What is NFV – Network Functions Virtualization – Definition?

Network functions virtualization (NFV) (also known as virtual network function (VNF)) offers a new way to
design, deploy and manage networking services. NFV decouples the network functions, such as network
address translation (NAT), firewalling, intrusion detection, domain name service (DNS), and caching, to
name a few, from proprietary hardware appliances so they can run in software.

It’s designed to consolidate and deliver the networking components needed to support a fully virtualized
infrastructure – including virtual servers, storage, and even other networks. It utilizes standard IT
virtualization technologies that run on high-volume service, switch and storage hardware to virtualize
network functions. It is applicable to any data plane processing or control plane function in both wired and
wireless network infrastructures.

How a Managed Router Service Can be Deployed with NFV

The Benefits of Network Functions Virtualization

NFV virtualizes network services via software to enable operators to:

 Reduce CapEx: reducing the need to purchase purpose-built hardware and supporting pay-as-you-
grow models to eliminate wasteful over-provisioning.
 Reduce OpEX: reducing space, power and cooling requirements of equipment and simplifying the
roll out and management of network services.
 Accelerate Time-to-Market: reducing the time to deploy new networking services to support
changing business requirements, seize new market opportunities and improve return on investment
of new services. Also lowers the risks associated with rolling out new services, allowing providers to
easily trial and evolve services to determine what best meets the needs of customers.
  Deliver Agility and Flexibility: quickly scale up or down services to address changing demands;
support innovation by enabling services to be delivered via software on any industry-standard server
hardware.

NFV Network Functions Virtualization basics

NFV, network functions virtualisation is a concept that virtualises major elements of a network. In this way, rather
than having a dedicated item of hardware to provide a given function, software running on a computer / server is
used.

In this way entire classes of network node functions can be set up as building blocks that can be connected to
create overall telecommunications networks.

NFV utilises traditional server virtualisation, but extends the concept significantly. In this way one or more virtual
machines running different software and providing different processes, on top of industry standard high volume
servers, are able to provide the functions of switches and storage, or even cloud computing infrastructure,
instead of having custom hardware appliances for each network function.

Examples of the virtualised functions that can be provided include: virtualized load balancers, firewalls, intrusion
detection devices, WAN accelerators, routers, access control and billing.

NFV framework
As with any system, a network using NFV techniques can be broken down into a number of elements. Those for
Network Functions Virtualization are:

 Virtualized network functions, VNF: The virtualised network functions comprise the software used to
create the various network functions in their virtualised format. These are then deployed onto the hardware,
i.e. the Network Function Virtualization Infrastructure.
 Network function virtualization infrastructure, NFVI: The NFVI consists of all the hardware and software
components which are contained within the environment in which VNFs are deployed.

One of the advantages of NFV is that the NFV-Infrastructure, NFVI can be located across several physical
locations, allowing operators to typically place their centres at the most convenient locations. The network
providing connectivity between these locations is part of the NFV-Infrastructure.
 Network functions virtualization management and orchestration architectural framework, NFV-MANO
Architectural Framework: NFV- MANO consists of the various functional blocks in whatever form that
enables the exchange information, manipulation and storage needed manage and run the NFVI and VNFs,
the network to operate correctly and provide significant improvements in efficiency and performance over
other forms of network.
The NFVI and the NFV-MANO areas of the network are built within the overall NFV platform. This platform
implements carrier-grade features used to manage and monitor the various components, recover from failures
and provide effective security. These functions are all needed to run a public carrier network.

Difference between NFV & SDN

Network functions virtualisation and software defined networking are very closely linked, but they are not the
same. Often the terms are incorrectly used synonymously.

The main points of each are summarised below so that both SDN and NFV can be evaluated with their
similarities and differences.

 Software Defined Networking, SDN: SDN deals with the replacement of standardised networking
protocols with centralised control. As a result, SDN promisss to reduce the complexity of distributed
networking control protocols with the simplicity of programming an overall controller. As such this significantly
improves the flexibility as only a single instance needs updating to reflect a change.
 Thus SDN separates the network control and forwarding planes and provides a central view for more efficient
implementation and running of the network services.
 Network Functions Virtualisation, NFV: NFV replaces the proprietary network elements of NEs with
software that runs on standard servers. In other words NFV focuses on optimising the network services
themselves.

This technique decouples the network functions from proprietary hardware, placing them on more generic
servers or computers so these functions can run in software to provide more flexibility for operation, changes
and updates.

Why We need NFV? Why We need NFV?

1. Virtualization: Use network resource without

worrying about where it is physically located,

how much it is, how it is organized, etc.

2. Orchestration: Manage thousands of devices

3. Programmable: Should be able to change behavior on the fly.

4. Dynamic Scaling: Should be able to change size, quantity

5. Automation

6. Visibility: Monitor resources, connectivity

7. Performance: Optimize network device utilization

8. Multi-tenancy

9. Service Integration

10. Openness: Full choice of Modular plug-ins

Note: These are exactly the same reasons why we need SDN.

NFV Concepts

 Network Function (NF): Functional building block with a well defined interfaces and well defined functional
behaviour.
 Virtualized Network Function (VNF): Software implementation of NF that can be deployed in a virtualized
 infrastructure
 VNF Set: Connectivity between VNFs is not specified, e.g., residential gateways
 VNF Forwarding Graph: Service chain when network connectivity order is important, e.g., firewall, NAT, load
 balancer
 NFV Infrastructure (NFVI): Hardware and software required to deploy, mange and execute VNFs including
computation, networking, and storage.

NFV Framework Requirements NFV Framework Requirements

1. General: Partial or full Virtualization, Predictable performance

2. Portability: Decoupled from underlying infrastructure

3. Performance: as described and facilities to monitor

4. Elasticity: Scalable to meet SLAs. Movable to other servers.

5. Resiliency: Be able to recreate after failure. Specified packet loss rate, calls drops, time to recover, etc.

6. Security: Role-based authorization, authentication

7. Service Continuity: Seamless or non-seamless continuity after failures or migration

8. Service Assurance: Time stamp and forward copies of packets for Fault detection

9. Energy Efficiency Requirements: Should be possible to put a subset of VNF in a power conserving sleep state

10. Transition: Coexistence with Legacy and Interoperability among multi-vendor implementations

11. Service Models: Operators may use NFV infrastructure operated by other operators