Walker is leading the industry in defining the next generation of telecommunications infrastructure, Software Defined Networking (SDN). As cloud based technologies, services delivery platforms, smart devices, and automation become more prevalent, the very structure of the Internet will continue to shift, from a static platform based architecture to a dynamic SDN able to add resources and applications to meet user demands. The technologies driving this transformation are SDN, the elastic architecture platform services and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), the dynamic applications to enhance on-premise capacity.
Software Defined Networking (SDN)
SDN is an innovative network architecture that improves network flexibility and manageability by separating the network data and control planes. The interoperability of server platforms and open standards will drive the costs of network hardware down and enable more choice in venders. SDN enables “mass customization” of network operations to enable 3rd party applications and differentiated services to SDN, offering both CAPEX and OPEX savings by minimizing the complexity of heterogeneous networks, protocols and management techniques, and delivering network resources with the click of mouse.
Network Function Virtualization (NFV)
NFV is the next generation of telecommunications equipment applications. With NFV, service creation and product teams can now quickly build new services using virtual functions. The virtualization of network functions simplifies the task of building complex and higher value services while reducing costs. NFV enables deployment of network services when and where needed on virtual machines (VMs). Service chaining these virtual services together by policies enable improved packet flow based on factors such as the source address, destination address and application type. SDN can further simplify the complex task of defining the workflows that activate and manage services. Simplification is an imperative to delivering services rapidly and in a profitable manner in today’s cloud environment, NFV allows for consolidation of many network equipment types on to industry-standard, cost-effective, scalable, and secure high-volume servers, switches, and storage devices.
Orchestrators
Enable a single point of entry for end-to-end VNF and network service lifecycle management, and achieve greater profitability through policy-driven automation for quick and reliable service creation, activation and assurance.
Controllers
Introduce programmability into networking allowing use of libraries of predefined policies, and offer a platform on which to independently develop new networking features and applications to meet the specific service needs of your organization.
Virtual Routers
Convert the functions of traditional hardware-based network appliances to software than can be run on standard Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) hardware. This has advantages of lowering hardware costs and allowing more hardware interoperability, rather than requiring a proprietary hardware platform.
vCPE (CPE w/ x86)
Simplify the way that Wide Area Network (WAN) connectivity and applications are purchased, provisioned, and managed. Virtual CPE can replace specialized proprietary gear with commodity hardware that can be rapidly updated and provisioned from the cloud with open software.