Zero-Touch Provisioning: Mass Configuration for Devices Through the Cloud
THE CHALLENGE
Deploying and operating a cloud infrastructure in a data center has its challenges, but a geo-distributed cloud amplifies those challenges by increasing the number of physical sites that need to be installed and configured. Current deployment methodology requires extensive hands-on provisioning and configuration by knowledgeable personnel — at each location.
This is a process that is both expensive and error prone. Human error is the cause of 80% of network downtime, so automating where possible is critical to keeping the network up and running.
THE SOLUTION
With Wind River® Studio, one or several edge clouds can be set up from a central data center or single access point.
Once the hardware is racked, connected, and powered on, zero-touch provisioning (ZTP) with Studio allows the operator to use automation to deploy system infrastructure, update operating systems, deploy patches or bug fixes, and implement added features prior to connection.
It starts with the installation of a bare metal, geo-distributed edge cloud from a single Linux distribution, and then all container images are downloaded from a central registry during bootstrap. Next, the system will deploy the edge cloud configuration (i.e., CPU memory, network requirements) on that edge cloud. Finally, it will confirm that the infrastructure deployment is complete and ready for application deployment.
THE RESULTS
Once deployed, the operator can use ZTP processes, combined with Wind River Studio Conductor automation and orchestration, to manage the full lifecycle of automated service deployment on the network.
ZTP also offers efficiencies when an organization must scale up its devices and resources. Adding many devices at once requires that each device be configured. ZTP makes that task easier — and saves time and money — by automatically provisioning devices.
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