Accelerating NFV interoperability testing

Many service providers have deployed network function virtualization (NFV) software, but there are few tools to coordinate and manage NFV software from multiple vendors. To enhance interoperability, a number of initiatives and services have been launched to help enterprises determine whether the required NFV software is compatible with a specific management and network orchestration (MANO) platform.

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Below is a list of some NFV interoperability initiatives:

• ETSI has launched a series of plug-fests as part of its effort to define standards for the telecommunications industry, with nearly 30 leading vendors participating.
• Canonical has launched the VNF Performance Interoperability Lab, an extension of its interoperability work serving the OpenStack community.
• CNLabs develops a series of NFV interoperability test programs
• CableLabs subsidiary Kyrio has an SDN/NFV interoperability lab available to all network operators and equipment vendors.
• The University of New Hampshire has an interoperability lab that is responsible for enterprise plug-ins and provides testing services.
• Spirent offers a suite of NFV and SDN testing services as part of its professional services offering.
• IXIA has worked with partners to create a suite of NFV interoperability tests that enterprises can use to test performance and portability.
• New IP Agency (NIA) and EANTC release results of a series of NFV interoperability tests
• Cisco, Ericsson, Huawei and Nokia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to create an NFV interoperability testing program.

In addition, vendors are investing in MANO platforms in NFV environments and also enabling NFV interoperability on their platforms, such as HPE’s OpenNFV partnership program that tests and verifies NFV interoperability.

Are these NFV interoperability tests necessary? Barry Graham, senior business director at TM Forum, said that as service providers focus on promoting digital services, these procedures are a great challenge and a difficulty faced by enterprises deploying NFV.

Graham said the TM Forum is working to define a set of de facto application programming interfaces (APIs) that will greatly facilitate NFV interoperability without having to wait for vendors and standards bodies to reach consensus.

“We are trying to create interoperability across the industry, and our goal is to create a proven standard,” Graham said.

Graham said service providers need interoperability to achieve their 5G network goals, and 37% of TM Forum members have deployed NFV, but few members have implemented NFV orchestration in a unified way.

As with most emerging technologies, NFV adoption is a long process, but given that service providers are looking to launch 5G services over the next three years, the pace of this process will need to accelerate.