Hello, and welcome to the Intel Telco Cloud Academy. This is the introduction to Intel network and Cloud Edge reference system architectures course. This course will introduce the reference architectures and related concepts and explain their use and value for system architects, developer teams, and system deployment engineers. First, we will learn about the reference system architectures, configuration profiles, and experience kits, what they are and why they are useful. Then we will look at each of the deployment models associated with the reference architectures. We will start with the container bare metal reference system architecture, or BMRA plus the BMRA with storage, then virtual machine reference system architecture, or VMRA, which can be deployed on a single node or multiple nodes. The final section of this course, we'll look at the Ansible playbooks, which are used for automated deployment of the reference system architecture configuration profiles. By the end of this course, you should be able to differentiate concepts of reference system architectures, configuration profiles, best practice guidelines for reference system architectures and experience kits. You should also be able to describe the value of the reference system architectures and configuration profiles. Additionally, you will be able to locate more information about the reference system architectures and configuration profiles on the Intel network builders website. We will also enable you to describe the deployment models supported by the reference system architectures. Finally, you will have the knowledge to understand and explain the role of Ansible playbooks in the configuration profiles. Let's begin by exploring what reference system architectures are and why you might want to use them. So what are the network and Cloud Edge reference system architectures? The reference system architectures are a future-looking foundational Cloud native reference platform aiming to accelerate private and public Cloud deployments with Intel architecture. These are the blueprints for reference systems using optimized, validated packages of Intel hardware and software innovation and Cloud native open-source software with Intel contributions. Intel innovation comes in the form of Intel's best-known platform configurations. Platform hardware, and software, including open-source community project contributions using a Cloud native approach. Why do we need the network and Cloud Edge reference system architectures? For several important reasons. One reason is to simplify development and reduce time to deployment of commercial Cloud native applications and infrastructure products. Another reason is for early introduction of Intel hardware and software innovation, enabling market readiness, app platform launch. These reasons are important because they serve Intel's goal of helping our wide ecosystem of developers, system architects, and engineers by enabling forward-looking Cloud native applications and implementations to be delivered quickly and with confidence, accelerating overall solutions delivery to the market. The journey to platform market enablement passes through a number of well-defined phases. Commencing with architecture definition to early access to platforms, all the way to commercial readiness and broad market delivery of solutions. The network and Cloud Edge reference system architectures are an important step on the journey, bringing together Intel hardware and software innovation prior to actual platform launch. A key in helping to accelerate the overall journey to market readiness and enabling efficient commercial deployment for broad market adoption. Network and Cloud Edge reference system architectures are available early in the overall process for platform market enablement and can be utilized for many industry market segment verticals right across the Telco Cloud network infrastructure. The network and Cloud Edge reference system architectures provide the flexibility to deploy applications across public or private Cloud using varying deployment configurations, such as container bare metal reference system architecture or BMRA and virtual machine reference system architecture, or VMRA. Included also is the BMRA with storage, which is a BMRA flavor that delivers a reference system architecture with a main IO object storage based capability. Deployment models can be implemented using configuration profiles. There are currently seven configuration profiles, four based on network location and workload, and three, based on developer choice. These configuration profile support multiple vertical workloads, as well as providing tooling for developers to easily build with the reference architectures. Finally, Ansible playbooks automate the deployment of configuration profiles. There is a dedicated Ansible playbook for each configuration profile. Once properly configured, the Ansible playbook will automatically deploy the desired reference architecture flavor. Intel has created reference system architectures to ease the challenges of Cloud native development and enable system architects, developer teams, and system deployment engineers to gain the greatest benefit from Intel optimizations in any given scenario. They reduce development and integration risks and R&D investment needed for commercial deployment. This accelerates overall time-to-market TTM for market solution delivery. The RAs integrate and validate Intel hardware and open-source software building blocks with Intel best-known configurations BKCs, and practices using Cloud native principles, resulting in timely delivery of Cloud native applications and implementations with confidence. The Intel network and Cloud Edge reference system architectures are supported by experienced kits, a library of best-practice architecture and development guidelines combining the value of Intel products and innovation for Cloud networking. The experience kits and lots more are available directly from the Intel network builders website. Now that you have developed a basic understanding of what the reference architectures, configuration profiles, and experience kits are, watch the next video to gain an overview of reference architecture deployment models.
