• It aims to accelerate cloud-native transformation of networks by creating an open-source standard infrastructure for telco cloud,
• and notably tackles issues surrounding mutualization, interoperability and sovereignty.
In recent years, the telecoms industry has ushered in the age of telco cloud. Networks were historically based on physical hardware. First came the era of virtualization with virtual network functions (VNFs). This approach has now been taken a step further with cloudification and -native network functions (CNFs), which are implemented and run using containers orchestrated by as a Service (CaaS) platforms. This means network applications can be deployed far faster and with much greater flexibility.
Sylva promises standardization, simplification and optimization for carriers’ telco cloud operating models.
Orange is at the Heart of the Cloud-Native Ecosystem
Orange contributes to several major organizations and projects, bringing together players in the ecosystem to support the rise of the telco cloud model through the promotion, development and standardization of the technologies involved. This commitment takes the form of active contributions within the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) and the Linux Foundation more broadly. Orange is involved in several key initiatives through the Linux Foundation, such as Nephio, which is focused on automating the deployment of network functions, and Anuket, which aims to standardize specifications for virtual or cloud-native network functions. Camara, another major project, seeks to develop network APIs that are portable and reproducible across different carrier and cloud architectures.
Sylva, a Common Software Framework for Telco Cloud
Open-source, interoperable and common architectural building blocks should accelerate the deployment of telco cloud and encourage its adoption at scale. Launched at the end of 2022 and hosted by Linux Foundation Europe, the Sylva initiative shares this guiding principle and leverages the work already done on the projects mentioned above. Its overarching objective is to establish a common, open-source software framework that carriers, as well as cloud and network function providers, can build on to create interoperable solutions. A standard implementation is also in the works, with a dedicated integration and validation program that aims to simplify the development and compatibility of network functions with this framework.
The cloud layer of telco cloud architecture is fragmented and heterogeneous, which is currently one of the major barriers to network cloudification. For carriers, this disparity means increased operational complexity. For network function providers, it means significant development work to adapt their solutions for multiple cloud environments.
Progress for All Players
The uniformity that Sylva is striving for must benefit all players in the ecosystem. “For carriers, Sylva promises standardization, simplification and automation that will optimize their telco cloud operating model,” explains Stéphane Demartis, VP Cloud Infrastructure Solutions and Services at Orange. “It is also about meeting more stringent European regulatory requirements, particularly those surrounding sovereignty and sustainability. When carriers use Sylva to design their telco cloud, they retain full ownership of their infrastructures and stay in control of choosing suppliers, preventing vendor lock-in. With more mutualization and standardization, Sylva will also improve how networks’ energy efficiency is monitored.” Network function providers are able to integrate their solutions horizontally. Building upon the Sylva standard, they will be able to create interoperable solutions that can be deployed in all of their carrier customers’ cloud environments, putting an end to the impacts of inopportune customization, and to enhance efficiency through automated production.
First Release, First Functions Validated
Initially launched by the five leading European carriers (Orange, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, Telefónica and TIM) and two major network function providers (Ericsson and Nokia), in just 18 months the Sylva project has gained renown and has already reached several key milestones. “We have now brought together a community of 58 developers from 27 contributing companies, which has led to nine 5G network functions being validated On March 24, a technical version 1.0 of Sylva was officially released. Orange has leveraged the Sylva model to enhance its open-source, scalable and flexible telco cloud infrastructure. Dedicated to hosting and running VNFs/CNFs, this offering is currently being rolled out in the countries where Orange operates in Europe and Africa.”
Cloud computing is a type of IT service infrastructure that provides access to software or data via the Internet.
https://iotjourney.orange.com/fr-FR/connectivite/qu-est-ce-que-le-cloud-computing
Containers are used to package software, such as applications or functions, along with all of the files they need to run. Containerized components can be easily deployed in a variety of environments, specifically in different clouds.
Stéphane Demartis
