F5 introduces VNF Manager

F5 Networks introduced a VNF Manager as part of a prepacked software-defined networking solution based on its BIG-IP capabilities.

The company said its goal is to make VNFs simple to purchase, deploy, manage, and upgrade in a “pay as you grow” model with subscription and perpetual licensing options. To help maximize utilization, resources can be automated and tailored for current initiatives, empowering customers to create, spin up, spin down, and add capacity to F5 VNF services immediately and automatically—all through the integrated F5 VNF Manager.

“Service provider organizations have plenty of options when it comes to virtualizing elements of their network, but what they haven’t had previously is a package that delivers consumption-based pricing that can be tied directly to business outcomes,” said James Feger, VP and General Manager of F5’s Service Provider business. “Beyond just VNFs and basic service management, F5’s new offering provides a preconfigured solution that gives customers push-button ease-of-use for capacity thresholds, along with service programmability and orchestration capabilities for specialized requirements.”

Some highlights:

• Service providers can introduce differentiated services with flexible VNF service layering and programmable service chaining to expand network capabilities without sacrificing control. Preconfigured solutions support auto-scaling.
• Network planning, sizing, and deployments can be accelerated with F5’s capacity-based consumption models and automation features, maximizing operational flexibility around elements such as the mobile core and virtual edge. In addition, the solution enables portable VNFs that can be easily moved as needed throughout the network.
• F5’s automated, capacity-based NFV capabilities reduce the risk (and expense) of both underutilization and overprovisioning.