LF Networking (LFN) has merged CNTT (The Cloud iNfrastructure Telco Taskforce, which provided reference models and architectures for both virtual machine and containerized network functions) and OPNFV (the Open Platform for NFV, which reduced time to integrate and deploy NFV infrastructure and onboard VNF/CNFs), into a new open source project called Anuket.
Anuket’s mission is to deliver tools and artifacts to “empower the global communications community to deliver compliant network services faster, more reliably and securely, and accelerate the transformation to cloud native infrastructures.” The project delivers standardized reference infrastructure specifications and conformance frameworks for virtualized and cloud native network functions, enabling faster and more robust onboarding into production, reducing costs, and accelerating telecom digital transformation.
OPNFV’s final stand-alone release, Jerma, delivered in December, delivered CNTT-ready capabilities, including an initial cloud native Reference Implementation and integration of cloud native testing aligned with CNTT’s R2 work. Elbrus, CNTT’s final release, planned by early February, initiates a number of new work areas, including infrastructure automation and observability, hardware management, and hardware abstraction and network fabric programmability.
LFN said the new group will continue OPNFV’s legacy of operating upstream with collaboration across other open source projects (such as LF Networking, LF Edge, CNCF, LF AI, ODIM and other industry organizations and standards bodies). Anuket will also preserve CNTT’s close working relationship with GSMA, who will continue to publish the project’s Reference Model work.
“It’s incredible to see the evolution of what began as the Open Platform for Network Functions Virtualization over six years ago,” said Heather Kirksey, vice president of Community and Ecosystem Development at the Linux Foundation. “With Anuket, we are making it easier and more efficient for CSPs to transform their networks and save money, with one, end-to-end platform.”
“The Anuket project is unique in covering Operator requirements collection and normalisation, subsequent open-source software development, through to Industry certification programs of ecosystem implementations, all under a single initiative,” said Walter Kozlowski, Anuket Technical Steering Committee co-chair and Principal, Cloud Infrastructure Architecture, at Telstra. “I am proud to serve in the role of a co-chair of its Technical Steering Committee, and I am excited by the unique opportunity this project creates for my company and for the whole industry, in the area of network transformation and related telco open infrastructure.”
“I’m very excited about the merging of CNTT and OPNFV into a single entity,” said Andre Fuetsch, CTO, Network Services, AT&T. “This move will empower the global communications community by bringing together reference cloud infrastructure models and architectures with conformance programs and tools to deliver network services faster, more reliably, and securely. The collaborative spirit of this open source development effort will help grow the communications industry to new levels of service for all stakeholders. Empowering the global society to benefit. We at AT&T are proud to be part of this initiative and look forward to supporting Anuket in the coming years.”
- Anuket is the Egyptian Goddess of the Nile
