CNCF and LF Networking Unite to Advance Open Source Telecom Cloud Native Networking

Linux Foundation’s New Cloud Native Networking Program brings telco networking and cloud native thought leaders together to collaborate on industry shift towards digital transformation

CHICAGO, Ill.. – KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America – November 7, 2023 - The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization focused on fostering innovation through open source, today announced that ​​LF Networking (LFN) and CNCF will combine telecom initiatives to create a unified Linux Foundation (LF) Telecom front for Cloud Native Networking. 

The benefits of adopting Cloud Native approach for Networking are numerous, yet the industry is yet to reach consensus on how to get there. Open source communities under the Linux Foundation have been successful in charting some parts of the journey, however, there is a need for a more unified and comprehensive approach. This new initiative will bring various activities from the CNCF and LFN under one roof and will continue to develop additional guidelines and tools for the Cloud Native Network transformation. 

This initiative is aimed at accelerating the adoption of Cloud Native technology for networking (as expressed in documents such as the recent NGMN Cloud Native Manifesto) to meet the needs of both vendors and service providers while avoiding fragmentation and creating a unified conformance program.  The new Cloud Native Networking program will draw from the solid groundwork laid by the CNCF CNF Certification, CNF Test Suite, and LF Networking's Anuket Project. Under this new initiative, we are introducing:

• • Certification Program: Building on the foundations of LFN and CNCF certification programs and extending to address the evolving requirements of Cloud Native Network Functions.
  • Cloud Native Networking Test Catalog: Development of a robust testing framework and comprehensive suite of functional, non-functional, and end-to-end tests.

Expect to see continued collaboration between CNCF and LFN in joint efforts, with LFN taking the lead on domain-specific networking initiatives and CNCF overseeing comprehensive, cross-domain cloud native endeavors, collaboratively pushing the boundaries of cloud-native networking.

“The CNCF invested heavily in building out the initial infrastructure for cloud native networking functions (CNFs) via the CNF Test Suite to get them ready for the mainstream,” said Chris Aniszczyk, CTO, CNCF. “We are thrilled to collaborate with the wider LFN community to both cultivate CNFs and continue to evolve cloud native projects for the telecommunications industry.”

“It’s great to see continued alignment across Linux Foundation communities addressing cloud native networking,” said Ranny Haiby, CTO, Networking, Edge and Access, the Linux Foundation. “Together, we can dive deeper into collaborative work that enhances deployments and scalability, focusing on certifications, testing, and best practices to start. We are eager to work more closely with the CNCF community towards common goals.” 

Community Input Requested

Anyone interested in being part of the planning and collaboration of the new Cloud Native Networking Program may attend (either in person or virtually) the Alignment Workshop on Tuesday, November 7. RSVP to reserve your spot https://forms.gle/HiakqsJRkmBD3dsBA. 

For more information, please visit the forthcoming “CNF Initiative” page at  www.lfnetworking.org.

ONE Summit 2024

ONE Summit is returning to a full-fledged in-peron event, happening  April 29 - May 1, 2024 in San Jose, California to focus on the best practices, technical challenges, and business opportunities facing network decision makers from Access to Edge to Cloud. Whether  deploying a 5G network, building government infrastructure, or using automation and networking to transform  business, this collaborative environment enables interaction with peers to learn about the open source networking technologies that will transform your business. Join the ONE Summit event for updates and to help shape the future of LFN’s Cloud Native Networking Certification Program. For details, registration, and speaking submissions, please visit: https://events.linuxfoundation.org/one-summit-north-america/.