Nokia PON/MF Systems

Nokia PON (Passive Optical Network) and MF (Microfiber) systems provide fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) infrastructure for residential and enterprise deployments. Unlike traditional Ethernet switches, these are optical access systems consisting of OLTs (Optical Line Terminals) at the central office and ONTs (Optical Network Terminals) at subscriber premises.

Management Modes

The rXg supports two distinct management modes for Nokia PON systems:

Both device types manage the same underlying Nokia MF2 hardware and ONT endpoints - the difference is the control plane used.

Nokia PON Mode (Altiplano)

    REST API         Intent-Based    
   rXg    Nokia Altiplano  OLT MF2 
                            Cloud Platform                             

• Configuration via Altiplano intent-based API
• Supports multi-OLT orchestration
• Service profiles managed in Altiplano
• ONT firmware managed centrally

Nokia MF Mode (Direct NETCONF)

    NETCONF      
   rXg              OLT (MF2)                 
            :831/:832/:833             
                    NT   IHUB  LT1   LT2      

• Direct NETCONF/YANG configuration to OLT
• No Altiplano dependency
• Full control of OLT configuration
• Simpler deployment for single-OLT scenarios

System Architecture

PON Network Overview

                           Nokia Altiplano   (Optional - Nokia PON mode only)
                            Cloud Platform 

                                    REST API / Intents


   rXg              OLT (MF2)                   ONT    
                                (050)  
       NT   IHUB  LT1   LT2          
  NETCONF                   
  (MF mode)       :831    :940    :833    :833          
                                                      ONT    
                     (880)  

                               XGS-PON / GPON
                               Fiber


                     Subscriber ONTs   
                     (up to 128/port)  

Component Roles

Supported Models

OLT (Optical Line Terminal)

ONT (Optical Network Terminal)

Uplink Configurations

Features Supported

Prerequisites

Firmware Requirements

Network Requirements

Both modes: - SSH access to OLT (TCP port 940) for bootstrap - NETCONF access to OLT endpoints: - NT: TCP port 831 - Chassis: TCP port 832 - LT: TCP port 833 - SNMP access (UDP port 161) for monitoring - RADIUS connectivity (UDP ports 1812, 1813) for authentication

Nokia PON mode (additional): - Management IP connectivity to Altiplano platform - HTTPS access (TCP port 443) for Altiplano REST API

Altiplano Requirements (Nokia PON Mode Only)

The Nokia Altiplano platform must be configured with:

• Blueprint packages installed
• Device extension files uploaded
• Service profiles created
• User service profiles for MAB/non-MAB
• ONT profiles for each model

Note: Nokia MF mode does not require Altiplano - all configuration is pushed directly to the OLT via NETCONF.

Onboarding Process

OLT Auto Bootstrap

The MF2 OLT supports automatic bootstrap from factory-default state. The process involves a 4-step verification followed by configuration.

Bootstrap Verification Steps:

1. Check existing configuration - Verify device not already at target management IP
2. Connect to factory default - SSH to default IP (192.168.1.1) on port 940
3. Login verification - Authenticate with default credentials (admin/admin)
4. Management check - Verify device is ready for onboarding (mgmt_ztp interface present, no existing management config)

Bootstrap Configuration:

! Phase 1: Connect to ISAM shell (port 940)
ssh [email protected] -p 940

! Phase 2: Forward CLI to IHUB
forward cli to ihub

! Phase 3: Configure global settings
configure global

! Cleanup default configuration
delete system dhcpv4-client
delete system dhcpv6-client
delete system call-home
delete service ies 2 interface mgmt_ztp
delete service ies 2 interface telnet

! Configure ports (10G/25G with breakout)
port 1/1/c1 { }
port 1/1/c1 { admin-state enable }
port 1/1/c1 { connector }
port 1/1/c1 { connector breakout c1-10g }
port 1/1/c1/1 { }
port 1/1/c1/1 { admin-state enable }
port 1/1/c1/1 { ethernet }
port 1/1/c1/1 { ethernet mode access }
port 1/1/c1/1 { ethernet encap-type dot1q }

! Configure static route
router "Base" { }
router "Base" { static-routes }
router "Base" { static-routes route 0.0.0.0/0 route-type unicast }
router "Base" { static-routes route 0.0.0.0/0 route-type unicast next-hop "<gateway_ip>" }
router "Base" { static-routes route 0.0.0.0/0 route-type unicast next-hop "<gateway_ip>" admin-state enable }

