NFV Architecture
An individual proprietary hardware component, such as a router, switch, gateway, firewall, load balancer, or intrusion detection system, performs a specific networking function in a typical network architecture. A virtualized network substitutes software programs that operate on virtual machines for these pieces of hardware to carry out networking operations.
Three components make up an NFV architecture:
- Centralized virtual network infrastructure: The foundation of an NFV infrastructure can be either a platform for managing containers or a hypervisor that abstracts the resources for computation, storage, and networking.
- Applications: Software delivers many forms of network functionality by substituting for the hardware elements of a conventional network design (virtualized network functions).
- Framework: To manage the infrastructure and provide network functionality, a framework is required (commonly abbreviated as MANO, meaning Management, Automation, and Network Orchestration).
Network Functions Virtualization
The term “Network Functions Virtualization” (NFV) refers to the use of virtual machines in place of physical network appliances. There is a requirement for a hypervisor to operate networking software and procedures like load balancing and routing by virtual computers. A network functions virtualization standard was first proposed at the OpenFlow World Congress in 2012 by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), a group of service providers that includes AT&T, China Mobile, BT Group, Deutsche Telekom, and many more.