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Article • • 3 minute read

Streamline NFV Solution Validation to Shorten Time to Market

With advanced capabilities accessible through the WWT Advanced Technology Center, WWT and its partners have streamlined the NFV validation process.

Network functions virtualization (NFV) has grown in importance among Service Providers as they seek greater efficiency and agility, while at the same time reducing operational costs. Virtualized network functions (VNFs) that are interoperable and can interoperate with their infrastructure are critical to NFV to create a more solid deployment foundation.

World Wide Technology (WWT) is partnering with Red Hat to validate the functionality and interoperability of leading OEMs' virtualized Evolved Packet Core (vEPC) and virtualized IP Multimedia Subsystem (vIMS) solutions installed on Red Hat OpenStack Platform version 13.

WWT in its Advanced Technology Center (ATC) can replicate typical production environments so the results of the tests reflect what Service Providers can expect in their own networks. Red Hat VNF certifications allow customers to deploy with more confidence knowing their chosen solution is validated and supported by Red Hat along with the specific partner.

Illustration of Red Hat's NFV solution.

Red Hat's NFV solution combines Red Hat Enterprise Linux with Red Hat's OpenStack cloud platform to deliver a highly scalable and secure foundation for building a private or public Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) cloud. The ATC lab validation environment includes web-scale mobile core functionality that can meet the needs of any packet core network, a virtualized IMS Core suite of products (providing VoLTE/VoWiFi services) built on NFV-based architecture and a traffic generator/standards-based node simulator that is focused on 4G/5G network evolution testing.

NFV can simplify Service Provider network architectures and transform their business models by addressing dynamic service requirements, scalable workloads, automation needs, multivendor architectures and the complexities of agile development.

WWT has streamlined the solution validation process to shorten the time it takes Service Providers to bring new services to market by incorporating the latest industry tools for qualifying, testing and running a complete NFV solution under one roof in the ATC.

WWT provides a full stack NFV hardware, software and management foundation with numerous awards and certifications. Through the ATC, our customers and partners can perform, compare and test any number of components, from a long list of vendors, in a multi-layered solution.

  • Advisory Services: Work with WWT to find the right components for your NFV solutions, creating rapid business outcomes and allowing your services to achieve success.
  • Demonstrations: See firsthand the viability of full stack, multi-vendor solutions with our integrated architectures.
  • Advanced Lab Capabilities: Explore and learn new technologies in any number of sandboxes, certification trainings and workshops to prepare your team for operation and deployment.
  • Proofs of Concept: Quickly discern customized, multivendor solution viability with proofs of concept (PoCs), offering visibility beyond vendor slideware, enabling you to determine if products live up to your expectations.
  • Validate, Integrate and Test: WWT's lab services focus on establishing the desired key performance and scale indicators associated with your business outcomes.

Technologies