! Configure IES management interface
service { }
service { ies "2" }
service { ies "2" admin-state enable }
service { ies "2" customer "1" }
service { ies "2" interface "management" }
service { ies "2" interface "management" admin-state enable }
service { ies "2" interface "management" sap 1/5/1:<mgmt_vlan> }
service { ies "2" interface "management" sap 1/5/1:<mgmt_vlan> admin-state enable }
service { ies "2" interface "management" ipv4 }
service { ies "2" interface "management" ipv4 primary }
service { ies "2" interface "management" ipv4 primary address <management_ip> }
service { ies "2" interface "management" ipv4 primary prefix-length 24 }

! Configure VPLS for management VLAN
service { vpls "<mgmt_vlan>" }
service { vpls "<mgmt_vlan>" admin-state enable }
service { vpls "<mgmt_vlan>" customer "1" }
service { vpls "<mgmt_vlan>" v-vpls true }
service { vpls "<mgmt_vlan>" vlan <mgmt_vlan> }

validate
commit

NETCONF Bootstrap (Fallback)

If SSH bootstrap fails, NETCONF can be used to enable SSH access:

<!-- Disable password change requirement -->
<edit-config xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:netconf:base:1.0">
  <target><running/></target>
  <config>
    <users xmlns="http://www.nokia.com/Fixed-Networks/BBA/yang/nokia-aaa">
      <user>
        <name>admin</name>
        <login>
          <new-password-at-login>false</new-password-at-login>
        </login>
      </user>
    </users>
  </config>
</edit-config>

<!-- Enable SSH on out-of-band management -->
<edit-config xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:netconf:base:1.0">
  <target><running/></target>
  <config>
    <system xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:yang:ietf-system">
      <management xmlns="http://www.nokia.com/Fixed-Networks/BBA/yang/nokia-ietf-system-aug">
        <cli>
          <transport>
            <ssh>
              <ip_itf>
                <enable>true</enable>
              </ip_itf>
            </ssh>
          </transport>
        </cli>
      </management>
    </system>
  </config>
</edit-config>

ONT Provisioning

ONTs are provisioned through Altiplano using "intents" - declarative configuration objects.

ONT Discovery: 1. ONT connects to OLT PON port 2. OLT reports ONT serial number to Altiplano 3. rXg creates MediaConverter record for ONT 4. Config sync creates l2-user intent for ONT

Intent Types Used:

Configuration

Connection Settings

Nokia PON Mode (Altiplano)

Altiplano REST API: - Base URL: https://<host>/nokia-altiplano-ac/rest - Authentication: OAuth bearer token - Content-Type: application/yang-data+json

rXg Infrastructure Device Settings:

Nokia MF Mode (Direct NETCONF)

OLT NETCONF Endpoints: - NT endpoint: Port 831 (network terminal) - Chassis endpoint: Port 832 (main chassis/IHUB) - LT endpoint: Port 833 (line terminal/PON cards) - Hello delimiter: ]]>]]>

OLT SSH (ISAM Shell) - for bootstrap: - Port: 940 - Default credentials: admin/admin - SSH algorithms: ssh-rsa host key - Shell levels: ISAM CLI (via forward cli to ihub)

rXg Infrastructure Device Settings:

Note: Nokia MF mode connects directly to the OLT without requiring Altiplano. All configuration is performed via NETCONF using BBF (Broadband Forum) and Nokia YANG models.

Service Profiles

Service profiles define ONT port behavior. These profiles are used in both modes but are configured differently:

• Nokia PON mode: Profiles are created and managed in Altiplano
• Nokia MF mode: Profiles are configured directly via NETCONF

VLAN Configuration

Reserved VLANs (Do Not Use): - VLAN 4092 - System reserved - VLAN 4093 - Management VLAN

Nokia PON mode: VLANs are assigned per-subscriber through l2-user intents, referencing l2-infra infrastructure VLANs configured in Altiplano.

Nokia MF mode: VLANs are configured directly on the OLT via NETCONF. The rXg creates the necessary BBF VLAN sub-interfaces and forwarding configuration for each subscriber port.

PoE Management

ONT PoE is managed per-port through UNI service profiles:

PoE priority and PSE class are configured in the UNI service profile.

