The Common NFVi Telco Taskforce (CNTT) recently dropped its second release, continuing its push to define and create virtual network function (VNF) reference architectures for NFV infrastructure (NFVi).

The Baldy release includes CNTT’s first whack at its container-based reference architecture, dubbed RA-2. This defines a Kubernetes-based architectures for use as part of the CNTT project. Once established, RA-2 will feed into the reference implementation (RI-2) work that will establish installation and lab requirements, a playbook, gap analysis, and development planning.

Baldy also includes CNTT’s final conformance requirements for its OpenStack-based virtual machine (VM) architecture, dubbed RA-1, and the start of its container-based conformance tests. These will allow OPNFV’s OVP project to begin testing against the CNTT requirements by the end of the summer.

CNTT’s initial release last year, dubbed Botrange, focused on its OpenStack (RA-1) work. It included a common reference model and the first reference architecture with details like the program’s guiding principles, expected requirements from operators, and outlines of the initial specifications.

The latest release attempts to bridge the maturity gap between the RA-1 work and the RA-2 work. This is becoming increasingly important for operators that are pushing to develop their NFVi strategies on a Kubernetes-focused container model rather than an VM-based OpenStack model.

AT&T earlier this year hosted a workshop with a handful of other operators that used the Botrange release as the basis for making the CNTT process work across each operator’s vendor ecosystem. Operators involved in that work with AT&T included Vodafone, Verizon, and Orange.

CNTT was launched last year as a partnership between the Linux Foundation Networking group (LFN) and industry trade association GSMA. The task force is hosted by GSMA, with LFN providing input and access to testing and verification processes.

It’s focused on developing 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).

The group gained further support earlier this year when the latest OPNFV release included updates targeted at deeper integration with CNTT. Heather Kirksey, VP of community and ecosystem development at the Linux Foundation, explained in a phone interview with SDxCentral that the move was based on feedback from operators wanting better alignment on their NFVi plans.

“OPNFV was trying to do a lot of what CNTT is doing now with some of the requirements and aligned platforms,” Kirksey said. “NFV was so new at that time that there wasn’t a common consensus on what the NFVi should look like. Now with the years of operational experience under our belt, that consensus is emerging and the operators have said that we need to get ourselves on the same page with our infrastructure so that we can leverage what the original promise of what NFV was.”

OPNFV has been working that angle through its OPNVF Verification Program (OVP). That program allows for the testing, iteration, and a collaboration framework for common NFVi. The OPNFV project also tapped into OVP work that verifies the labs, infrastructure, and virtual network functions (VNFs), and the CNTT. The group is working with service providers to define and create VNF reference architectures for NFVi.

“We’ve been approving NFVi’s for a while as part of OVP based on what we were able to come up with on a consensus on what we should be testing,” Kirksey said. “CNTT and the operators have come in and said that while that was a fine start that the bar needs to be higher. And so that’s what we are doing.”