The Linux Foundation’s LF Networking group and industry trade association GSMA unveiled the first data release for their Common NFVi Telco Taskforce (CNTT). This initial tranche includes a common reference model and the first reference architecture.

The release, dubbed Botrange, is available via the group’s GitHub repository. It also includes details like the program’s guiding principles, expected requirements from operators, and outlines of the initial specifications.

The Botrange release is based on OpenStack. Rabi Abdel, a lead NFV and SDN architect at Vodafone, in the group’s FAQ explained this was “based on the member community’s requirements and immediate needs.” He added that containers would be the next area of focus.

“We are closely engaged with [the Cloud Native Computing Foundation’s] Telco User Group to make sure we address the requirements and influence the development of the container technologies,” Abdel wrote. “In addition, we will also be looking at a transitional reference architecture for a hybrid model of [virtual machine] and containerization to allow a smooth migration from VM to full containerization within Telco’s environment without having to go through a painful flash cutover.”

The group is also targeting Kubernetes-based cloud-native stacks; container-based network functions’ validation requirements; compliance and verification testing; and providing a lifecycle approach for NFVi.

Once the reference models and architectures are implemented and tested to the OPNFV specifications, the group expects commercial products that adhere to those specs will undergo more in-depth virtual network function (VNF) and NFVi compliance testing. This will target establishing a baseline for conformance and interoperability. The initial NFVi certification using a common NFVi architecture is expected to be available in April.

The LFN initially referenced the CNTT work at the Open Networking Summit event this past April. An official unveiling was made in June. The specifications are hosted by GSMA, with the Linux Foundation’s OPNFV group tasked with code creation and hosting of that code.

The group is working with service providers to define and create VNF reference architectures for NFVi. This will include a global reference model, architecture, and VNF certification lifecycle. That common reference architecture will be submitted to LFN for testing and verification through its OPNFV Verification Program (OVP).

Arpit Joshipura, general manager for networking, automation, edge and IoT at the Linux Foundation, told SDxCentral earlier this year that LFN will bring the software, automation, tools, and infrastructure testing through its OVP Program “that will actually set up the framework to implement the common NFVi.” Its members will also offer up the necessary upstream and downstream code that includes virtual infrastructure managers (VIMs), Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP), and VNFs “to create a complete end-to-end automated test system.”

The CNTT group claims their partnership is “an enhance to OVP” and will reduce the time and costs associated with operationalizing VNFs, provide for the ability to anticipate VNF technical requirements, and bring telecom operators into the innovation loop. It's also management and orchestration (MANO) agnostic, which means it can work with ONAP, ETSI's Open Source MANO (OSM), or any other MANO platform. That OSM integration is critical as ETSI has its own angle targeting NFVi MANO deployments.

Joshipura noted that a common NFVi architecture has existed for a few years but the implementation was unique across vendors, carriers, and the ecosystem. Some have noted the fragmentation was caused by vendors having to choose between using OpenStack or VMware as the basis for their efforts. That decision has now grown to include work around the Kubernetes container orchestration ecosystem.

IDC estimated that NFVi-related revenues were just $564 million in 2017. But as service providers ramp up their network transformation, revenues are expected to achieve a 58.1% compound annual growth rate through 2022, reaching $5.6 billion in revenues by that year.