Cloud Native Network Functions Conformance Launched by CNCF
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Nov. 19, 2020 -- KubeCon + CloudNativeCon NA Virtual The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), which builds sustainable ecosystems for cloud native software, today announced new initiatives and assets for defining best practices for the use of cloud native in telecommunications and Cloud Native Network Functions (CNFs). The community has launched a new working group (WG) focused on CNFs and CNF conformance and developed a new whitepaper on the use of cloud native technologies in telecommunications organizations.
According to a survey from LF Networking, 88% of respondents from telecom companies already use Kubernetes with more than 50% in production, either first production deployments or large scale production deployments. Half of respondents expect to use Kubernetes in large-scale production deployments by July 2021, and 75% overall expect to use it in production. Many of the world’s largest telecom organizations, including Comcast, Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia, T-Mobile, and Vodafone already use Kubernetes and other cloud native technologies.
“To truly reap the performance, resiliency, and cost benefits of cloud native and Kubernetes, telecommunications operators have turned toward CNFs,” said Bill Mulligan, Marketing Manager, at Cloud Native Computing Foundation. “CNF Conformance will help ensure that developers and operators can follow cloud native best practices when building or modernizing network functions, this will be critical for ensuring predictability and interoperability.”
The goal of the Cloud Native Network Functions Working Group (CNF WG) is to aid telecom vendors, communications service providers, and large scale enterprises running internal telecommunications infrastructure to better understand the advantages of cloud native and help build consensus around industry adoption of and best practices for cloud native technologies. The group is building a software conformance program that any application or network function implementation can use to demonstrate that they are conformant and interoperable with cloud native principles. Work on the mechanics of the conformance tests is done in the CNF Conformance Test Suite.
The whitepaper “Cloud Native Thinking for Telecommunications” covers the basics of using cloud native and compiles suggestions from end users on how cloud native design and principles can be applied to mission-critical telecommunications functions.
The CNCF Telecom User Group (TUG), is a user group for telecom operators, vendors, and developers to share ideas and ask questions about using cloud native technologies, with members including T-Mobile, Vodafone, Ericsson, Huawei, and more. The group wrote the whitepaper and works closely with the CNF WG to identify and maintain cloud native requirements for telecom applications and platforms, and to define CNFs and CNF compliance. Learn more and join the TUG.
About Cloud Native Computing Foundation
Cloud native computing empowers organizations to build and run scalable applications with an open source software stack in public, private, and hybrid clouds. The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) hosts critical components of the global technology infrastructure, including Kubernetes, Prometheus, and Envoy. CNCF brings together the industry’s top developers, end users, and vendors, and runs the largest open source developer conferences in the world. Supported by more than 500 members, including the world’s largest cloud computing and software companies, as well as over 200 innovative startups, CNCF is part of the nonprofit Linux Foundation. For more information, please visit www.cncf.io.
Source: The Linux Foundation
