Open Network Automation Platform
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| Open Network Automation Platform | |
|---|---|
| Name | Open Network Automation Platform |
| Developer | Linux Foundation, AT&T, Ericsson, Huawei, Cisco Systems, Juniper Networks |
| Released | 2017 |
| Programming language | Java, Python, YANG |
| Operating system | Linux, Ubuntu, CentOS |
| License | Apache License |
Open Network Automation Platform is an open-source orchestration and automation initiative originating within the Linux Foundation ecosystem. It provides a modular, carrier-grade framework intended for service providers such as AT&T, BT Group, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone Group to automate network services across multi-vendor environments including Cisco Systems, Ericsson, Huawei, Juniper Networks. The project integrates standards and tooling from organizations like the European Telecommunications Standards Institute and the Internet Engineering Task Force to support programmable network operations for deployments in regions such as North America, Europe, Asia.
Overview
The platform is a service orchestration and policy-driven automation framework designed to coordinate workflows across infrastructure elements produced by vendors such as Nokia, Ciena, Fujitsu Limited, and ZTE. It targets operational scenarios in telecommunication operators including Verizon Communications, T-Mobile US, China Mobile, and cloud providers like Google LLC, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure. Core capabilities map to standards from the 3rd Generation Partnership Project and rely on model-driven approaches compatible with artifacts from OpenStack, Kubernetes, and ONAP-related ecosystems.
History and Development
The initiative emerged from collaborative efforts between operator consortia including AT&T and vendor stakeholders such as Cisco Systems and Ericsson, responding to the shift documented in studies by Gartner, Inc. and International Data Corporation. Its development timeline intersected with events like Mobile World Congress and presentations at Open Networking Summit. Architectural decisions were influenced by research from institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and standards work at the International Telecommunication Union. Releases incorporated contributions from companies such as Huawei, Juniper Networks, and research labs including Nokia Bell Labs.
Architecture and Components
The architecture is layered, combining a model-driven design using YANG models, microservice patterns found in Cloud Native Computing Foundation projects, and runtime platforms such as Kubernetes and OpenStack. Primary components include orchestration engines inspired by Business Process Model and Notation workflows, policy frameworks akin to TM Forum standards, and adapters for element management using NETCONF, RESTful APIs, and protocols entrenched by IETF. Support modules interoperate with virtualization platforms like VMware, Inc. and monitoring stacks such as Prometheus and Grafana. Integration with catalog systems echoes architectures promoted by MEF and ETSI.
Features and Functionality
Key features encompass automated lifecycle management, closed-loop control driven by analytics from platforms like Apache Kafka pipelines and Elasticsearch, and design-time tooling for modeling services similar to frameworks from ONF (Open Networking Foundation). The platform supports policy enforcement, multi-domain orchestration, and southbound adapters enabling programmability for devices from Huawei, Cisco, Juniper Networks, and Nokia. Developer tooling often leverages Maven and GitHub workflows and CI/CD practices common to projects in the Linux Foundation family.
Use Cases and Deployments
Operators use the platform for virtual network function orchestration in network function virtualization scenarios, 5G service onboarding illustrated at trials by SK Telecom and NTT Communications, and enterprise SD-WAN rollouts by providers such as Orange S.A. and Telefonica. Cloud-edge synergy cases involve collaborations with hyperscalers like Amazon Web Services, Google LLC, and Microsoft Azure, while private 5G pilots deployed by Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone Group demonstrate multi-vendor orchestration across radio access, transport, and core domains.
Governance and Community
Project governance follows models established by the Linux Foundation with Technical Steering Committees and Working Groups mirroring structures from Apache Software Foundation and Eclipse Foundation. Contributors include major operators AT&T, Verizon Communications, China Mobile and vendors Ericsson, Cisco Systems, Huawei, with academic collaborators from University of Cambridge and Tsinghua University. Community events align with conferences such as Open Networking Summit, Mobile World Congress, and workshops organized by MEF and IETF.
Security and Compliance
Security considerations integrate practices from ISO/IEC 27001 frameworks, protocol hardening recommended by IETF working groups, and vulnerability management aligned with advisories from CVE processes. Compliance activities reference regulatory regimes in jurisdictions represented by Federal Communications Commission and European authorities tied to European Commission directives, while operational security leverages tooling from OWASP and incident coordination practices modeled after FIRST guidance.