As part of its ongoing commitment to support open source projects and
service providers’ efforts to deliver advanced services like 5G, Blue Planet, a division of Ciena (NYSE: CIEN), is contributing new functionality and code to the Linux Foundation’s open source Open Networking Automation Platform (ONAP) Policy Framework. These additions give service providers, who have deployed ONAP, more flexibility for creating and administering intent-based policies supporting automation use cases.
To complement open source efforts in the market, Blue Planet is componentizing its portfolio, making specific capabilities within the platform available individually as consumable components. This allows global service providers to augment ONAP with key functionality from Blue Planet to build a best-in-class operational software stack that accelerates the journey to more open and automated networks.
The Policy Framework is the critical decision-making element in ONAP, which plays an important role in automation use cases, such as placement of virtual network functions to meet changing service requirements and restoring the network following failure. Blue Planet’s contribution to ONAP, being made in conjunction with a major service provider, adds new functionality and code to the Policy Framework to help service providers increase operational agility, adapt to new demands and lower costs.
As networks are transforming to deliver dynamic and virtualized services, Blue Planet’s new componentization strategy enables service providers who have deployed ONAP to leverage standard Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to integrate microservices-based components from Blue Planet within ONAP. This provides them the freedom to combine open source and commercial solutions to accelerate their automation initiatives.
Dana Cooperson, Research Director, Analysys Mason said, “Solution componentization, such as Blue Planet’s ONAP policy capability, provides service providers with a much-needed tool to create best-in-class software stacks. Service providers should insist that their vendors demonstrate the willingness and ability to componentize to support their operations automation and related business growth strategies.”
Arpit Joshipura, General Manager of Networking and Orchestration, Linux Foundation added,
“We greatly value contributions to ONAP from all strategic players as we work together as a community to accelerate real-time, policy-driven orchestration. Blue Planet’s continued support is a testament of its commitment to open source and advancing today’s networks.”
Kailem Anderson, Vice President of Portfolio and Engineering, Blue Planet, a division of Ciena said,
“As the industry prepares for more on-demand services like 5G network slicing and network-as-a-service, service providers are looking for automation solutions that both contribute to ONAP and complement it. Blue Planet is invested in supporting service providers in using automation to transform and future-proof their networks.”