NFV Architecture Supports 6G Telco Cloud Networks
With the intention of aiding the migration of telecom and the cloud toward more optimal architectures, ETSI recently published “NFV evolution: Towards the Telco Cloud white paper. It also released a Group Report that presents a next-generation network functions virtualization (NFV) architecture that migrates existing management and orchestration (MANO) architectures to address the concept of Telco Cloud.
The documents developed by members of the ETSI NFV ISG (Industry Specification Group) address the necessity for NFV to support new use cases and advances in electronics technology expected in next-gen networks such as 6G.
The documents underscore key drivers for evolving an NVF architecture, such as simplification, cloud-nativeness, software portability, advanced automation, design flexibility, device modularity, and system scalability. The ETSI white paper explores use cases and developments that can foment the evolution of NFV, such as connectivity, networks and societal automation, additional services, system-level automated management, and migration scenarios.
An important aspect of the advanced architecture is a platform-oriented Telco Cloud framework to simplify infrastructure integration and MANO in the creation and development of next-generation telecom networks. The framework aids in the integration of telecom networks and cloud technologies for a variety of services.
Embracing cloud-oriented concepts, optimizing automation, and employing advanced solutions such as AI and digital twins, NFV and the platform-oriented Telco Cloud can meet the demands of next-gen networks such as 6G and virtualized RAN.
The white paper and report also explore some of the enablers driving NFV evolution They include declarative management APIs, GitOps methodologies, resource and service controller-based platforms, "data as code" approaches, versatile data models, as well as the combination of big data, digital twins, and AI.
Other aspects in the mix are network observability to optimize operations, with AI-enabled threat detection tools for enhanced protection against developing cryptography and cybersecurity threats.
