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T-NOVA Network function as-a-service over virtualized infrastructures

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T-NOVA (Network Function as-a-Service over Virtualized Infrastructures) is an open-source framework and architecture that enables the deployment and management of Network Functions as a Service (NFaaS) over virtualized infrastructures. It aims to provide a flexible and scalable approach to delivering network services by leveraging the principles of cloud computing and virtualization.

Overview of T-NOVA:

T-NOVA is designed to address the challenges of traditional network infrastructure, which is often rigid, costly, and difficult to scale. By virtualizing network functions and adopting a cloud-based approach, T-NOVA allows for more efficient resource utilization, dynamic service provisioning, and better adaptability to changing network demands.

Key Components and Functionality of T-NOVA:

T-NOVA comprises several key components and functionalities that work together to provide NFaaS over virtualized infrastructures:

  1. Virtualized Infrastructure Manager (VIM): The VIM component is responsible for managing and orchestrating the underlying virtualized infrastructure resources, such as compute, storage, and networking. It provides a unified interface for managing the virtualized resources across multiple physical servers or data centers.
  2. Virtual Network Functions (VNFs): VNFs are software-based implementations of network functions, such as firewalls, routers, load balancers, or intrusion detection systems. T-NOVA allows for the deployment and management of VNFs as modular, independent entities that can be instantiated, scaled, and chained together as needed.
  3. Service Orchestrator (SO): The SO component is responsible for the overall orchestration and management of NFaaS. It coordinates the deployment and interconnection of VNFs, taking into account service requirements, resource availability, and network policies. The SO ensures efficient service provisioning and dynamically adapts to changes in network conditions.
  4. Service Manager (SM): The SM component provides a high-level interface for service provisioning, configuration, and management. It enables users to define and request network services, specify service-level agreements (SLAs), and monitor the performance and quality of the deployed services.
  5. Service Marketplace (SP): The SP component acts as a marketplace or repository for VNFs and network services. It allows users to discover, browse, and select the available VNFs and pre-defined service templates. The SP fosters collaboration and encourages the sharing and reuse of network service components.
  6. Service Assurance and Analytics (SA/A): The SA/A component is responsible for monitoring, analyzing, and ensuring the quality and performance of the deployed network services. It collects and analyzes data from various sources, including network devices, VNFs, and user feedback, to detect and resolve service anomalies, optimize resource allocation, and enforce SLA compliance.

Benefits of T-NOVA:

T-NOVA offers several benefits for network service providers, operators, and end-users:

  1. Agility and Scalability: By leveraging virtualization and cloud principles, T-NOVA enables rapid service deployment, scaling, and chaining of VNFs. It allows network service providers to quickly adapt to changing service demands, improve time-to-market, and efficiently allocate resources based on actual needs.
  2. Cost Efficiency: T-NOVA promotes resource consolidation and efficient resource utilization through virtualization. By sharing physical infrastructure among multiple VNFs and services, T-NOVA reduces hardware costs, power consumption, and operational expenses. It enables more efficient use of resources, leading to cost savings for network service providers.
  3. Service Innovation and Flexibility: T-NOVA facilitates the creation of innovative network services by providing a flexible framework for service composition, chaining, and deployment. It allows service providers to experiment with new service offerings, combine different VNFs to create tailored services, and explore new business models in the NFaaS ecosystem.
  4. Service Customization and Personalization: T-NOVA enables service personalization and customization by allowing users to select and combine VNFs based on their specific requirements. Users can create and configure network services tailored to their needs, leading to improved user experience and satisfaction.
  5. Elasticity and Resilience: T-NOVA supports dynamic scaling and resource allocation based on service demands. It enables auto-scaling of VNFs in response to changes in network traffic, ensuring optimal performance and resilience. T-NOVA can adjust resource allocation in real-time to meet service-level objectives and handle unexpected network conditions.

Conclusion:

T-NOVA (Network Function as-a-Service over Virtualized Infrastructures) provides a framework and architecture for deploying and managing NFaaS. By leveraging virtualization, cloud principles, and software-defined networking, T-NOVA enables agile, scalable, and cost-efficient network service provisioning. It allows network service providers to deploy and orchestrate VNFs, customize services, and dynamically adapt to changing network demands. T-NOVA fosters service innovation, improves resource utilization, and enhances the user experience in the network function virtualization ecosystem.