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Dell Introduces Network Functions Virtualization Platform [Emirates News Agency (WAM) (United Arab Emirates)](Emirates News Agency (WAM) (United Arab Emirates) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Dell has introduced its network functions virtualization (NFV) offerings and companion starter kits, comprising Dell systems and software combined with software from open ecosystem partners and open source distributions to help jumpstart carrier trials and adoption. Targeted at the telecom service providers, the new platform can improve cost structures of existing service delivery by virtualizing the telecommunications and mobile service infrastructure by using compute and open networking platforms combined with commercially available software packages at the infrastructure, management, orchestration and service layers. Explaining the benefits to the channel partners, Dell said that the NFV platform is built on Dell PowerEdge servers with Intel Xeon E5 2600v3 processors combined with the open networking platforms and interfaces ensuring interoperability, manageability, and investment protection. The platform also includes foundational software and open interfaces for Management and Orchestration (MANO) for simple operation and ease of integration. Secondly, the platform can scale up, down, or out to accommodate a wide range of design goals, service capabilities and environmental conditions from small, unstaffed points-of-presences, to central office environments, and hyper-scale data centers. This includes options for Network Equipment-Building System (NEBS) platforms, Fresh-Air systems and modular/containerized solutions. Thirdly, the new platform aims to provide a choice of software stack to complement Dell's infrastructure and management software. This announcement extends the company's collaboration with Red Hat to co-engineer OpenStack-based NFV and SDN solutions specifically for the telecommunications industry. The company is also investing to foster an open partner ecosystem and is scouting partners to form the Dell NFV platform itself; enable complete MANO capabilities; support other Linux and OpenStack distributions to tailor the Dell NFV platform for VNF deployments including the Ubuntu operating system, Ubuntu OpenStack, Wind River. Dell is also making available starter kits for early adopter proof-of-concepts (PoCs) and trials. These are smaller footprint Dell NFV platform implementations designed to jumpstart development and PoC efforts. Two different starter kit configurations are available now; one based around the new PowerEdge R630 1RU compute nodes the other based around the Dell M1000e blade chassis and the new M630 compute blades. The starter kits include Dell Networking S6000 10/40 GbE Open Networking platform for layer 2 and layer 3 networking, as well as OpenFlow; Dell OpenDaylight-compliant Active Fabric Manager and Dell Active Fabric Controller; Dell Foglight and Dell OpenManage Network Manager; Choice of Linux and OpenStack distributions; and Options for data plane acceleration and/or service chaining. The starter kits include equipment bill-of-materials, tested reference designs and configurations, and product support- providing end-customers, developers and partners a cost-effective, highly-extensible environment to evaluate NFV-based service delivery. The Dell NFV platform and associated starter kits will be globally available via Dell.com or through local partners in the fourth quarter of this year. (c) 2014 Emirates News Agency (WAM) Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |