vConductor: An NFV management solution for realizing end-to-end virtual network services

Abstract

NFV, being discussed and standardized in ETSI, is regarded as a promising candidate technology for Future Networks. Although many advantages are expected, the introduction of NFV will greatly challenge current management systems. In this paper, we summarize some of the carrier's requirements for the management of NFV, based on which we propose vConductor as an NFV management solution. We say vConductor is innovative due to its characteristics of automatic service provisioning, end-to-end inventory management, and generic system design. To achieve these goals, we design a completely modular-based system structure and refine the process of provisioning a virtual network service. Furthermore, we propose a general data model, specifically for NFV, starting from the TM Forum SID. We believe that vConductor will be a catalyst for accelerating the industrialization of NFV.