With NFV, the virtualization layer operating system coordinates  the compute, store, and connect resources that are shared among the Virtual  Network Functions (VNFs) that execute on the same physical host server. The Management  and Orchestration (MANO) component orchestrates and administers the VNFs  throughout their lifecycles. Most importantly in this age of ever-increasing  demand for network bandwidth and services, virtual functions can be deployed when  and where needed.

Why are operators and enterprises turning to Liquid Spectrum NFV?

The promise of NFV lies in its ability to simplify the  architecture of physical networks. At the same time, NFV improves your ability  to scale and adapt to technological change because there is no lock-in to  proprietary hardware. You can leverage the efficiencies of scale of commodity  servers and the flexibility of software with open interfaces.

For a telecom service provider, it’s about costs and service  innovation. A provider can offer a range of virtual managed services—including  routing, in-motion data encryption, and security—with higher margins than traditional  network services. Because there is no need to worry about high-cost proprietary  hardware, it becomes simpler to update software as functionality evolves or  standards change—functionality that is especially useful with encryption and  security.

The separation of network functions from  dedicated hardware devices results in the consolidation of multiple functions onto  physical servers, with well-defined open interfaces to MANO systems. This greatly  reduces the need for maintenance, truck rolls, and manual tasks. Instead of  rolling a truck or tediously correlating manual actions between disparate  vendor systems, your network admins can monitor the network and handle  orchestration and administration functions through a ‘single-pane-of-glass’  user interface. You can also easily select and deploy additional virtual functions  depending on the current needs of your network. And if conditions shift shortly  after you make a change, you can adjust once again without needing a  maintenance tech on-site.

If new network functions need to be created  or old functions are no longer required, it’s easy to spin up a new virtual  machine to handle the new function or spin down one that’s no longer needed.

This is a major shift from the typical way  hardware appliances have been deployed across the network to enable managed  network services, such as encryption. Now, you can deploy virtualized software functions  on any standardized server that is already in the network, provided the  underlying hardware has the capacity to support the additional workload.

Why Ciena?

A network operator contemplating a migration to NFV can turn to  Ciena for integrated end-to-end management, virtualization, and  service-oriented network operations. Ciena is committed to helping network  operators realize the vision of a single, open, highly available, agile network.  Ciena’s Blue Planet products and services facilitate end-to-end visibility and  management across physical and virtual components.

With many successful engagements across regional, national, and  global customers, Ciena has clearly demonstrated how SDN and NFV can work for  your business. And industry leaders such as CenturyLink, Windstream, Orange,  and Colt are proof that Ciena’s Blue Planet is orchestrating and controlling  mission-critical services and applications.

Ciena’s Blue Planet is committed to open industry standards that  break down vendor silos and enable software-defined, multi-vendor networks.  Blue Planet’s unique technologies help you pull SDN, NFV, cloud, and legacy  domains into a single unified service orchestration environment that reduces  vendor lock-in and simplifies end-to-end service creation, automation, and  orchestration.

Customers who turn to Ciena  see Blue Planet’s innovation as just the beginning. Big things are on the  horizon.