5GASP defines a V-Model Certification Workflow as shown in Figure 1. Any Network Application Applicant should follow this workflow in the certification process. After the published 5GASP Network Application certificate, the Network Application use case stakeholders (they may not be the numbers of 5GASP project) could validate the Network Application on the Field of their target 5G facility that may be a testbed or a commercial Cloud.
GASP Network Application Certification Application Process
Certification Application Requesting
The Network Application Applicant needs to send the complete application form to all@5GASP.eu to start the 5GASP Network Application certification workflow. The Network Application application form can be submitted at any time. The submitted application is received by the 5GASP Project Coordination Team (PCT) and then forwarded to the 5GASP Technical Committee (TC) to handle the review. The approval process is handled by 5GASP PCT. The application form is defined in Annex A, and it contains among others the following information:
- General information about Network Application, incl. Network Application name, Network Application description, vendor name, vendor location (address), and primary contacts
- Information about the general requirements
5GASP PCT should check the completeness of the mandatory information in the application form before forwarding it to 5GASP TC.
Certification Application Reviewing and Evaluation
Once 5GASP PCT forwards the application form to 5GASP TC, 5GASP TC should assign each application to one reviewer, one Work Package leader, or the technical lead in one Work Package. The applications should be equally distributed to the reviewers.
The reviewer is selected from the list of reviewers, which 5GASP TC maintains. The reviewer list is accessible to all 5GASP members and contributors, and it contains information about the reviewers such as name, e-mail address, phone number, company affiliation, and assigned applications. Any representative of 5GASP members or contributors can be registered in or unregistered from the list of reviewers at his or her request at any time. 5GASP TC can re-select the assigned reviewer if needed.
The assigned reviewer checks the application form to ensure it is complete and in compliance with the requirements. If needed, the reviewer may request the applicant to provide additional information for any missing or unclear information in the application form. The reviewer is designated as the point of contact for all communications with the Network Application Applicant. The reviewer helps the Network Application Applicant to complete the application form. The reviewer guarantees completeness and compliance with the application form. The reviewer does not approve or evaluate the application.
Once the application is completed, the assigned reviewer needs to inform 5GASP TC to schedule a review meeting where the applicant will present and defend the application to 5GASP members. If needed, 5GASP TC can also try to coordinate the application with other Network Applications to avoid fragmentation, overlap, etc.
5GASP TC should collect the preliminary favorable or unfavorable recommendations during the review meeting. 5GASP TC should provide the recommendations to the Network Application Applicant after the review meeting. 5GASP TC should also add the recommendations and summary of the review meeting to the Network Application application form. Network Application Applicant has the rights to provide their statements and any necessary information or correction if the unfavorable recommendation is made. The applicant statements and corrections are also added to the application form.
It needs to be noted that the application cannot be approved or rejected by 5GASP TC.
Certification Application Approval
The completed application form with 5GASP TC recommendations and with Network Application Applicant statements, if provided, shall be sent back to the 5GASP PCT for further approvals. The application is handled as a process document and not as a technical specification. Network Application Applicant needs to address any question or inquiry raised during this official approval process.
After passing the 5GASP approval process, the Network Application Applicant must sign the 5GASP Certification Agreement with 5GASP project. The qualification process is considered completed after the agreement is signed.
It needs to be noted that 5GASP PCT can terminate the agreement without cause at any time with prior written notice.
5GASP Certification Environment Preparation
After the application process, Network Application is under certification in 5GASP. The Network Application Applicant should involve Network Application Developers in the certification environment preparation process. In this process, Network Application, Facilities, and Test tools would be ready for the coming processes.
Network Application Developments and Adaptations
Network Application Developers should start the developments of the Network Application under certification according to the approved requirements in the application form if Network Application is not fully developed, or Network Application Developers should make the adaptations if Network Application has been fully developed.
5GASP TC should schedule a set of joint meetings where Network Application Developers will present and report the status of the developments or the adaptations. If needed, 5GASP TC can also try to coordinate the Network Application Developers with other Network Applications to avoid fragmentation, overlap, etc.
5GASP TC should collect the preliminary favorable or unfavorable recommendations during the joint meetings. 5GASP TC should provide recommendations to Network Application Developers after each meeting. 5GASP TC should also support Network Application Developers on the recommendations during their developments or adaptations.
5GASP TC should approve Network Application for the coming processes after all the recommendations are included in Network Application. 5GASP TC should also inform 5GASP PCT for the application approval.
