In a market where big data centers are considered the best way to serve customers, DartPoints is showing that the micro data center can be enormously successful. Read how NFV-enabled services based on ADVA Optical Networking’s Intel-powered FSP 150vSE and Ensemble Orchestrator software are a key driver for this success.

1. NewBreedofCarrier
ChoosesADVAEnsemble*
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Intel®Network Builders
SolutionBrief

2. Overview
DartPoints* is a data center innovator, having pioneered
micro data centers aimed at small and medium businesses
that need a highly convenient data center that offers tier-1
services. After a successful company launch, DartPoints
turned to Intel® Network Builders partner ADVA Optical
Networking* for a turnkey network functions virtualization
(NFV) solution to help scale its business nationwide and
expand the service offerings.
Challenge
To offer its customers the best performance at the most
competitive prices, DartPoints has created the industry’s
first “NFV-enabled micro data center,” an innovative concept
that places data center and colocation (colo) facilities in the
same building where its customers are located. Colocating
private cloud services improves scale and management
of individual cloud instances, while enabling low latency,
high-bandwidth, and secure connectivity without cross-
connects—all of which are key differentiators of DartPoints’
micro data centers. But the micro data center offers the same
computing, data recovery, and other services as million-
square-foot, tier-1 competitors with equivalent service levels
and reliability, including complete compliance and security
and carrier-neutral access to Internet or WAN services.
Adopting NFV for Scalability, Lower Cost
In initial build out of its data centers, DartPoints used
appliance-based routers, switches, firewalls and other
service-provisioning equipment. As it scales its business
nationwide, the company is looking to replace these stacks
of equipment with multi-tenant and multi-supplier virtual
network functions (VNFs) on Intel® architecture-based
servers. DartPoints will also leverage NFV orchestration to
provide dynamic, self-provisioned, and on-demand services
to customers with no changes required to the hardware.
This true “network-as-a-service” reduces the company’s
reliance on single-function hardware appliances that are
expensive, take months to be delivered and deployed, and
don’t allow for flexible services delivery. With NFV, multiple
services can be deployed on a single server, allowing
DartPoints to quickly turn up new services from its network
operations center by remotely downloading software and
configuring the service.
The results are dramatic. Once the NFV server is in place,
DartPoints engineers can provision Internet service and
firewalls in about 15 minutes from a console in their
operations center. Compare that to using the old approach
of deploying a variety of hardware appliances, which could
take weeks or months to acquire the hardware and then even
more time to schedule the customer visit to get the services
up and running.
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3. DartPoints conducted an extensive pre-deployment proof-of-concept trial to ensure that virtualized services are capable
of delivering the performance customers demand. After a successful completion of those trials, DartPoints chose the FSP
150vSE server from Intel Network Builders partner ADVA Optical Networking to host multiple VNFs for its NFV services.
Solution – NFV Hosting + Orchestration
The ADVA FSP 150vSE integrates an Intel® Atom™ processor-based server platform with open Carrier Ethernet networking for
service-edge applications. The system is designed for managed services delivered on business customer premises. It has the
processing power to host multiple combinations of software-based VNFs needed for multiple services or for complex service
delivery.
Key system highlights include:
• 1RU ETSI/ANSI compatible and NEBS-compliant form factor
• Multi-core Intel Atom processor
• 4GB - 32GB memory
• Upgradable SSD for Linux OS and virtual network functions
• Up to six built-in Gigabit Ethernet interfaces
• Expandable Carrier Ethernet options (bonded G.SHDSL, T1/DS3, SONET/SDH)
• Wireless broadband and Wi-Fi connectivity options
• Up to six gigabytes of bulk storage via internal SATA or eSATA
• MEF CE 2.0 compliant VNF-based Ethernet access device
• Data Plane Development Kit (DPDK) support for data plane acceleration
Figure 1. Example of a micro data center
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4. Figure 2. Network example using FSP 105vSE
The FSP 150vSE features modular interfaces and a 100
percent programmable architecture, so DartPoints can
deliver a complete managed service portfolio using a single
system instead of multiple single-purpose appliances.
