Virtualization technology has become one of the hottest topics in the telecom space, with communication service providers looking to tap advances in network functions virtualization and software-defined networking to glean greater efficiency and profits from their networks.
Analysts are expecting billions of dollars to be invested by telecom firms in their move towards virtualization platforms. IHS recently predicted the global market for NFV hardware, software and services was set to surge from $2.3 billion this year to $11.6 billion in 2019, while carriers were on track to spend $5.7 billion on SDN hardware, software and services by 2019, an increase from $103 million spent last year.
But, how can carriers efficiently deploy and use virtualization platforms across their operations?
Vendors have been actively pressing their views on efficient deployment models for virtualization using NFV and SDN. Ixia recently released an e-book on the topic of “Demystifying NFV in Carrier Networks,” which provides in-depth insight into both the technologies behind virtualization and how carriers should approach their deployment plans.
Ixia claims “wide-ranging benefits include both technological and economic advantages,” such as:
–Accelerating the introduction of compelling new services.
–Increasing network and service agility.
–Simplifying network management and optimization.
–Improving the economics of service delivery with extensive capital expense and operating expense savings.
However, to earn those benefits, telecom operators must work through several steps that are new for many CSPs that are used to more hardware-specific deployment models. This change has been cited by as one of the main hurdles for telecom operators as they migrate to virtualized platforms.
AT&T, which is seen by many as one of the leading telecom operators moving towards virtualized platforms, has noted the telecom operator’s legacy mindset has had to change over the past few years.
“We have been a traditional carrier for quite some time and have had to change our mindset as we move to this software-centric architecture,” explained Andre Fuetsch, SVP of architecture and design at AT&T. “Typically when we have talked about our network and creating network solutions we have done this in a more vertical-stack model with partners in our supply chain. That is now changing where we are now driving more toward commodity-based hardware like the Web world and de-coupling the network functions from that hardware and putting in a more flexible environment. A lot of what we have been talking about in the industry and through various forums that we are part of and have a leadership position in is driving more of that software control into this more flexible and open environment.”
In providing guidance, Ixia notes operators must:
–Transform the unknown into the known by validating new architectural components; assessing the performance of traditional functions getting moved around; and cultivating new teams, vendor relationships and skill-sets.
–Adopt an infrastructure model developed for data centers versus carrier infrastructures and requirements.
–Invest in and fast-track [proof of concepts]while standards are still evolving.
–Leverage evolving best practices to validate decisions, weigh potential benefits against tradeoffs and measure success.
NEC also tackled the issue in a case study that looked at ways telecom operators can gain operational benefits from virtualization platforms.
“By applying network virtualization technology, operators can allocate resources more effectively in order to meet the demands of users and service providers and also boost the efficiency of their equipment,” NEC explained. “Optimizing and visualizing user traffic also makes network operations more stable by smoothing congestion and connectivity control. Furthermore, if you can visualize users’ quality of experience then you can also generate new sources of revenue by improving convenience for the user and monetizing traffic. … A broad-based introduction of SDN would facilitate the expansion of virtualization technology and the creation of value-added business.”