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NFV Infrastructures U5

Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) is an architecture that decouples network functions from hardware, allowing for agile deployment of virtual network functions (VNFs) on standardized hardware. Key components of NFV include the NFV Infrastructure (NFVI), which provides the necessary resources, and NFV Management and Orchestration (MANO) that coordinates these resources. Equinix supports NFV architectures by providing interconnectivity and colocation services, enabling enterprises to efficiently manage their network resources and overcome limitations of legacy systems.

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14 views

NFV Infrastructures U5

Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) is an architecture that decouples network functions from hardware, allowing for agile deployment of virtual network functions (VNFs) on standardized hardware. Key components of NFV include the NFV Infrastructure (NFVI), which provides the necessary resources, and NFV Management and Orchestration (MANO) that coordinates these resources. Equinix supports NFV architectures by providing interconnectivity and colocation services, enabling enterprises to efficiently manage their network resources and overcome limitations of legacy systems.

Uploaded by

divya.anantharajan05
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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NFV Architectures

Network functions virtualization (NFV) is a network architecture concept that uses


the proven technologies of IT virtualization. NFV is designed to deliver the network
services needed to support an infrastructure totally independent from hardware by
decoupling network functions from proprietary purpose-built hardware appliances.
The software that provides these network services are known as virtual network
functions (VNF) and run on generic hardware.

A basic understanding of the various components of anNFV architecture helps to


understand why this approach has gained the attention of enterprises who are
looking for more agile and automated methods to deploy and manage widely
distributed network infrastructure and resources. The major components of an NFV
architecture include the virtualized network functions (VNFs), NFV Infrastructure
(NFVI) and NFV management and orchestration (MANO).

Network Functions Virtualization Infrastructure

The NVFI is based on low cost, standardized x86 computing hardware and software
—hypervisors, virtual machines and virtual infrastructure managers that enable the
physical and virtual network layers. It delivers the physical resources—compute,
storage and network and software on which VNFs are deployed and managed. The
NFVI provides the virtualization layer that sits above the hardware and abstracts
hardware resources so they can be logically partitioned and provisioned to support
VNFs. The NFVI is also critical in building complex, widely distributed networks
without the geographic limitations associated with traditional network architectures.

Virtual Network Functions

Virtualized network functions run in one or more virtual machines on top of the
hardware networking infrastructure. VNFs include routers, switches, SD-WAN,
firewalls and a growing number of other network services now available as software
from vendors like Cisco, Juniper Networks and Palo Alto Networks.

With a network functions virtualization architecture, VNFs are deployed on-demand,


eliminating the deployment delays associated with traditional network hardware, as
well as the need for on-site technical skills when remotely deployed. VNFs provide
the agility needed to anticipate or respond to dynamic network performance or
expansion demands in hybrid and multicloud environments.

NFV Management and Network Orchestration

NFV management and network orchestration (MANO) is a framework developed by


a European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) working group. From
initial set up to quotidian operations, NFV MANO coordinates resources—the NFVI
as well as VNFs—running in a virtualized data center including compute, networking,
storage and virtual machines (VM). NFV MANO uses templates for standard VNFs
that allow architects to select the appropriate NFVI resources to be deployed.

NFV MANO is comprised of three functional areas:

NFV Orchestrator handles VNF onboarding, lifecycle management, global resource


management and validation and authorization of NFVI resource requests.

VNF Manager controls VNF lifecycle management of instances, providing a


coordination and adaptation role for NFVI and Element/Network Management
Systems configuration and event reporting.

Virtual Infrastructure Manager controls and manages the NFVI compute, storage
and network resources.

NFV MANO functionality is provided by established network vendors like Cisco and
Juniper, as well as open-source offerings from Cloudify and Open Source MANO.

Equinix Enables NFV Architectures

As a leading, global provider of interconnectivity and colocation centers, Equinix


recognizes the potential of NFV architectures in transforming the way that global
networks are being designed, implemented and managed. Equinix has made
significant investments to enable enterprises worldwide to realize the benefits of
network functions virtualization. Platform Equinix provides NFVI resources. Equinix
Network Edge orchestrates and manages the deployment of a wide range of
VNFs. Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric™ (ECX Fabric™) provides global
connectivity, allowing an enterprise to deploy VNFs as-a-service where needed and
connect to thousands of cloud, network and SaaS providers worldwide.

Virtual Router Solves Replication Performance Problems

A real-life use case shows how easily a global enterprise can deploy virtual network
functions using Equinix’s Network Edge. In this instance, a global agricultural
manufacturer hosts production workloads in AWS US West. These workloads
provide services to all their global locations. Development, test and pre production
Oracle systems are hosted in an Oracle Cloud in located Phoenix. Unpredictable
performance with data replication from AWS to Oracle meant that developers in
Phoenix were frequently working with old data. Consequently, software deployments
were often delayed, negatively impacting the business.

The performance problem was remedied by deploying a Cisco virtual router in


minutes via Network Edge in Equinix’s Silicon Valley data center. The router
connects to production workloads hosted on AWS US West. Private virtual
connections link Silicon Valley with Los Angeles where they connected to the Oracle
Cloud on ramp to provide access to workloads running in Phoenix. Without
implementing any additional physical infrastructure the manufacturer resolved the
synchronization performance issues with a secure, private connection between their
AWS and Oracle workloads.

Equinix Eliminates the Complexity of Building NFV Architectures

NFV architectures allow enterprises to overcome the limitations of legacy network


infrastructures. Virtualization decouples functionality from the underlying hardware to
provide agile, on-demand deployment of network services. Management and
orchestration layers efficiently handle the provisioning of the underlying physical and
virtual infrastructure resources.
Equinix has eliminated the complexity of building the NFVI and onboarding multi-
vendor VNFs. This allows customers to choose from a variety of leading vendors
such as Cisco, Juniper Networks and Palo Alto Networks and ensures the
interoperability of these network functions. Equinix’s approach to NFV architectures
also supports the continuing need for physical deployments, allowing customers to
establish connections to cloud and network services using a global software-defined
interconnection, ECX Fabric™.

Enterprises can take the first steps toward greater efficiency in designing, deploying
and managing their widely distributed network resources by understanding the key
elements of NFV architectures and the global resources that Equinix provides.

Difference between SDN and NFV :


SDN NFV

SDN architecture mainly focuses on NFV is targeted at service providers or


data centers. operators.

NFV helps service providers or operators to


SDN separates control plane and virtualize functions like load balancing, routing,
data forwarding plane by and policy management by transferring network
centralizing control and functions from dedicated appliances to virtual
programmability of network. servers.

SDN uses OpenFlow as a


communication protocol. There is no protocol determined yet for NFV.

SDN supports Open Networking


Foundation. NFV is driven by ETSI NFV Working group.

Various enterprise networking


software and hardware vendors are Telecom service providers or operators are
initiative supporters of SDN. prime initiative supporters of NFV.

Corporate IT act as a Business Service providers or operators act as a Business


initiator for SDN. initiator for NFV.

SDN applications run on industry- NFV applications run on industry-standard


standard servers or switches. servers.

SDN reduces cost of network NFV increases scalability and agility as well as
because now there is no need of speed up time-to-market as it dynamically allot
SDN NFV

hardware a level of capacity to network


expensive switches & routers. functions needed at a particular time.

Application of NFV:
 Routers, firewalls, gateways
 WAN accelerators
Application of SDN:  SLA assurance
 Networking  Video Servers
 Cloud orchestration  Content Delivery Networks (CDN)

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