Telco Cloud and NFV
NFV Management and Orchestration (MANO) frameworks are an increasingly popular solution for automating the workflows that span between the Service Orchestration layer and the Network Functions Virtualization Infrastructure (NFV-I). By automating the onboarding and the management of Virtual Network Functions (VNFs), MANO is quickly becoming a key piece of service automation architectures run by service providers.
While MANO frameworks nowadays support the configuration of IP parameters such as security groups, IPv4 / IPv6 and ranges for VNFs via Virtual Infrastructure Managers (VIMs), their design is based on a mediation model. In other words, in order for the IP parameters to be configured via MANO, they have to be first known by the Service Orchestrator or by the engineer who manages them manually.
Another operational issue that plagues MANO frameworks is their inability to manage networks that span across multiple cloud data centers. While it is possible to manage and view tenant networks in an individual OpenStack instance, the telco clouds of tomorrow are likely to consist of dozens of NFV-Is spread across as many physically distributed data centers. Against this backdrop, a key operational challenge in NFV production environments will be the operators’ ability to manage thousands of geographically distributed tenant networks in a unified management solution.
A complement to popular NFV-Is, VIMs and MANO, FusionLayer addresses these challenges through a unified network management solution that allows all IP parameters and networks to be managed within a single unified solution. This patented approach provides service providers with three operational benefits:
Service Agility
By consolidating all network information and IP parameters into a unified management solution, our customers are able to establish a single authoritative Configuration Management Database (CMDB) and a provisioning point for all network-related data. This is especially helpful in multivendor environments where multiple orchestrators are in use.Network Visibility
By managing all networks and IP parameters within a unified solution, our customers are able to establish real-time visibility into all tenant networks within the telco cloud and to easily map the links between them. The unified management system also enables standardized management processes with proper authorization, authentication and audit trails in place.Reduced OPEX
By introducing service agility and controlled real-time visibility into their NFV environments, service providers are able to realize significant savings in Operational Expense (OPEX). The annual OPEX savings in large telco clouds consisting of multiple cloud data centers can easily be several network engineer Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) per year.To leverage FusionLayer for an optimal operational outcome, our product team will be happy to organize a free consultancy session to identify the optimal architecture for your business needs. To schedule a time click the contact us button below.