BROWSING: VNF

What Is Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN)?

Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) solutions help enterprises with operational efficiency and scale as they move to the cloud.

What is a RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC)?

A RAN Intelligent Controller is cloud software responsible for controlling and optimizing baseband communication functions on the RAN.

What is a Virtual Network Function?

A Virtual Network Function replaces network hardware with software which can be changed and scaled to meet burgeoning 5G demands.

Streamlining VNF onboarding to improve 5G network management

iconectiv's VNF information service is included in ONAP's latest mobile network specifications  The latest release of international specifications to help build future software-based mobile networks has been published by the Linux Foundation in the latest version of the Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP), and includes information services company iconectiv’s open source APIs...

Unleashing the potential of NFV (Reality Check)

Network Function Virtualization — NFV — promises much. NFV is the next generation of network architecture, replacing software running on dedicated hardware with virtual appliances running on commodity hardware. NFV should mean the ability to deploy software functions on any hardware at any time...

Delivering service assurance across a complex hybrid network

  As service providers transform their networks from traditional, physical infrastructure to a more dynamic, virtual one, they face new challenges in delivering high service quality across an increasingly complex hybrid network. Service assurance tools and processes have always been instrumental in helping achieve service excellence,...

Edge Virtualization: Forging the path forward

As industry momentum behind 5G development, and deployments continues to build, edge networks are going to become a fundamental piece of the service enablement puzzle. However, if these networks are not architected properly, they could become the bottleneck that hinders a network operator and/or...

Edge virtualization: Overcoming deployment hurdles

While it has become somewhat commonplace to take for granted that network operators are working hard on virtualizing aspects of their networks, it is important to remember that the industry is still in the early days of shifting from a physical networking environment to...

ETSI’s more mature OSM Release 4.0 now available

ETSI's Open Source MANO (OSM) release 4.0 is lighter weight, more mature The European Telecommunications Standards Institute responsible for European Union telecom standards, announced Release 4 of its Open Source MANO (management and orchestration) standard last week. ETSI is billing OSM 4.0 as a lighter,...

The new era of Software-Defined IT: Where we’re going next (Reality Check)

Two years ago, I was welcoming our customers to the era of Software-Defined IT (SDIT). Today, that warm welcome still stands as more and more companies are embracing software-defined networking (SDN), SD-WAN, cloud migration, and software as a service (SaaS) technologies. Additionally, as the digital evolution of business exponentially accelerates, we see profound impacts...

Orange integrates Radisys’ vMRF with ONAP Amsterdam for VNF onboarding

Orange brings Radisys’ vMRF to ONAP Amsterdam Orange Labs Networks has integrated Radisys Corporation’s virtualized Media Resource Function (vMRF) into the Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) Amsterdam release. Orange is a founding member of ONAP, which is a combination of AT&T’s Open ECOMP and The Linux...

Orange boosts SD-WAN offering in Cisco partnership

Orange and Cisco team up on SD-WAN Orange Business Services announced it performed the first on-boarding of a Cisco SD-WAN virtual network function (VNF) on the Cisco Enterprise Network Compute System (ENCS). The platform includes a fully functional virtualized solution for network services, and is part...

Tech Mahindra makes AT&T Flexware available for global clients

Tech Mahindra and AT&T strengthen camaraderie IT company Tech Mahindra and AT&T are building on their relationship with a deal that will make the latter company’s FlexWare (SM) available to the former company’s global clientele. AT&T Flexware, previously known as AT&T Network Functions on Demand, is...

Verizon aims to improve network functions as ONAP member

Verizon becomes ONAP platinum member Verizon announced it has joined the Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) project as a platinum member, underscoring the service providers efforts to propel network virtualization and automation. ONAP is an open source community consisting of global carriers and vendors focused on...

ONF’s CORD 4.1 focuses on multi-access edge cloud

ONF launches CORD 4.1 The Open Networking Foundation (ONF) announced that Central Office Re-architected as a Datacenter (CORD) has undergone some significant changes with the release of CORD 4.1 in order to provide a single platform for multi-access edge cloud. CORD is an architecture of the...

Automation drives ROI, network efficiency and time-to-market

  NFV and SDN deployments require automated service assurance that won’t compromise reliability Service assurance is a crucial and increasingly complex task for communications service providers. Without granular insight into network performance metrics, a CSP cannot gauge customer experience, network reliability, find and fix failures or...

The role of NFV and SDN in 5G

A new network topology The digital transformation of network infrastructure through network functions virtualization (NFV) and software defined networking (SDN) is anticipated to play a pivotal role with the respect to the commercialization of 5G. There are several major architectural obstacles facing 5G networks, which...

Network automation standards emerging with ONAP Amsterdam release

ONAP Amsterdam focuses on virtual network automation The Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) announced the release of ONAP Amsterdam, a unified architecture for closed-loop, end-to-end network automation. The purpose of the platform is to decrease costs​ ​and​ ​time​ ​for​ ​virtual network functions (VNF) vendors, enabling...

Production environment adoption hastened via ETSI MANO three release

ETSI Open Source rolls out Open Source MANO THREE ETSI Open Source MANO (ETSI OSM) group announced the general availability of Open Source MANO (OSM) THREE yesterday, keeping up to pace with the organization’s goal to release a new OSM every six months. ETSI is the...

FatPipe nods to converged infrastructure with VNF, SD-WAN offering

Digital transformation underpins FatPipe’s multi-function VNF FatPipe Networks, a provider of router clustering products for WAN optimization, recently debuted a new SD-WAN product, which the company said makes it easier to deploy virtual network functions (VNFs). SD-WAN and network functions virtualization (NFV) platforms used to deploy...

Global NFV adoption crystallizing with ETSI specifications

ETSI NFV ISG completes specifications to accelerate NFV interoperability and adoption The ETSI NFV Industry Specification Group (ETSI NFV ISG) said it is working to accelerate global network functions virtualization (NFV) adoption with the completion of a series of key specifications. The group said it has...

OpenStack cited as open source example for telecom

One open source model referenced by many in the telecommunications space is that of OpenStack, which is a cloud-based platform initially begun in 2010 as a project between NASA and Rackspace Hosting aimed at creating an open source cloud platform that could be operated...

Vendors find opportunities, challenges in adopting open source platforms

The move towards open source has had a somewhat divisive impact on the vendor community, with established telecom suppliers now having to share the attention – and budgets – of operators with new entrants. This new rivalry has not gone unnoticed by operators, who...

Telecom operators need focus, support to benefit from SDN and NFV

SDN, NFV and cloud continue to harbor opportunities for operators, though Metaswitch notes focus and vendor support remain crucial. On this week’s NFV/SDN Reality Check we speak with Metaswitch CTO Martin Taylor on the challenges and opportunities it’s seeing for vendors and telecommunication operators from...