Netværksfunktionervirtualisering

Netværksfunktionervirtualisering, often abbreviated as NFV, is an architectural concept that decouples network functions, such as firewalls, load balancers, and routers, from dedicated hardware appliances. Instead, these network functions are implemented as software that runs on standard commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware, typically servers, storage, and switches. This virtualization allows network services to be deployed, managed, and scaled more dynamically and efficiently.

The core idea behind NFV is to leverage virtualization technologies, similar to those used in server virtualization, to create virtualized network functions (VNFs). These VNFs can be chained together to create complex network services. The infrastructure on which these VNFs run is called the network functions virtualization infrastructure (NFVI), which comprises the hardware and the virtualization layer (e.g., a hypervisor or container management system). A management and orchestration (MANO) framework is responsible for managing the NFVI and orchestrating the lifecycle of VNFs and their services.

The benefits of NFV include reduced capital and operational expenses due to the use of commodity hardware, increased agility and faster service deployment, improved scalability and flexibility, and the ability to innovate more rapidly by decoupling hardware from software. NFV is a key enabler for next-generation networks, including 5G, and supports the development of edge computing and other advanced network services by allowing network functions to be deployed closer to the end-user.