VMware launches vCloud NFV 2.0

VMware has introduced vCloud NFV 2.0, designed to modernize and transform network architectures and operations for global communications service providers (CSPs). The vCloud NFV platform can improve economics through accelerated service delivery, operational excellence and lower infrastructure costs. With vCloud NFV 2.0, CSPs will be able to deliver new and differentiated services on an agile, open and secure software-defined architecture today as they evolve their networks to support 5G and the Internet of Things.

VMware vCloud NFV is an ETSI-compliant fully integrated, modular and multi-tenancy NFV platform. The vCloud NFV platform combines a highly available, carrier-grade network functions virtualization infrastructure (NFVI) with Day 2 operations management and service assurance capabilities to drive successful NFV deployments and operations. With vCloud NFV, VMware is delivering openness and choice across the NFV technology stack – NFV infrastructure (NFVI), Virtual Infrastructure Managers (VIM), Virtual Network Functions (VNF) and NFV Orchestration (NFVO) – and continues to advance vCloud NFV interoperability across mobile, wireline, Internet of Things, Software-Defined WAN, and security use-cases.

As virtualization is a prerequisite to 5G network buildout, VMware vCloud NFV delivers a platform for new service development today, with an architecture that will support CSP implementation of 5G implementation in the future.

“In today’s highly competitive environment, CSPs must deliver innovative services faster, with the best end-to-end customer experience and at the lowest cost. Current network architectures, including some virtualized deployments, remain rigid and expensive to build and manage. With more than 80 NFV deployments by more than 45 CSPs serving 300 million subscribers worldwide, VMware vCloud NFV enables the transformation of network architectures, services delivery, operations and economics through a more dynamic, agile network built on software,” said Gabriele Di Piazza, Vice-President of Solutions, Telco NFV Group, VMware.

VMware vCloud will take advantage of new innovations across VMware’s entire virtualized compute, networking, storage and management portfolio. These will include the newest versions of VMware vSphere with Operations Management, VMware NSX for vSphere, VMware VSAN, VMware vCloud Director for Service Provider, VMware Integrated OpenStack, VMware vRealize Network Insight, VMware vRealize Log Insight, VMware vRealize Operations Advanced, and VMware Site Recovery Manager. VMware vCloud NFV 2.0 will advance three critical areas for CSPs: Service Automation, Secure Multi-Tenancy, and Operations Management while dramatically improving Carrier-Grade Availability.

** Service Automation: vCloud NFV accelerates service creation, onboarding and deployment, and enables policy-based resource and workload allocation across the NFVI. The newest release includes the ability to embed advanced service-centric policies and resource requirements during VNF packaging and automated importing of existing VNF workloads into VMware Integrated OpenStack. The platform will also provide automated recommendations to simplify micro-segmentation deployment through VMware vRealize Network Insight; and enhanced REST API’s to automate management of the NFV infrastructure deployment lifecycle.

** Secure Multi-Tenancy: vCloud NFV helps CSPs achieve complete service isolation in a secure multi-tenant environment across NFVI functions. Now with native integration between vCloud Director and VMware NSX network virtualization, service providers will be able to use micro-segmentation to deploy a programmable network with fine-grained security and role-based, delegated access control for both providers and tenants. As a result, multi-VNFs with multi-services will be able to seamlessly share the same infrastructure, yet have complete isolation from each other.

** Operations Management: VMware vCloud NFV delivers NFVI operational automation with 360-degree visibility along with proactive and predictive analytics to deliver performance feedback and fast remediation capabilities. With the newest release, CSPs will be able to get full visibility of all components within a deployed service across overlay, underlay, virtual and physical environments through vRealize Network Insight. The vCloud NFV platform provides continuous, near real-time data on the health, performance, capacity of network resources, along with prioritized alert notifications for closed-loop integration into resource and service orchestration workflows. Open APIs provide northbound integration with leading service assurance solutions.

** Carrier-Grade Availability: VMware vCloud NFV is a highly available platform providing service continuity in production networks at scale. With simplified infrastructure lifecycle management, service providers will be able to seamlessly upgrade and apply patches with minimal impact to operations and network stability. Advanced high availability (HA) features will enable intelligent and proactive HA based on VNF requirements and platform capabilities. Predictive and network-aware distributed resource scheduler (DRS) will enable proactive and predictive VNF resource monitoring and closed-loop remediation.

Performance enhancements will include accelerated packet performance, and improved security hardening will be delivered through VM level encryption and secure boot.

The VMware Ready for NFV certification provides CSPs with the confidence that VMware partner VNF solutions will seamlessly and effectively deploy, run, and interoperate with VMware vCloud NFV. VMware has now certified 30 Virtual Network Functions from 23 vendors worldwide. VMware’s broad ecosystem of certified VNF partners creates a true marketplace that helps customers remove barriers to successful NFV implementation. The complete list of VMware Ready for NFV-certified solutions is available on the VMware Solution Exchange (VSX).

The VMware vCloud NFV 2.0 bundle will be generally available in Q1 FY2018 (February 4, 2017 – May 5, 2017), and will include the following software: VMware vSphere with Operations Management 6.5, VMware Integrated OpenStack 3.1, VMware vCloud Director for Service Provider 8.20, VMware vRealize Log Insight 4.0, VMware vRealize Operations Advanced and VMware vSAN Standard 6.5. VMware NSX for vSphere 6.3, VMware vCenter 6.5, vRealize Network Insight 3.3 and VMware Site Recovery Manager 6.5 are sold separately.