What’s the Right Deployment Architecture for NFV?
Most of the focus in cloud computing technology over the last 10 years has been on deploying massive, centralized data centers with thousands to hundreds of thousands of servers. The data centers are typically replicated with a few instances on a continent-wide scale in semi-autonomous zones. This architecture has proven quite successful in economically scaling cloud service for Web applications. But it is as yet unclear if a centralized deployment architecture is the right one for NFV applications. There is another architecture for cloud deployment, however, in which cloud service is provided by a decentralized network of medium to small sized data centers distributed around a coverage area, located closer to metropolitan areas in order to reduce end to end latency for users. Read more …
The Role of NFV and SDN in 5G Network Transformation
The transition from 4G to 5G for wireless is about more than simply increasing performance and bandwidth over the radio link, although improvements in these areas will be an important driver. The industry vision for 5G includes improvements in deployment models within the backhaul and core network to make network management more flexible, enable new business models and efficiently support massive scale for connection of end devices (e.g. IoT) as well as secure, high reliability applications such as connected vehicles and healthcare. Hence NFV and SDN are key enabling technologies in the 5G network transition. In this panel session, panelists will present their views and engage in a discussion about the role NFV and SDN play in the 5G network transformation. Read more …