ONAP
Generated by GPT-5-miniExpansion Funnel Raw 89 → Dedup 8 → NER 8 → Enqueued 4
| ONAP | |
|---|---|
| Name | ONAP |
| Developer | Linux Foundation |
| Released | 2017 |
| Programming language | Java, Python, Javascript |
| License | Apache License 2.0 |
ONAP Open-source network automation project hosted by the Linux Foundation that provides a platform for orchestration, control, and automation of network services. It integrates policy-driven design with runtime control to enable service providers and enterprises to design, deploy, and manage virtualized and cloud-native network functions. The platform assembles capabilities drawn from orchestration, assurance, analytics, and cataloging to support large-scale deployments across multiple vendors and environments.
Overview
ONAP unifies concepts from ETSI standards, 3GPP architectures, and cloud-native practices influenced by Cloud Native Computing Foundation, OpenStack, and Kubernetes. It targets operations found in organizations such as AT&T, Verizon, China Mobile, NTT DATA, and Vodafone, aiming to reduce manual intervention used historically by operators like CenturyLink and Deutsche Telekom. The platform coordinates lifecycle management patterns similar to those described by TM Forum, IETF working groups, and initiatives like GSMA machine-to-machine frameworks. Commercial vendors including Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei, Cisco Systems, and Juniper Networks have contributed code and integrations. Academic and research institutions such as Bell Labs, Fraunhofer Society, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have evaluated ONAP models for research on orchestration and intent-based networking.
Architecture
The architecture combines design-time and runtime planes reflecting models used by MEF and orchestration paradigms from Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. Core architecture elements align with microservices influenced by Spring Framework, container orchestration via Docker and Kubernetes, and messaging patterns exemplified by Apache Kafka and RabbitMQ. Data modeling uses languages similar to YANG and schemas aligning with TM Forum Frameworx information models. Analytics and closed-loop control leverage frameworks such as Apache Spark, Elasticsearch, and Prometheus for telemetry ingestion, processing, and reporting. Security modes reference practices from ISO/IEC standards and audit models comparable to SOC 2 and PCI DSS compliance workflows.
Components and Modules
Major modules mirror subsystems familiar from platforms like OpenStack Neutron, OpenDaylight, and Ansible Tower. Design-time components include a visual designer, catalog, and policy studio influenced by Eclipse tooling and Grafana dashboards. Runtime components provide orchestration, VNFM-style control similar to OPNFV prototypes, and telemetry ingestion modules akin to Telegraf agents. Management modules integrate with OSS/BSS stacks referenced by SAP and Oracle billing solutions, and with service assurance tools from Netcracker and Ericsson operations support. Adapters and plugins support VIMs such as OpenStack, VMware vSphere, and public clouds like Amazon EC2 and Google Compute Engine.
Use Cases and Deployments
ONAP is used for NFV orchestration in virtualized EPC deployments for operators like T-Mobile and in edge orchestration scenarios for Cisco-style access networks. It supports 5G slicing demonstrations linked to 3GPP Release 15 use cases, and IoT service orchestration for smart city pilots with partners such as Siemens and Schneider Electric. Enterprise use includes SD-WAN automation similar to products from Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet, and multi-cloud network function lifecycle management in setups piloted by IBM and HP Enterprise. Research deployments have been executed in testbeds like GEANT and ESnet.
Governance and Community
Governance is maintained under the Linux Foundation umbrella with technical steering from contributor organizations including AT&T, China Mobile, Orange S.A., Vodafone Group, and vendor participants like Nokia and Ericsson. Community processes borrow models from Apache Software Foundation and Eclipse Foundation project governance, with working groups similar to IETF and collaboration patterns seen in W3C consortiums. Events and summit activities align with conferences such as Mobile World Congress, Open Networking Summit, and Cloud Expo. Training and certification efforts have been organized in partnership with providers like Coursera and corporate training divisions of Red Hat and Cisco Networking Academy.
History and Development
The project emerged from efforts to consolidate earlier initiatives such as contributions from AT&T's ECOMP and OpenECOMP programs, and codebases that intersected with OpenDaylight and OPNFV experiments. Initial releases and milestone deliveries were coordinated with releases of OpenStack and community-driven stacks like ONOS and Ryu controllers. Development has followed release cadences and technical steering recommendations influenced by CNCF graduated projects and open-source lifecycle best practices used by Debian and Ubuntu distributions.
Security and Compliance
Security controls integrate authentication and authorization mechanisms compatible with OAuth 2.0, SAML, and role-based practices used in Active Directory and LDAP deployments. Compliance considerations reference frameworks such as ISO/IEC 27001 and audits performed using methodologies like NIST cybersecurity guidelines. Runtime hardening, vulnerability management, and CVE tracking align with processes practiced by Red Hat and Canonical for enterprise Linux distributions, and incident response is coordinated using playbooks similar to those from CERT Coordination Center.