Amdocs has developed what it says is the first network functions virtualization (NFV) platform based on Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) for service providers.
Building on the work it conducted with AT&T to develop the Enhanced Control Orchestration Management and Policy (ECOMP) platform, which combined the Open-O effort to create ONAP, Amdocs’ new platform portfolio features modular capabilities that it says can accelerate service design, virtualization and operating capabilities on demand.
By using technologies developed in ONAP and its ecosystem of capabilities, service providers can offer enterprises the ability to design their own networks as part of a richer set of service features.
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Being a founding creator of a number of ONAP modules, Amdocs retains first-mover advantage with important modules like Amdocs Service Design and Create to automate service design, and Amdocs Active Inventory for a unified live view of services powered by ONAP.
Amdocs NFV powered by ONAP leverages open source networking technology, and can be deployed either locally or in the public cloud using modern DevOps adoption techniques.
“We want to be the glue for ONAP and service providers,” said Tzvika Naveh, marketing director for NFV orchestration at Amdocs, in an interview with FierceTelecom.
Virtual testing environment
Given the complexity of migrating to NFV and SDN, Amdocs will let service providers test and verify virtual services on its ONAP open source platform. Part of this environment will include what Amdocs calls its blueprint.
Handling the physical and virtual elements, this so-called blueprint gives the service provider tools to play with ONAP as they look to implement NFV.
But instead of requiring the service provider to install all of the necessary network elements, Amdocs is offering the ability to test them in the cloud.
“We decided to provide a hosting environment in the public cloud,” Naveh said. “We provide ONAP with the different model which a service provider can play with and make sure that it works.”
Service provider customers will also be given a set of tools to launch and administration tools with NFV and ONAP. This includes enhanced model second GUI.
Naveh said that these tools will enable service providers to accelerate NFV deployments.
“This is a hosting environment that will expedite the adoption of NFV and the adoption of NFV,” Naveh said. “If you provide service providers and vendors the ability to take the virtual network functions and verify them, it will become the defacto standard.”
Accelerating turn-up processes
Amdocs’ testing environment is complemented with pre-defined SD-WAN acceleration kit and administration tools to fast track proof of concepts and use case validation.
The platform comes equipped with a partner accelerator kit that allows providers and enterprises to make sure SD-WAN can interact with the network inventory.
This will help customers ensure it can not only get the service up and running, but that it does not disrupt the existing platform models, including VPNs and routers.
“We need to make sure the service works, but also interacts with the different platform models that interact with it,” Naveh said. “This is an acceleration kit we’re providing on top of this platform.”
Although ONAP is the initial focus, Amdocs could incorporate emerging models that its customers want.
“The hosting environment for now will be ONAP, but later on we can add additional models,” Naveh said. “In the hosting environment, you can decide which components you want to work with.”