Telco Cloud Operators risk failure in Network Function Virtualization (NFV) unless they incorporate the capabilities of proven legacy networking platforms that go well beyond the limited centralized architecture of Data Center Cloud virtualization. Google and Amazon are insufficient models for network-wide virtualization.

Unless Telecommunications providers look beyond the hierarchical ‘terminal to host’ model of the Internet they will be taking huge risks in their NFV network implementations.

Roadmap to NFV demands both New Processes and New Products.

To manage the risky NFV evolution, operators should first leverage currently available high performance virtualized networking platforms as they hone their operations.

This report offers a checklist of requirements for operators to compare network platforms; and highlights five independent platforms that meet relevant criteria for scalable distributed network functionality. We summarize platforms from Hitachi-CTA, NetNumber, Openwave Mobility and Radisys that meet real network virtualization requirements today.

Executive Summary

1. Telco Cloud’ NFV should Virtualize Networking First

• Distributed Networking is Needed
• Internet is a Client Server Hierarchy
• Centralized Cloud model creates significant Risks for Service Provider Networking
• Transactions Processing with Asynchronous State Awareness

2. Data Center Virtualization is not sufficient for Network Virtualization

• Google Andromeda Architecture is designed for private Data Center challenges not public networking

3. Network Virtualization Platform Requirements

• Software Implications
• Applying Platform Criteria

4. Five Platforms Reviewed

• Hitachi CTA: MME/SGSN Virtual Network Function
• NetNumber: TITAN (CSRC) Centralized Signaling and Routing Control
• Openwave Mobility: Integra™ NFV Platform
• Radisys: FlowEngine^©
• Radisys: MediaEngine^©

5. How the Five Platforms meet the 16 Requirements

6. Platform Vendor Highlights

7. Conclusion

Appendix A. Distributed Networking need not need share the problems of Distributed Computing

Appendix B. References for further reading

• Logically Centralized State Aware Networking
• ’Distributed Clouds’ that are scalable, resilient and flexible
• Overview of SDN and Programmable Networking
• Distributed Computing.
• Telecommunication Control and Management policies for Flexibility and Dynamicity