Key Components of NFV
The Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) architecture includes the following key components:
- Virtualization layer: This layer is responsible for provisioning the virtualization platform and virtually conducting multiple virtual network functions (VNFs) on the same underlying hardware. It consists of hypervisors or containerized virtualization, which comes with the isolation, resource allocation, and management functionality of VNFs.
- Virtual network functions (VNFs): In broad terms, these functions are on the software side and generally help the network perform specific tasks, which include routing, switching, firewalling, balancing, encryption, etc. The VNFs are almost always run either on virtual machines or as containers, and they each reside on a virtualization layer.
- NFV infrastructure (NFVI): The VNFs will rely on this digital platform that publishes the virtualized network functions, specifications, and management components. NFVI can be deployed in a data center, at the edge, or in the cloud, depending on the service providers’ demand and offered service.
- Management and orchestration (MANO): Such a function comprises provisioning, orchestration, and monitoring, which are indispensable interfaces for controlling the VNFs being integrated into the NFVI. The latter consists of functions like service orchestration, allocation of resources, fault management, and management of performance.
Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) Implementation Challenges
Network functions virtualization (NFV) is a virtualization approach for network architecture where network devices such as routers or switches are replaced by VNFs running on standard servers or switches.
In a typical network, general networking equipment like switches, routers, firewalls, and load balancers carry out the implementation of particular networking tasks. Under NFV, functions were operated virtually as applications on commercial off-the-shelf hardware, which resulted in higher flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness of the function system.
NFV allows telecom operators to quickly and effectively provision network services exactly where and when they are needed, and this is done without equipping them with physical hardware and also avoiding their maintenance. Operators can also ship their capital and operations down while giving in their network agility, flexibility, and scalability by virtualizing network features.