual Link is called private. Same applies here regarding requirements being a list.

Node Template: Virtual Link (VL)

OpenBaton uses Virtual Link names as subnets from OpenStack.

This is the definition of a Virtual Link called private:

private:
  type: tosca.nodes.nfv.VL
  properties:
    vendor: Fokus

Name	Value	Description
type	tosca.nodes.nfv.VL	It is the type of the node. In this example Virtual Link.
properties:vendor	String	Information about the vendor of this Virtual Link.

NOTE: Whenever a value of a given parameter is a string, it is best to put it in quotation marks. Example :

configurations:
    name: server-configurations
    configurationParameters:
      - key: "value"

Complete Example

tosca_definitions_version: tosca_simple_profile_for_nfv_1_0
description: Example of VNFD Template

metadata:
  ID: dummy-server
  vendor: Fokus
  version: 0.1

inputs:
  interfaces:
    lifecycle:
      INSTANTIATE :
        - install.sh
        - start-srv.sh

  deploymentFlavour:
    - flavour_key: m1.small
  configurations:
    name: server-configurations
    configurationParameters:
      - key: value
      - key2: value2

  vnfPackageLocation: https://github.com/openbaton/vnf-scripts.git
  endpoint: dummy
  type: server

topology_template:

  node_templates:

    vdu1:
      type: tosca.nodes.nfv.VDU
      properties:
        scale_in_out: 1
        vim_instance_name:
         - test-vim-instance
      artifacts:
        VDU1Image:
          type: tosca.artifacts.Deployment.Image.VM
          file: ubuntu-14.04-server-cloudimg-amd64-disk1

    cp1:
      type: tosca.nodes.nfv.CP
      requirements:
        - virtualBinding: vdu1
        - virtualLink: private

    private:
      type: tosca.nodes.nfv.VL
      properties:
        vendor: Fokus

NOTE: Save the template in a file called server-iperf.yaml.

You can create a CSAR and upload it to the NFVO using the Dashboard.