A standardized southbound API for VNF management

Abstract

Network Function Virtualization (NFV) offers network operators great flexibility toward managing network functions, i.e. in-network appliances such as firewalls, load balancers and NATs. Several frameworks exist to this end; however VNF management is fragmented, and no standard management API exists. As a result, each framework uses a proprietary API which a network function must support to fully realize its benefits. This lack of standardization is a major barrier in the wider adoption of NFV. We propose a standard, framework-agnostic southbound API to facilitate faster adoption of NFV and enable innovation in the design of both management frameworks and network functions.