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Cloud-native Network Functions

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Cloud-native Network Functions

What is CNF in Networking?

Microservices architecture and containers are now widely used in developing and deploying applications with cloud-native architecture. The use of container orchestrators like Kubernetes is skyrocketing. So, moving network functions to containers seems to be a logical step forward in the evolution of network architecture. Cloud-native Network Functions (CNFs) was the term coined for this technology. Basically, CNFs are network functions like routers or firewalls moved inside Linux containers, which are themselves orchestrated by tools such as Kubernetes. This means that, in a sense, Kubernetes is managing network traffic.

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NETWORKS

Infographic: The NFV MANO model in practice

Please bear in mind that this infographic does not pretend to present a complete and ultimate mapping. It is only our vision based on the specific products. Since it is tough to precisely map the existing solutions, the model itself should be treated as an approximation. The elements presented are only examples and obviously do not show every solution available on the market. We are always eager to discuss this subject and consider different points of view.
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NETWORKS

Seamlessly transitioning to CNFs with Tungsten Fabric

Cloud-native Network Functions (CNFs), by all appearances, seem to be the next big trend in network architecture. They are a logical step forward in the evolution of network architecture. Networks were initially based on physical hardware like routers, load balancers and firewalls. Such physical equipment was then replaced by today’s standard, VMs to create Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs). Now, a lot of research is going into moving these functions into containers. In such a scenario, a container orchestration platform would be responsible for hosting CNFs.
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NETWORKS

Uncontainerizable VNFs in a CNF environment

Cloud-native network functions (CNFs, for short) are a hot topic in network architecture. CNFs use containers as the base for network functions and thus would replace today’s most widely used standard, Virtual Network Functions (VNFs). In such a scenario, a container orchestration platform--Kubernetes, say--could be responsible not only for orchestrating the containers, but also for directing network traffic to proper pods. While this remains an area under research, it has aroused considerable interest among industry leaders.
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NETWORKS

Why Vector Packet Processing is worth your time

The Vector Packet Processor (VPP) is a high-performance packet-processing stack that can run on commodity CPUs. In this article, I will take a closer look at what distinguishes this technology from others and how helpful it can be in meeting the demand for efficient network solutions. Regardless of the specific hardware or software implementation at the dataplane level, packet processing can be generally described as a sequence of operations that are performed on packets. This can be represented as a graph in which each vertex corresponds to an operation.
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NETWORKS
CLOUD

How to build CNFs using Ligato framework

Cloud native network functions (CNFs) are a hot topic today. In this blog post, I will take a stab at explaining why and also present the Ligato framework, which allows you to build your custom CNFs. We started talking about Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) a few years ago when the concept of Network Function Virtualization (NFV) appeared. In short, it is that network functions can be deployed as virtual machines (VMs) instead of being delivered on dedicated hardware offered by vendors. Over time, telco operators and service providers launched their first field trials and then roll-outs of network functions based on this paradigm.
Thumbnail of an article about What is cloud-native architecture — everything you need to know
CLOUD

What is cloud-native architecture — everything you need to know

Gone are the days when most IT companies had their own physical data centers. On-premises infrastructure is no longer a prerequisite for running a successful IT business. Cloud data storage and hosting has become so routine you barely even give it a thought. More often than not, customers expect your app to be hosted in the cloud because they associate it with less downtime, speedy work and reliability. However, when considering cloud infrastructure, there is a big difference between cloud-native and cloud-enabled applications.

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