Nokia has introduced an open ‘templating’ system to map deployment and management of virtualised network functions (VNFs).
The new system uses Nokia’s CloudBand Application Manager product, allowing operators to integrate and manage VNFs from multiple vendors in the cloud.
The Finnish vendor said the templating system will help operators streamline onboarding, integration and lifecycle management, allowing them to sidestep more “cumbersome and time-consuming” methodologies, and reduce the cost and time required to deploy multi-vendor NFV networks.
Ron Haberman, Head of Nokia’s CloudBand product unit, said: “One of the goals of NFV has been to foster an open ecosystem of VNF suppliers to give service providers maximum choice in the capabilities they integrate, and to offer subscribers the best available services.
“By creating an open system that improves the management of VNFs, we aim to make it easier for service providers to quickly add new value-added services to differentiate their offerings, generate new revenue opportunities, and deliver better user experiences.”
Nokia’s open templating system builds upon the ETSI NFV specifications (IFA011 and IFA014), Topology and Orchestration Specification for Cloud Applications (TOSCA) specifications and OpenStack tools.
By supporting both Nokia and third-party VNFs, the system gives service providers a much wider selection of virtualised network services they can offer subscribers, Nokia said.
Caroline Chappell, Principal Analyst at Analysys Mason, commented: “VNF onboarding is one of the major challenges the industry must solve to ensure the long-term success of NFV. This will require a standards-based approach that automates the onboarding process and minimises its complexity.
“Publicly available guidelines that build upon ETSI NFV ISG and OASIS TOSCA work are an important resource for the market. They provide an exemplar for VNF onboarding that can help harmonize the fragmented vendor approaches we’ve seen so far.”
The system is available now.
In August, Nokia ranked second behind Cisco in an IHS poll of SDN and NFV providers.