The other advantage for DartPoints of the open and
programmable nature of the FSP 150vSE is a dramatic
reduction in its time to market for new services. This starts
with the ADVA’s Harmony Partners ecosystem, which
features VNFs from leading software companies that have
been integrated into the ADVA Ensemble* solution offering.
With this ecosystem and system programmability, the
DartPoints engineering team can create and test service
templates for a wide range of services that the operations
team can then implement quickly for each customer. This
capability also lets DartPoints install or upgrade new
services remotely in minutes with no shipping charges or
on-site technician.
NFV Orchestration
DartPoints selected ADVA’s Ensemble Orchestrator to
augment the FSP 150vSE with a complete suite of standards-
based SDN and NFV software that lets service providers like
DartPoints create and manage VNFs at the service edge.
Ensemble Orchestrator is a powerful European
Telecommunications Standards Institute* (ETSI) NFV
management and orchestration (MANO)–compliant
solution for end-to-end VNF and network service lifecycle
management, including VNF onboarding, virtualized service
design, service deployment, and service operations and
management.
The FSP 150vSE and Ensemble Orchestrator provide a
complete service provisioning system for DartPoints that
is powerful enough to provide dedicated VNFs for up to six
customers on a single server. The flexibility of the system
has allowed DartPoints to expand its revenue base by selling
service provisioning services to the ISPs or other carriers
that use its colocation facilities.
Conclusion
In a market where big data centers are considered the best
way to serve customers, DartPoints is showing that the
micro data center can be successful. NFV-enabled services
based on ADVA’s Intel-powered FSP 150vSE and Ensemble
Orchestrator software are a key driver for this success.
About DartPoints
Founded in 2012, DartPoints is a leading provider of
innovative and customized data center solutions with site-
specific colocation capabilities for businesses. DartPoints
is transforming the way companies leverage data center
services that integrate current and next-generation
technologies. DartPoints’ network of customizable, highly
available, fully supported micro data centers combines
the privacy and control of a private data center with the
flexibility and cost efficiency of colocation.
About ADVA Optical Networks
At ADVA Optical Networking is creating new opportunities
for tomorrow’s networks, a new vision for a connected world.
Our intelligent telecommunications hardware, software and
services have been deployed by several hundred service
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5. Disclaimers
Intel technologies’ features and benefits depend on system configuration and may require enabled hardware, software or service activation. Performance varies depending on system configuration. No computer
system can be absolutely secure. Check with your system manufacturer or retailer or learn more at intel.com.
Cost reduction scenarios described are intended as examples of how a given Intel- based product, in the specified circumstances and configurations, may affect future costs and provide cost savings.
Circumstances will vary. Intel does not guarantee any costs or cost reduction.
© 2016 Intel Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel. Experience What’s Inside, and Intel Atom are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
334091-001US
providers and thousands of enterprises. Over the past twenty years, its innovative connectivity solutions have helped to
drive its customers’ networks forward, helped to drive their businesses to new levels of success. ADVA Optical Networks
forges close working relationships with all its customers. As a trusted partner, it ensure that it is always ready to exceed its
customers’ networking expectations.
About Intel
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies
that serve as the foundation for the world’s computing devices. As a leader in corporate responsibility and sustainability, Intel
also manufactures the world’s first commercially available “conflict-free” microprocessors.1
Additional information about Intel
is available at newsroom.intel.com and blogs.intel.com and about Intel’s conflict-free efforts at conflictfree.intel.com.
1
“Conflict free” and “conflict-free” means “DRC conflict free”, which is defined by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules to mean products that do not contain conflict minerals (tin, tantalum, tungsten
and/or gold) that directly or indirectly finance or benefit armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or adjoining countries. We also use the term “conflict-free” in a broader sense to refer to
suppliers, supply chains, smelters and refiners whose sources of conflict minerals do not finance conflict in the DRC or adjoining countries.