5GASP Facilities Adaptations
Usually, the Network Application under certification should be validated in any 5GASP facility. The Facility Administrator of all 5GASP facilities should make the adaptations according to the approved requirements in the Network Application application form.
If the Network Application under certification recommends one dedicated 5GASP facility, the Facility Administrator of the target 5GASP facility should start the adaptations according to the approved requirements in the Network Application application form.
Facility administrators should present and report the status of the adaptations in the set of joint meetings that 5GASP TC schedules with Network Application Developers.
5GASP TC should collect the preliminary favorable or unfavorable recommendations during the joint meetings. 5GASP TC should provide the recommendations to Facility administrators after each meeting. 5GASP TC should also support Facility administrators on the recommendations during the adaptations.
5GASP TC should approve Facility/Facilities for the coming processes after all the recommendations are included in the Facility/Facilities.
5GASP Tools Adaptations
Usually, the Network Application under certification should be validated under the set of the open source tools in Chapter 3. Tool Administrator of all 5GASP tools should make the adaptation according to the approved requirements in the Network Application application form.
If the Network Application under certification recommends one dedicated tool, the Network Application Developers should share the exact reasons and the tool requirements. 5GASP TC should then schedule a joint meeting with all the Tool Administrators. Tool Administrators should select an existing open source tool if possible or create a new open source tool.
Tool administrators should present and report the status of the adaptations in the set of joint meetings that 5GASP TC schedules with Network Application Developers and Facility administrators.
5GASP TC should collect the preliminary favorable or unfavorable recommendations during the joint meetings. 5GASP TC should provide the recommendations to Tool administrators after each meeting. 5GASP TC should also support Tool administrators on the recommendations during the adaptations.
5GASP TC should approve tools for the coming processes after all the recommendations are included in the tools.
5GASP Network Application Onboarding Process
In this process, Network Application under certification should be onboarded to the tailored (per Vertical) 5GASP facilities via the 5GASP platform.
Network Application Onboarding to 5GASP platform
Network Application under certification should be onboarded to the 5GASP platform for the Pre-Deployment Validation as shown in Figure 2.
Network Application Onboarding to tailored 5GASP Facilities
After the Pre-Deployment Validation, Network Application under certification should be onboarded to the tailored 5GASP Facility as shown in Figure 3.
If the Network Application under certification recommends being validated in more than one facility, the Network Application should be onboarded to the facilities one by one.
5GASP Network Application Validation Process
In this process, Network Application under certification should be tested in 5GASP Facilities. If the Network Application under certification recommends being validated in more than one facility, the Network Application should be tested in the facilities one by one.
Network Application Testing Execution
5GASP defines a test repository per facility that contains the pre-configured tests. The test tools will use this repository for the tests and then store the test logs and results in this repository.
Below is an example of Jenkins with Robot framework in Figure 4.
It needs to be noted that there would be multiple rounds of testing execution for the Network Application under certification.
The details of the tools will be defined in the next coming version 1.0.
Network Application Testing Results Review
The test logs and results are stored in the test repository per facility. During the test execution, the notification messages would be sent via Slack to Network Application Developers in the case that one test case fail. After one round of testing execution of all the test cases, Network Application Tester should schedule a review meeting for the testing results where Network Application Developers, Facility Administrator, and Tool Administrator will present. If needed, Network Application Tester can also try to coordinate the Network Application Developers with other Network Applications to avoid fragmentation, overlap, etc.
Network Application Tester should collect the preliminary favorable or unfavorable recommendations during the joint meeting. Network Application Tester should provide recommendations to Network Application Developers, Facility Administrator, and Tool Administrator. Network Application Tester should also support the recommendations if some adaptations are needed in Network Application under certification, facilities, and tools.
Network Application Testing Results Acceptance
After all the recommendations are included in the Network Application under certification, the facilities, and the tools, the Network Application Tester should execute all the test cases again for the results acceptance.
Network Application Tester should schedule an acceptance meeting for the testing results where 5GASP TC, Network Application Developers, Facility Administrator, and Tool Administrator will present.
It needs to be noted that not Network Application Tester but only 5GASP TC could approve the acceptance after the acceptance meeting.
The details of the acceptance criteria will be defined in the coming version 1.0.
5GASP Network Application Publish Process
In this process, Network Application is already be certificated in 5GASP. 5GASP Network Application Certificate should be online published in the 5GASP marketplace.
The definition of who can and how to issue a 5GASP certificate will be under further discussion. The details of the definition will be in the future version.