SDxCentral cites an important truth in an article and report (the latter from the MEF and the Rayno Report), which is that there’s a lot of dissatisfaction with OSS/BSS out there. It’s more complicated than that, though. I mentioned in a prior blog my own experience at a major Tier One, where I got a…
The ETSI NFV ISG has made a public release of the presentations made in the NFV modeling and information model workshop held recently and hosted by CableLabs. I’ve referenced some aspects of this meeting in past blogs, but the release of the presentation material supports a look at the way the modeling issue is developing, and…
Most of those who follow topics in SDN and NFV will recognize the ONOS or Open Network Operating System project. It’s been covered regularly in the media, but much of the coverage seems to present it as a kind of alternative OPNFV. It’s true that ONOS and OPNFV, as projects, could be considered to have…
Over the last year I have been trying to understand how network operators make a business case for a migration to SDN and NFV. It’s easy to see how you can build them into a few services or projects here and there, but we seem to be lacking the impetus to drive a wholesale shift…
I know that in past blogs I’ve noted that we often create unnecessary problems in the industry by overloading hot new technology terms. “Software-Defined Network” is a great example; some people have used the term to describe a major shift from distributed device-adapted networking to centralized software networking. Others think you get to SDN by…
One of the outcomes of the recent meeting of NFV ISG members, hosted by CableLabs, was recognition of the value of open-source implementations of NFV and a need to harmonize efforts there. Ironically, it’s also been reported that four operators have formed their own open-source activity to develop a MANO implementation. It’s worth looking both…
Network virtualization is unique in our virtualizing world in that it’s both a goal and a facilitator. We want to use network virtualization to change both the services networks can offer and the way that familiar services are created, and at the same time we expect virtualization to answer new questions on resource connection and…
Back in October 2012 a group of network operators issued a paper called “Network Functions Virtualisation: An Introduction, Benefits, Enablers, Challenges & Call for Action”. There were a lot of prescient statements in that first paper, but one that seems particularly relevant today is “Network operators need to be able to “mix & match” hardware…
Yesterday, Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent combined, and as a company name at least the latter is no more. The question now is whether the merger will accomplish anything. Many, myself included, have wondered if the Alcatel-Lucent combination wasn’t one of the classic cases where the whole ended up being a lot less than the sum of…
In yet another sign that NFV is evolving, ADVA has purchased Overture Networks, one of the six vendors who I believe have the tools needed to make a business case for NFV deployment. ADVA joins optical rival Ciena (who purchased Cyan and its Blue Planet platform for SDN/NFV) in the ranks of network equipment vendors…