tacker

Tacker is an open-source NFV MANO component in the OpenStack ecosystem that provides management and orchestration capabilities for virtual network functions (VNFs) and network services on cloud platforms. It is designed to align with the ETSI NFV ISG specifications for management and orchestration, enabling automated deployment and lifecycle management of virtualized network resources.

Tacker implements core MANO functions, serving as both a network function orchestrator (NFVO) and a VNF manager (VNFM). It supports the instantiation, scaling, updating, healing, and termination of VNFs and network services. Service definitions are expressed through VNF Descriptors (VNFDs) and Network Service Descriptors (NSDs), which describe the VNFs, their packaging, resource requirements, dependency relationships, and lifecycle workflows. Descriptor and package management, versioning, and cataloging are integrated into its workflow to support repeatable service delivery.

The platform is designed for multi-VIM environments and can manage resources across different virtualization or cloud backends, including OpenStack-based backends. Its architecture typically includes NFVO and VNFM components, adapters to connect with VIMs, a descriptor repository for VNFDs and NSDs, and a RESTful northbound API that enables external systems and users to request service instantiation and lifecycle operations.

Deployment commonly occurs within an OpenStack cloud to orchestrate VNFs and network services over compute, storage, and networking resources. Tacker integrates with OpenStack services such as Nova and Neutron and can interface with monitoring and telemetry tools to collect health and performance data, supporting automated governance of NFV deployments in accordance with MANO principles.