Monitoring Capabilities

Endpoint Status Monitoring

The rXg monitors multiple OLT endpoints:

Status colors: - Green: All endpoints responding - Orange: Partial endpoint failure - Red: All endpoints offline

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

OLT Shows Offline

Symptom: OLT appears offline in rXg despite network connectivity Resolution: - Verify Altiplano platform is accessible - Check API credentials are valid - Verify OLT is registered in Altiplano (device-mf intent exists) - Check all endpoints (NT, Chassis, LT) are responding

ONT Not Discovered

Symptom: Physical ONT not appearing in Altiplano or rXg Resolution: - Verify fiber connection to OLT PON port - Check ONT power and optical link LED - Verify LT card is configured and enabled - Check PON port is not at maximum ONT capacity (128 per port)

Bootstrap Fails at Step 2

Symptom: Cannot connect to factory-default OLT Resolution: - Verify direct layer 2 connectivity to OLT default IP (192.168.1.1) - Check SSH on port 940 is reachable - Ensure no IP conflict with 192.168.1.1 - Try NETCONF bootstrap on port 832 as fallback

Bootstrap Fails at Step 4

Symptom: Device has existing management configuration Resolution: - Device may have been partially configured previously - Check for existing static routes: show router static-route - Check for management interface: show service id 2 interface - Manual cleanup may be required before re-bootstrap

Intent Creation Fails

Symptom: Altiplano returns error when creating intents Resolution: - Verify intent type versions are available: check device extensions uploaded - Ensure blueprint packages are installed - Check service profiles exist in Altiplano - Verify target device name matches exactly

Endpoint Connection Issues

Symptom: Orange status indicating partial endpoint failure Resolution: - Individual endpoints (NT, Chassis, LT) may require different ports - Verify NETCONF ports 831-833 are accessible - Check LT card configuration matches PON Card Layout setting - Clear SSH host keys if OLT was reinstalled

Diagnostic Commands

ISAM Shell (port 940): show hardware-state component Board-LT1 show hardware-state component Board-LT2 show hardware-state component Board-Nta show hardware-state component Board-Ntb

CLI Shell (via forward cli to ihub): show port show service id 2 interface show router static-route show service service-using configure global

Altiplano API: ```bash

Get device list

curl -X POST https:///nokia-altiplano-ac/rest/restconf/operations/ibn-administration:search-intent-types \ -H "Authorization: Bearer " \ -H "Content-Type: application/yang-data+json"

Get OLT IP from intent

GET /nokia-altiplano-ac/rest/restconf/data/ibn:ibn/intent=device-mf, ```

Known Limitations

Both modes: - Reserved VLANs: VLANs 4092 and 4093 are reserved and cannot be used - PON Capacity: Maximum 128 ONTs per PON port - Queue Limits: OLT has 2048 queue limit; use 4Q scheduler profiles for scale - LLDP: Not available on PON architecture - Non-Standard SSH: OLT uses port 940, not standard port 22 - Multiple Endpoints: Different NETCONF ports for different OLT components

Nokia PON mode: - Altiplano Dependency: Operations require Altiplano platform availability - Intent Versioning: Must use compatible intent type versions

Nokia MF mode: - No Firmware Management: ONT firmware upgrades not supported in direct mode - Single OLT: Each infrastructure device manages one OLT directly - YANG Model Complexity: Requires extensive BBF/Nokia YANG namespace handling

Operational Caveats

Both modes: - Shell Navigation: OLT has layered shell access: SSH ISAM shell CLI (via forward cli to ihub) - Commit Required: Configuration changes require validate then commit commands - Factory Default IP: New OLTs boot with IP 192.168.1.1 on management port - Management VLAN: Must not be VLAN 1 or 4094; recommended to use dedicated VLAN (e.g., 4093) - Breakout Ports: 10G/25G/100G uplinks require connector breakout configuration - PoE by Model: PoE capability varies by ONT model and port; check ONU_HARDWARE_CONFIG - Service Profiles: MAB and non-MAB require different service profiles - Bootstrap Timing: Allow 5+ seconds for NETCONF changes to apply before retrying SSH - Endpoint Polling: rXg monitors NT, Chassis, and LT endpoints separately for health status

Nokia PON mode: - Intent Versions: Altiplano tracks intent type versions; always use highest available version - Altiplano Dependency: Most operations require Altiplano connectivity

Nokia MF mode: - Direct Control: All ONT configuration managed via NETCONF - changes take effect immediately - Gemport Calculation: Gemport IDs are calculated deterministically: (ont_id * 8) + port_number + 1024 - ONT ID Range: Valid ONT IDs are 0-127 per PON port

External References

• Nokia Altiplano Documentation
• Nokia Fixed Networks Support
• Broadband Forum TR-385 (PON YANG Models)
• IETF NETCONF (RFC 6241)