NTT SmartConnect has selected PLUMgrid as the virtual networking platform for its OpenStack cloud, which provides streaming video in Japan.

The NTT SmartConnect division of NTT Group streams live shows simultaneously to many end users on a variety of devices. Content is customized to user profiles.

NTT wanted to use software defined networking (SDN) to scale its network infrastructure. It needed a robust control plane coupled with a fully distributed programmable data plane, and it needed independent subscriber policy enforcement and near zero latency.

NTT chose PLUMgrid’s Open Networking Suite (ONS), which provides microsegmentation — a term VMware sometimes uses when referring to its NSX virtualization platform. ONS uses private virtual domains that are set up on-demand with virtual network functions (VNFs), policies, and security groups.

Since forwarding decisions are distributed and made at each individual server, every new server added to the cloud results in an increase in throughput for NTT. This distributed network architecture has allowed NTT to scale its OpenStack cloud to thousands of workloads across multiple racks and at different locations.

The distributed set of VNFs provide low latency and also enable quick service provisioning.

In June, the company hired a new CEO, Larry Lang, to help win more business for its OpenStack virtual networking software suite. And in September, PLUMgrid announced the version 4.0 update to its ONS.

In other PLUMgrid news Wednesday, the company announced availability of its CloudApex network visualization platform that displays the real-time status of resources in OpenStack clouds. CloudApex works in conjunction with ONS and monitors selective third party virtual and physical assets across OpenStack, hypervisors, and servers.