Why Open Source is Rising Up the Networking Stack in 2017

With 2016 behind us, we can reflect on a landmark year where open source migrated up the stack. As a result a new breed of open service orchestration projects were announced, including ECOMP, OSM, OpenBaton, and The Linux Foundation  project OPEN-O, among them. While the scope varies between orchestrating Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs) in a Cloud Data Center, and more comprehensive end-to-end service delivery platforms, the new open service orchestration initiatives enable carriers and cable operators to automate end-to-end service delivery, ultimately minimizing the software development required for new services.

Open orchestration was propelled into the limelight as major operators have gained considerable experience over the past years with open source platforms, such as OpenStack and OpenDaylight. Many operators have announced ambitious network virtualization strategies, that are moving from proofs of concept (PoCs) into the field, including AT&T (Domain 2.0), Deutsche Telekom (TeraStream), Vodafone (Ocean), Telefonica (Unica), NTT Communications (O3), China Mobile (NovoNet), China Telecom (CTNet2025), among them.

Traditional Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) and open source projects have paved the way for the emergence of open orchestration. For instance, OPNFV (open NFV reference platform) expanded its charter to address NFV Management and Orchestration (MANO). Similarly, MEF is pursuing the Lifecycle Services Orchestration (LSO) initiative to standardize service orchestration, and intends to accelerate deployment with the OpenLSO open reference platform. Other efforts such as the TMForum Zero-touch Orchestration, Operations and Management (ZOOM) project area addressing the operational aspects as well.

Standards efforts are guiding the open source orchestration projects, which set the stage for 2017 to become The Year of Orchestration.

One notable example is the OPEN-O project, which delivered its initial release less than six months from the project formation. OPEN-O enables operators to deliver end-to-end composite services over NFV Infrastructure along with SDN and legacy networks. In addition to addressing the NFV MANO, OPEN-O integrates a model-driven automation framework, service design front-end, and connectivity services orchestration.

OPEN-O is backed by some of the world’s largest and innovative SDN/NFV market leaders, including China Mobile, China Telecom, Ericsson, Huawei, Intel, and VMware among them. The project is also breaking new ground in evolving how open source can be successfully adopted for large scale, carrier-grade platforms.

To learn more about OPEN-O and rapidly evolving open orchestration landscape, please join us for our upcoming Webinar:

Title: Introduction to Open Orchestration and OPEN-O

Date/Time: Tue January 17, 2017  10:00a – 11:00a PST

Presenter: Marc Cohn, Executive Director, OPEN-O

Register today to save your spot in this engaging and interactive webinar. Can’t make it on the 17th? Registering will also ensure you get a copy of the recording via email after the presentation is over.

For additional details on OPEN-O, visit: www.open-o.org