NFV Overview

Basically, Network Function Virtualization (NFV) is a network concept that replaces specialized hardwares (routers, firewalls, load balancers etc) used in classical network architecture with softwares running on servers that does the same jobs.

NFV was defined at 2012 by a group named Industry Specification Group (ISG) within European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). Industry Specification Group (ISG) was a group that includes the largest network service providers of the world. Now, more than 30 Network Operators and 150 technology providers involving in this group.

The main idea behind Network Function Virtualization (NFV) was the growing network OPEX and CAPEX. They decided to overcome this drawback by using Cloud technologies and virtualization of the current network equipments.

As a result, virtualization of currently used hardwares (routers, firewalls, load balancers etc) has achieved. By using a standard IT virtualization and Cloud technologies, a newly define NFV Architecture introduced. With this new NFV Arhitecture network functions are implemented as software.

Benefits of NFV

NFV brings many key benefits to the networking world. These benefits are given below:

Other NFV Articles:
Network Functions Virtualization – NFV Overview
Network Functions Virtualization – NFV Infrastructure
Network Functions Virtualization – NFV and SDN