ADVA simplifies the network edge with secure zero touch provisioning

"Make no mistake, zero touch automation is set to transform the communication service industry. This one disruptive innovation will instantly reduce complexity and cost like nothing we've seen before. That's why we've injected zero touch provisioning into our edge devices and why we're committed to automation across our full technology range. And, as automation mustn't come at the expense of security, we're also combining it with strong security controls," said Christoph Glingener, CTO, COO, ADVA. "With zero touch provisioning, CSPs can rapidly roll out high-value edge services with phenomenal ease. Now, customers simply sign up for a new service, install the edge device on delivery, power it up and connect it to the network. And, as well as improving speed, scale and removing human errors, we're also safeguarding our customers' networks with additional security controls for trustworthy device authentication and protected communication."

Automated device configuration and service provisioning is already supported by Ensemble Connector, ADVA's high-performance NFVI software solution. Now it's being applied to a wider portfolio, enabling CSPs to benefit from a consistent approach to automated service activation with edge compute nodes as well as simple service demarcation devices. With this technology, CSPs can go live with new customer sites without sending highly skilled technicians on time-consuming and costly on-site visits. All customers need to do is connect the edge device to the network. It then authenticates itself and establishes a secure connection to a server holding the latest firmware and configuration data. The firmware and software patches are then installed and, in the case of edge compute nodes, the new services are downloaded, instantiated and taken live. The new capabilities are closely aligned with IETF ZTP and Call Home specifications, building on widely accepted NETCONF protocol and YANG device modeling language.

"The promise of reduced costs, better scalability and fewer faults has already caused a great deal of excitement among CSPs. Of course, the concern is that zero touch provisioning increases the attack surface for cybercriminals. That's why we've married the technology with solid security controls to make sure it delivers risk-free improvement today," commented Ulrich Kohn, director, technical marketing, ADVA. "As a company, we have a clear focus on enabling greater network automation and optimization. Zero touch provisioning is a fundamental part of this. It's been a key component of our Ensemble Connector virtual network functions hosting platform for some time. Today's launch of this capability in our demarcation equipment is a blueprint for the future of our whole portfolio and the way ahead for the networking industry."