Overture unveiled its Ensemble Open Service Architecture aimed at transforming the metro edge with software-defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization technology.
Overture, which supplies Carrier Ethernet solutions for the metro edge, said its goal is to transform static infrastructure into dynamic, virtualized, and automated environments for service creation and delivery. This would let Service Providers offers virtualized network capabilities and application-aware cloud offerings to their enterprise customers. In addition, by simplifying and automating essential tasks in service creation, activation, and assurance, Overture aims to significantly reduce the ongoing operational expenses of the network.
“Service providers do not have a demand problem – they have a revenue and cost problem. They are working to transform their bandwidth business into one focused on the customer application experience while dramatically driving down the cost of managing their infrastructure. With Ensemble OSA, we are helping service providers achieve both objectives by bringing the proven benefits of the cloud to the metro edge,” said Mike Aquino, president and CEO, Overture.
Overture’s Ensemble OSA will leverage open API standards, including OpenFlow. It is comprised of three layers, each of which may include Overture developed components and those developed by service providers or third party vendors:
- Resources – Elements that provide connect, compute, and storage functionality. They may consist of physical devices such as switches, servers and storage arrays, and/or software functions running on virtual machines.
- Orchestration and Control – Software building block functions for data plane control, resource abstraction, and network management that provide the glue connecting the resources to the applications.
- Network Applications – Software packages that leverage one or more of the Orchestration and Control building blocks and tie into a service provider’s back office systems and that of their business partners to create a service or network function.
Overture is currently building out ecosystem partnerships, and integrating the APIs into the initial set of Ensemble-powered Overture equipment. The company expects Ensemble OSA products, integrated with third-party applications and devices, to be available to the general market in 2014.
