OpenECOMP consists of a number of software subsystems. These subsystems are part of two major architectural frameworks:

• a design-time environment to design, define and program the platform
• an execution-time environment to execute the logic programmed in the design phase.

The design-time framework  is an integrated development environment with tools, techniques, and repositories for defining and describing deployable assets. It supports the development of new capabilities, augmentation of existing capabilities and continuous operational improvement throughout the life cycle of a service. The execution-time framework uses closed-loop, policy-driven automation to drive down operational costs. Built-in dynamic, policy-enforced functions are provided for component and workload shaping, placement, execution, and administration. Access to the design-time and execution-time frameworks are provided by the OpenECOMP Portal, a role-based user interface.

Figure 1 shows the architecture of OpenECOMP.

Figure 1. OpenECOMP architecture

Design-time framework

The design-time framework consists of the following subsystems:

• Service Design and Creation (SDC)
• Policy

The SDC subsystem enables developers to define, simulate, and certify assets and their associated processes and policies.The Policy subsystem enables the creation and deployment of rules that instantiate conditions, requirements, constraints, attributes, or needs regarding the assets that must be provided, maintained, or enforced.

The design-time framework provides a set of common services and utilities and is intended for a variety of users with a different roles. For example, the design studio enables product and service designers to onboard, extend and retire resources, services and products. Also using the design studio, operations engineers, security experts and customer experience experts can create workflows, policies and methods. 

Run-time framework

The run-time execution framework distributes and executes the rules and policies that are designed within the design-time framework, and consists of the following subsystems:

• Active and Available Inventory (AAI)
• Controllers
• Dashboard
• Data Collection, Analytics and Events (DCAE)
• Master Service Orchestrator (MSO)
• Security Framework

All of these subsystems rely on Common Services to provide access control, logging, data management, and other support.