In the last few years, telecommunications network architecture has evolved significantly. It now includes cloud-native infrastructure, 5G radio access and multi-access edge computing (MEC), all with unique business and operational considerations. For communications service providers (CSPs), managing these multiple network infrastructures is more than a full-time job. In fact, CSPs are so busy deploying, provisioning, maintaining and replacing hardware in their networks, they barely have the resources to create new services. With these challenges in mind, Dell Technologies created Bare Metal Orchestrator.
Bare Metal Orchestrator is a software tool that automates and orchestrates network hardware across core, RAN and MEC networks. By bringing multi-vendor servers and switches under a single management tool and unified user interface, Bare Metal Orchestrator allows CSPs to quickly deploy new networks, seamlessly upgrade existing networks and dramatically reduce the time and money spent on hardware lifecycle management. In a recent report, ACG Research found Bare Metal Orchestrator can reduce a CSP’s operational costs up to 57% and their network total cost of ownership by 53%.
Declare Your Independence from Manual Processes
Bare Metal Orchestrator uses declarative automation. With declarative automation, networks are automated based on a user’s desired setting, and the system automatically determines the necessary steps to achieve it. In other words, you tell the network what you want and let the system figure out how to get there. Declarative automation ensures CSPs get their networks’ best performance and maximum agility without getting up to their elbows in manually provisioning and configuring hundreds or thousands of unique servers and switches. Beyond that, Bare Metal Orchestrator brings the management of all these different hardware devices into a single user interface, so it’s easier to see what you have (and what you have to retire), as well as what you need to add to achieve specific SLAs and outcomes.
Depending on the type of network environment, Bare Metal Orchestrator delivers different features and efficiencies. For core networks, it can help CSPs discover and manage devices to support enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services, ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) for specific vertical applications or massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC) for IoT applications. For edge networks, Bare Metal Orchestrator enables CSPs to easily manage and control up to thousands of multi-vendor MEC devices from a single user interface while supporting multi-tenant models. For RAN systems, Bare Metal Orchestrator automates and simplifies the deployment and scaling of virtualized Distributed Unit (vDU) and Centralized Unit (vCU) servers to meet dynamic capacity requirements.
When You’re Open to Automation, Everything Flows
For next-generation telecommunications providers, the future is wide open – to more vendors, more innovation and more competitive pricing from open-source network technology. Bare Metal Orchestrator is accelerating that future with broad, open support for a wide variety of vendor solutions, including cloud-native software from Wind River, VMware and Red Hat, as well as hardware solutions from Dell Technologies, Intel, AMD, Cisco and many others. Within minutes of activation, Bare Metal Orchestrator is ready to discover, manage, orchestrate and automate thousands of network devices deployed anywhere the world.
Bare Metal Orchestrator uses standards-based APIs to centralize and automate provisioning across hybrid and multi-vendor devices. These APIs support DTMF Redfish and other industry standards to enable network administrators and developers to create customized solutions from a wide range of products. The result is a true infrastructure-as-code architecture that eliminates manual configuration and provisioning in favor of automated and machine-driven processes.
At Dell Technologies, we believe 5G is a transformative technology, and we’ve transformed our business to support the telecommunications services of tomorrow by building out a world-class telecom systems business. You’ll find that transformation at work in our telecom-grade hardware and software products, our state-of-the-art Open Telecommunications Ecosystem lab and our global telecom services team. With optional ProSupport from Dell Technologies, Bare Metal Orchestrator customers can receive 24×7 technical support and troubleshooting assistance in the event of hardware failures and outages, even during the holidays. Dell Technologies also provides a range of deployment services to help CSPs rapidly deploy new services and shorten their time to market.
If manually managing multi-vendor networks through multiple tools is more than your network operations team can bear, talk to Dell Technologies about Bare Metal Orchestrator solution. It could open a whole new world of opportunity for your network.
