VMware Offers Communications Service Providers the Fastest Path to OpenStack for Network Functions Virtualization

VMware vCloud NFV-OpenStack Edition Transforms CSPs' Networks by Combining Carrier-Grade NFV Infrastructure with OpenStack and Container Support

VMware Integrated OpenStack-Carrier Edition Delivers New Telco Functionality Enabling Enhanced VNF Performance, Dynamic Scaling, Multi-Tenancy, and Cloud Resource Reservation


BARCELONA, SPAIN and SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - September 12, 2017) - Today at VMworld® 2017 Europe, VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW) announced VMware vCloud® NFV™-OpenStack, delivering the fastest path to deploying production NFV services on OpenStack. The new vCloud NFV-OpenStack platform includes VMware Integrated OpenStack-Carrier Edition, VMware's new OpenStack Ocata-based distribution that is fully integrated, tested, and certified with VMware's NFV infrastructure platform. Using VMware Integrated OpenStack as an NFV Virtualized Infrastructure Manager (VIM), network architects can easily deploy, upgrade, and operate an OpenStack cloud on top of VMware's carrier-grade NFVI platform.

Additionally, VMware announced Vodafone Group Plc has selected VMware to support the operator's global roll out of NFV (link to news release), and Dell EMC and VMware introduced a new pre-integrated and pre-validated NFV Solution that is OpenStack Ready (link to news release).

Facing unprecedented traffic growth along with rapidly evolving customer expectations, communications service providers (CSPs) are accelerating adoption of Network Functions Virtualization (NFV). Industry momentum for OpenStack in NFV deployments has continued gaining traction, with telcos seeing the potential for benefits that include use of open architectures, improved flexibility and pace of innovation for cloud-based networks, access to a global community of OpenStack developers and standardized northbound interfaces (NFV Orchestration, VNF-Manager). With the vCloud NFV-OpenStack Edition, VMware supports an open architecture for seamless integration and interoperability.

"The release of vCloud NFV-OpenStack Edition and announcement of VMware Integrated OpenStack-Carrier Edition is a major step forward in our NFV strategy, given the feedback we received from our customers," said Gabriele Di Piazza, vice president of solutions, Telco NFV Group, VMware. "We are able to offer the fastest path to production OpenStack by providing what nobody else has in the market: the most reliable and rich NFV infrastructure based on VMware's industry-leading virtualization software combined with the openness of standard OpenStack to be optimized with carrier extensions."

OpenStack That's Purpose-Built and Tuned for Carrier Requirements
VMware Integrated OpenStack-Carrier Edition has been developed specifically to address the requirements of CSPs deploying NFV-based network services on OpenStack. VMware vCloud NFV-OpenStack brings native support for container-based Virtualized Network Functions (VNF) through integrated container management, enabling VM and container-based VNFs to run on a single VIM. The solution leverages Ocata's specific functionality to give CSPs tools to deploy NFV networks including:

  • Multi-Tenancy and VNF Resource Reservation: provides resource-level tenant isolation and guaranteed resource availability for each tenant, enabling CSPs to deliver on infrastructure SLAs while securing tenants within the network and improved capacity planning.
  • Dynamic and Elastic Scaling of Network Resources: allows CSPs to create elastic service constructs that can scale network functions up or down, in and out based on usage patterns in order to respond to real-time network traffic conditions. This enables optimal resource management and lowering of capital and operational costs.
  • Enhanced Networking Support and Platform Awareness (EPA): delivers carrier-grade, low latency data-plane performance, enabling CSPs to maintain network performance to deliver a high subscriber Quality of Experience while optimizing resource utilization through supported methodologies such as CPU Pinning, fine-grained NUMA placement settings, support for multiple NIC types and Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV).

VMware vCloud NFV OpenStack Accelerates and Simplifies Path to Production NFV
Leveraging VMware's rich feature set for NFVI and VMware Integrated OpenStack-Carrier Edition, VMware vCloud NFV-OpenStack offers CSPs:

  • Simplified OpenStack Installation and Deployment: VMware Integrated OpenStack-CE allows templated install and deployment of a complete OpenStack Infrastructure within the VMware vSphere® Web Client, leveraging advanced management capabilities through vCenter.
  • Seamless OpenStack Upgrade Experience: Control Plane and Data Plane separation allows for zero network services downtime and service continuity during the OpenStack upgrade process. CSPs can keep up with the pace of innovation through fast upgrades and patching.
  • Integrated Operations Management: through unique NFVI operational automation and Ceilometer integration, along with proactive and predictive analytics, issue isolation, root cause analysis and fast remediation capabilities. VMware vRealize Operations Manager™, Log Insight™, Network Insight™ integrated within vCloud NFV-OpenStack, provide operations monitoring, analytics, and a remediation platform via a single pane of glass that reduces operational costs through fast Mean-Time-To-Understand and Repair (MTTU/MTTR).

