MANOStack

MANOStack is a software platform designed to implement management and orchestration (MANO) for network functions virtualization (NFV) environments. It provides a reference implementation of key ETSI NFV MANO concepts and aims to help operators, service providers, and researchers deploy, operate, and scale virtualized network services.

The architecture organizes functionality around the basic MANO layers: a functional NFV Orchestrator (NFVO) responsible for service and resource orchestration; a VNF Manager (VNFM) that handles lifecycle management of individual VNFs; and Virtualized Infrastructure Manager (VIM) that controls the underlying compute, storage, and network resources. The stack typically includes a catalog of VNFs and network services (NS); descriptor repositories for VNFDs and NSDs; a policy and analytics module; and interfaces for telemetry, management, and assurance. Interoperability is achieved through standard northbound REST APIs and standard southbound adapters to OpenStack, Kubernetes, or other cloud/hypervisor platforms.

MANOStack supports both VM-based and container-based VNFs, with support for descriptor-driven instantiation, chaining, scaling, healing, and lifecycle events. It incorporates service chaining and multi-domain management, enabling coordinated deployment across cloud and edge locations. The platform often provides a user interface and command-line tools, along with automation hooks and a CI/CD workflow for VNF updates.

Use cases mainly include telecommunications operators seeking to host NFV services, research labs exploring NFV concepts, and cloud service providers testing dynamic service orchestration. The project emphasizes standards compliance with ETSI NFV ISG interfaces and descriptor formats, while maintaining flexibility to integrate with different cloud infrastructures and monitoring systems.