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 defined an unified application programming interface (API), which can help ensure greater multi-vendor interoperability among NFV devices.
ETSI is a non-profit organization that helps set global standards for the telecom industry. Over the last few years, more and more service providers have embraced NFV as a way to spin-up various network services automatically. While NFV has become increasingly popular among service providers, a lack of interoperability among network software components has been a barrier for global adoption. In order to accelerate widespread adoption, ISG was assigned the task of developing global specifications for NFV.
ISG said it published six new NFV specifications within the last three months, spanning the gamut of virtual network function (VNF) package structure, dynamically optimizing packet flow routing, and resource management right through to hypervisor domain requirements. The group published 18 different work projects as well. Two of the six specifications have been made available. Telcos will have access the remaining specifications by the end of the year.
Defining API specifications has been of key significance in pursuing these initiatives, which, according to ISG, can help achieve widespread multi-vendor interoperability. The group said widespread multi-vendor interoperability can address several hurdles facing the industry, thereby boosting the roll-out of NFV. For this reason, the nonprofit is hosting the Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Plugtests event next year, which brings vendors together to test the interoperability of their devices based on NFV specifications set by ETSI.
“It is clear that NFV will thrive through being backed up by an expansive open ecosystem that encourages innovation from the broadest possible range of sources. By delivering standardised open interfaces and descriptors, ETSI is giving new players that have not previously been involved in this sector the opportunity to make a major contribution to its ongoing progression,” said ETSI NFV Chairman Diego Lopez.
“With the ground-breaking work that is now being done we are getting closer to a stage when universal integration is finally achievable and vendors’ VNF solutions can be executed and managed via any orchestrator and management solution without integration problems arising. Furthermore, all of the components parts of such management/orchestration systems will be completely interoperable with one another.”
Moving forward, ISG said it is currently scheduling its third release with the goal of providing specifications and guidance for making NFV operational. The group said it also pursuing studies investigating how NFV might be better secured and applied to network slicing.