About VMware vCloud NFV and the VMware Ready Program
With more than 90 NFV deployments by more than 50 CSPs worldwide, VMware vCloud NFV accelerates service innovation and delivery, reduces costs, and simplifies network operations. The vCloud NFV platform enables organizations to deploy a multi-vendor and multi-function NFV platform today that delivers service automation, secure multi-tenancy, operations management, and carrier grade reliability with 5G readiness. 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. To date, more than 20 VNF partners have been certified on previous versions of VMware Integrated OpenStack, and have committed to certification on VMware Integrated OpenStack-Carrier Edition upon GA of the software.

Industry Commentary

"VMware is making a bold play for the OpenStack market with a new implementation that combines a big tent standard Ocata distro with superior usability and additional carrier-grade extensions," said Caroline Chappell, Principal Analyst, Analysys Mason. "Carriers that have struggled to make open source work reliably in the NFV environment will want to consider this product carefully, as it marries a slew of VMware-engineered capabilities that are critical to NFV operations with the advantages of OpenStack."

"Through its UNICA program, Telefόnica recognizes the potential of changing the network through an open architecture based on OpenStack, Open Source MANO, and industry-standard hardware. This will radically transform the economics, operations, and revenue-generating potential of the network," said Javier Gavilán, Director, Planning and Technology, Telefόnica. "VMware's collaboration with us in OSM, development of a carrier-optimized version of the VMware Integrated OpenStack distribution, and launch of the new Cloud NFV-OpenStack platform, show strong alignment with the direction we are going at Telefόnica."

"JOIN Experience is one of the most modern, progressive and unique communication service providers in Europe, providing fixed, mobile, cloud and energy services," said Ulf Theobald, Deputy CTO, JOIN Experience. "Rolling out VMware Integrated OpenStack as the management and operations Virtual Infrastructure Manager was automated and standardized, which helps us reduce time-to-market for new services. Best of all, combining VMware's standard OpenStack distribution with proven Cloud Infrastructure components like vSphere, NSX and VSAN makes it possible to leverage our operational knowledge to ensure the excellence of our customer facing services from day one."

"VMware is at the forefront of the NFV industry in driving interoperability testing and certification, including our extensive portfolio of leading cloud native VNFs for fixed and mobile operators," said Brandon Harper, SVP of BD and Channels at Metaswitch. "We are seeing significant interest from customers in OpenStack, and by extending the VMware Ready for NFV program to include the new VMware Integrated OpenStack-Carrier Edition offering, VMware is once again taking a leadership position in helping Metaswitch customers adopt NFV with confidence."

"Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) and OpenStack are critical open source projects that will shape the future of carrier networks," said Yachen Wang, President, The Open Network Automation Platform Project. "VMware continues to demonstrate an eagerness to work with customers and the industry to be a strong open source community member and innovative technology provider."

Availability
VMware vCloud NFV-Carrier Edition will be generally available in Q3 FY 2018 (ending November 3, 2017).

Additional Resources

About VMware Solutions for Communications Service Providers
VMware is a proven, strategic software and services partner to global communications service providers that fuels their digital transformations and enables CSPs to manage, transform, and grow their businesses. CSPs leverage VMware to converge network, cloud, and IT architectures into a single platform with a common operating environment for network services and applications. Through innovative Network Functions Virtualization, Mobility and IoT platforms, VMware enables service providers to deliver agile, end-to-end services flexibly and securely to create new revenue streams and open new industry opportunities, drive down costs, and improve overall customer satisfaction.

About VMware
VMware, a global leader in cloud infrastructure and business mobility, helps customers realize possibilities by accelerating their digital transformation journeys. With VMware solutions, organizations are improving business agility by modernizing data centers and integrating public clouds, driving innovation with modern apps, creating exceptional experiences by empowering the digital workspace, and safeguarding customer trust by transforming security. With 2016 revenue of $7.09 billion, VMware is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA and has over 500,000 customers and 75,000 partners worldwide.

VMware, vCloud, vCloud NFV, vSphere, VMware Ready, vRealize, vRealize Operations Manager, Log Insight, and Network Insight are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions.

Contact Information:

VMworld 2017 Europe Media Contacts:
Roger T. Fortier
VMware Global Communications
Office: +1-650-427-2410
rfortier@vmware.com

Mathias Raeck
VMware EMEA Communications
+49 89 3706 17322
mraeck@vmware.com