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Basic updates to docs, overview #29

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Intermediate checkpoint
johnbelamaric Jun 28, 2023
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Add introduction
johnbelamaric Jun 28, 2023
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155 changes: 101 additions & 54 deletions README.md
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# Nephio Documentation
This repository contains user-oriented documentation and tutorials. For
developer documentation, see the
[nephio](https://github.com/nephio-project/nephio) repository.

This is a very early work-in-progress; right now it is just a starter page with
links to other resources. In time we develop comprehensive documentation.

## Basic Resources
* [Nephio site](https://nephio.org)
* [Nephio Wiki](https://wiki.nephio.org)
* [Slack Workspace](https://nephio.slack.com)

## Blog Posts
* [Linux Foundation Press Release](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/press/press-release/the-linux-foundation-and-google-cloud-launch-nephio-to-enable-and-simplify-cloud-native-automation-of-telecom-network-functions)
* [Google Cloud Blog Post Announcement](https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/telecommunications/automating-cloud-native-telecommunication-networks)
* [Achieving cloud-native network automation at a global scale with Nephio](https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/telecommunications/network-automation-csps-linus-nephio-cloud-native) outlines three basic principles Nephio follows:
* **Intent-driven**: Nephio uses Kubernetes Resource Model (KRM) for intent
* **Distributed actuation**: Nephio uses gitops and independent Kubernetes clusters at the edge
* **Uniformity in systems**: Nephio uses Kubernetes-based management for
infrastructure, functions, and function configuration ("Kubernetes Everywhere")
* [On the road to public cloud 5G networks](https://nephio.org/on-the-road-to-public-cloud-5g-networks/) provides context and challenges for CSPs, function vendors, and cloud providers in bringing 5G networks to public cloud.
* [Join us in evolving the usability of GitOps](https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/containers-kubernetes/lets-improve-gitops-usability) discusses some of the underlying configuration management techniques and technologies in Nephio.

## Tutorials and Workshops

More tutorials are under discussion in
[docs#1](https://github.com/nephio-project/docs/issues/1).

* [ONE Summit 2022
Workshop](https://github.com/nephio-project/one-summit-22-workshop#one-summit-2022-nephio-workshop)


## Conference Talks
* October 2021: ONE Summit 2021 Panel discussing the underlying problems Nephio is working to solve ([sched](https://sched.co/lSv3), [video](https://youtu.be/swuUElcR3x0)).
* October 2021: ONE Summit 2021 talk *Living the Dream: Achieving Cloud Native Network Function Deployment at the Edge*, introducing the ideas behind Nephio ([sched](https://sched.co/lSux), [video](https://youtu.be/aZT17TU_M14)).
* June 2022: Nephio First Developer Summit [playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiW9_IXAWtkurqeM-ZKIGXIORcYjsESac), but this is a very long video. Two parts that may be of particular interest from a technology background perspective:
* [How Config as Data Enables Automation](https://youtu.be/UHr3fBNr8BI?t=11185)
* [Nephio Reference Implementation](https://youtu.be/UHr3fBNr8BI?t=20664)
* October 2022: KubeCon North America 2022 Detroit talk *Orchestrating Interconnected Apps Across Geographically Distributed Kubernetes Clusters* ([sched](https://sched.co/182H0), [video](https://youtu.be/ya1fUqAgvN8)).
* November 2022: ONE Summit 2022 Nephio [playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiW9_IXAWtkuZDHYalEEjl0LdATSzf8Qd)
* February 2023: Linux Foundation Networking - Developer and Testing Forum [Nephio Topics](https://wiki.lfnetworking.org/display/LN/2023-02+LFN+Developer+Event+Topics+February+13+-+16#id-202302LFNDeveloperEventTopicsFebruary1316-NephioTopics)

## Meetings
* [TSC Meeting Playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiW9_IXAWtks6qhQyXAulDsJQI3W-GIXm)
* [SIG Net Arch Meeting Playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiW9_IXAWtkvR-96MSlb6esigohA7zX9W)
* [SIG Automation Meeting Playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiW9_IXAWtkv-2lONtj0pq2hyRuO8REcb)
* [SIG Release Meeting playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiW9_IXAWtks9Ys4Zs6wPRNEuQYAnWcg1)

## Other Resources
* The [glossary](glossary.md) defines common terminology used in the Nephio
project.
* The [Nephio Learning Resources page](learning.md) lists some learning resources that are useful for the Nephio community
* The [Abbreviation Decoder page](abbreviations.md) explains common abbreviations used in the project.
# Nephio R1

## Introduction

Welcome to the R1 release of Nephio. Nephio’s mission is "to deliver carrier
-grade, simple, open, Kubernetes-based cloud native intent automation and
common automation templates that materially simplify the deployment and
management of multi-vendor cloud infrastructure and network functions across
large scale edge deployments." But what does that mean? With this release and
the accompanying documentation, we hope to make that clear.

