It is no secret that major changes are happening in the way we design, build and manage communication networks. Insatiable bandwidth demand and the migration of workloads and applications to the cloud have unleashed powerful economic and technological forces on the information and communication technology industry.

The industry’s responses to these forces are the migration toward software defined networking(SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV). Two concepts remain at the heart of the SDN transformation: open application programming interfaces (APIs) to abstract the network and unified data modeling of network elements, such as switches and optical gear, to create logical topology and hierarchy. With NFV we are creating virtualized instances of new and well-known functions such as virtual evolved packet core (vEPC) or virtual broadband network gateways (vBNG) that can run on general-purpose computing hardware.

ADVA, which invested in SDN and NFV for real-world network deployments, realized that it takes more than an open API and a virtual function to make a reliable, economical network. The evolution toward closed-loop automation requires the introduction of three main technologies into the service provider network: disaggregated programmable infrastructure, open interfaces for simplified integration and real-time control with increased intelligence derived from deep domain expertise and advanced ML and analytics techniques. The launch of Ensemble Controller, Ensemble Activator and ongoing investments in ML and analytics for increased intelligence and closed-loop automation are the most recent reflections of ADVA’s strategic focus.

Download the ACG Research whitepaper to read how these three technologies have the potential to facilitate mass commercial adoption of SDN and NFV and usher in an era of disruptive change in service provider networking and value creation.