As network functions virtualization (NFV) has gained credence over the past few years, network operators are embracing the idea of separating application logic from the underlying proprietary hardware platforms used to run telecom applications in favor of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware deployed as a cloud infrastructure, on which these functions can run as virtual machines or containers.
The flexibility and cost savings from this approach are significant. The next generation services that will be delivered require data (and infrastructure) to reside at the edge of the network, as opposed to being delivered from a centralized cloud. Consequently, the ability to deliver cloud infrastructure on top of COTS hardware in smaller edge environments is key to achieving these benefits.
The industry has directed much of its attention on OpenStack and its offshoots, Akraino and StarlingX, to try and address these edge use cases. The challenge is that OpenStack was designed for building massive hyperscale clouds, and the problem is that they are now trying to fit it into a use case for which it was not designed.
OpenStack’s architecture, management/deployment complexity, and large footprint are all non-issues when talking about a large, centralized, cloud infrastructure. However, they become problematic when talking about multitudes of highly distributed nodes, some of which need to reside inside a small street cabinet or on a desk at a customer’s premises – places where a minimum 6 node cluster of rackmount servers with 64GB of RAM are simply not feasible.
NodeWeaver was designed to deliver cloud functionality at the edge:
- Software only and runs on virtually any x86-based hardware
- Lightweight codebase enables it to run even on SoCs like Intel Atom and AMD Epyc and Ryzens
- Full reliability on as few as 2 nodes
- Autonomic management features reduce manual intervention
- Create clusters with heterogeneous hardware
Partner Spotlight:
The Open Networking Foundation (ONF) is a non-profit operator led consortium driving transformation of network infrastructure and carrier business models.
CORD™ (Central Office Re-architected as a Datacenter) is a project intent on transforming the edge of the operator network into an agile service delivery platform enabling the operator to deliver the best end-user experience along with innovative next-generation services.
CORD provides a complete integrated platform, integrating everything needed to create a complete operational edge datacenter with built-in service capabilities, all built on commodity hardware using the latest in cloud-native design principles. Integrating multiple open source projects, CORD delivers a cloud-native, open, programmable, agile platform for network operators to create innovative services.
NodeWeaver is proud to be working with the ONF to deliver an edge cloud platform alternative to OpenStack for CORD.