The mission outlines the basic goals, and the [About Nephio page](https://nephio.org/about/)
describes the high-level architecture of Nephio. It is important to understand
in all of this that Nephio is about managing complex, inter-related workloads
*at scale*. If we simply want to deploy a network function, existing methods
like Helm charts and scripts are sufficient. Similarly, if we want to deploy
some infrastructure, then using existing Infrastructure-as-Code tools can
accomplish that. Configuring running network functions can already be done today
with element managers. So, why do we need Nephio? The problems Nephio wants to
solve solve start only once we try to operate at scale. "Scale" here does not
simply mean "large number of sites". It can be across many different dimensions:
number of sites, number of services, number of workloads, size of the
individual workloads, number of machines needed to operate the workloads,
complexity of the organization running the workloads, and other factors. The
fact that our infrastructure, workloads, and the workload configurations are all
interconnected dramatically increases the difficulty in managing these
architectures at scale.

To address these challenges, Nephio follows a [few basic
principles](https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/telecommunications/network-automation-csps-linus-nephio-cloud-native)
that experience has shown enable higher scaling with less management overhead:
- *Intent-driven* to enable the user to specify "what they want" and let the
system figure out "how to make that happen".
- *Distributed actuation* to increase reliability across widely distributed
fleets.
- *Uniformity in systems* to reduce redundant tooling and processes, and
simplify operations.

Additionally, Nephio leverages the "configuration as data" principle. This
methodology means that the "intent" is captured in a machine-manageable format
that we can treat as data, rather than code. In Nephio, we use the Kubernetes
Resource Model (KRM) to capture intent. As Kubernetes itself is already an
intent-driven system, this model is well suited to our needs.

To understand why we need to treat configuration as data, let's consider an
example. In a given instance, a network function may have, say, 100 parameters
that need to be decided upon. When we have 100 such network functions, across
10,000 clusters, this results in 100,000,000 inputs we need to define and
manage. Handling that sheer number of values, with interdependencies and a need
for consistency management between them, requires *data management* techniques,
not *code* management techniques. This is why existing methodologies begin to
break down at scale, particular edge-level scale.

Consider as well that no single human will understand all of those values. Those
values relate not only to workloads, but to the infrastructure we need to
support those workloads. These are different areas of expertise, and different
organizational boundaries of control. For example, you will need input from
network planning (IP address, VLAN tags, ASNs, etc.), you will need input from
compute infrastructure teams (types of hardware or VMs available, OS available),
Kubernetes platform teams, security teams, network function experts, and many,
many other individuals and teams. Each of those teams will have their own
systems for tracking the values they control, and processes for allocating and
distributing those values. This coordination between teams is a fundamental
*organizational* problem with operating at scale. The existing tools and methods
do not even attempt to address these parts of the problem; they *start* once all
of the "input" decisions are made.

The Nephio project believes the organizational challenge around figuring out
these values is actually one of the primary limiting factors to achieving
efficient management of large, complex systems at scale. This gets even harder
when we realize we need to manage changes to these values over time, and
understand how changes to some values implies the need to change other values.
This challenge is currently left to ad hoc processes that differ across
organizations. Nephio is working on how to structure the intent to make it
manageable using data management techniques.

This release of Nephio focuses:
- Demonstrating the core Nephio principles such as Configuration-as-Data and
leveraging the intent-driven, actively-reconciled nature of Kubernetes.
- Infrastructure orchestration/automation using controllers based on
Cluster API. At this time only KIND cluster creation is supported.
- Orchestration/automation of 5G core network functions deployment and
management. This release focuses on network functions from
[free5gc](https://free5gc.org/).

While the current release uses Cluster API, KIND, and free5gc for demonstration
purposes, the exact same principles and even code can be used for managing other
infrastructure and network functions. The *uniformity in systems* principle
means that as long as something is managable via the Kubernetes Resource Model,
it is manageable via Nephio.

## User Documentation
* [Core Concepts](https://github.com/nephio-project/docs/blob/main/user-guide/concepts.md)
* [Demo Sandbox Environment Installation](https://github.com/nephio-project/docs/blob/main/install-guide/README.md)
* [Quick Start Exercises](https://github.com/nephio-project/docs/blob/main/user-guide/exercises.md)
* [User Guide](https://github.com/nephio-project/docs/blob/main/user-guide/README.md)

## Other Documentation

* [Developer Documentation](https://github.com/nephio-project/nephio)
* [Project Resources](https://github.com/nephio-project/docs/blob/main/resources.md)
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