Network Functions Virtualization Infrastructure

Abstract

The use of network functions virtualization (NFV) for the design and implementation of a telecom network requires a distributed cloud infrastructure on which the various virtualized network functions (VNFs) run. Chapter 3 described the design and operating constraints of VNFs. As a refresher, a VNF is a virtualized task formerly carried out by proprietary, dedicated hardware. VNFs move network functions out of dedicated hardware devices and into software. This allows specific functions that required hardware devices in the past to operate on standard servers (1, n.d.).