Lesson plan
Cloud-native network function
A cloud-native network function (CNF) is a software-implementation of a function, or application, traditionally performed on a physical device, but which runs inside Linux containers (typically orchestrated by Kubernetes). The features that differ CNFs from VNFs (virtualized network functions), one of the components of network function virtualization, is the approach in their orchestration. In ETSI NFV standards, the cloud-native network functions are a particular type of virtualized network functions and are orchestrated as VNFs, i.e. using the ETSI NFV MANO architecture and technology-agnostic descriptors (e.g. TOSCA, YANG). In that case, the upper layers of the ETSI NFV MANO architecture (i.e. the NFVO and VNFM) cooperate with a container infrastructure service management (CISM) function that is typically implemented using cloud-native orchestration solutions (e.g. Kubernetes). The characteristics of cloud-native network functions are: * containerized microservices that communicate with each-other via standardized RESTful APIs * small performance footprint, with the ability to scale horizontally * independence of guest operating system, since CNFs operate as containers * lifecycle manageable by Kubernetes, using container images registries such as OCI Docker, and OS container runtime.
Article summary
A cloud-native network function (CNF) is a software-implementation of a function, or application, traditionally performed on a physical device, but which runs inside Linux containers (typically orchestrated by Kubernetes). The features that differ CNFs from VNFs (virtualized network functions), one of the components of network function virtualization, is the approach in their orchestration. In ETSI NFV standards, the cloud-native network functions are a particular type of virtualized network functions and are orchestrated as VNFs, i.e. using the ETSI NFV MANO architecture and technology-agnostic descriptors (e.g. TOSCA, YANG). In that case, the upper layers of the ETSI NFV MANO architecture (i.e. the NFVO and VNFM) cooperate with a container infrastructure service management (CISM) function that is typically implemented using cloud-native orchestration solutions (e.g. Kubernetes). The characteristics of cloud-native network functions are: * containerized microservices that communicate with each-other via standardized RESTful APIs * small performance footprint, with the ability to scale horizontally * independence of guest operating system, since CNFs operate as containers * lifecycle manageable by Kubernetes, using container images registries such as OCI Docker, and OS container runtime.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.