ZTE Communications ›› 2014, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (2): 3-7.doi: DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1673-5188.2014.02.001

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Network Function Virtualization Technology: Progress and Standardization

Huiling Zhao, Yunpeng Xie, and Fan Shi   

  1. China Telecom Beijing Research Institute, Beijing 100035, China
  • Received:2014-03-05 Online:2014-06-25 Published:2014-06-25
  • About author:Huiling Zhao (zhaohl@ctbri.com.cn ) is director of Cloud Computing Research Center and chief engineer of Beijing Research Institute of China Telecom Corporation Limited. She is also the executive director of China Institute of Communications, chairman of the Information and Communications Network Technology Professional Committee, vice president of Beijing branch of China Institute of Communications, chairman of the Networking and Switching technology Committee of CCSA, and a member of the MEF Board. She has previously been granted special government allowances. She is one of the experts leading broadband network projects and tri-network integration projects in China’s 12th Five Year Science Plan.

    Yunpeng Xie (xieyp@ctbri.com.cn ) is a senior engineer of the Network Architecture and Cutting-Edge Technology Study Group at the Network Technology Department of Beijing Research Institute of China Telecom Corporation Limited. His research interests include SDN/NFV and future networks. He has received one provincial award, and submitted four patents applications. He is a joint author of two monographs, and has published more than 10 papers.

    Fan Shi (shifan@ctbri.com.cn ) is director of the Network Architecture and CuttingEdge Technology Study Group at the Network Technology Department of Beijing Research Institute of China Telecom Corporation Limited. He is also the co-chair of MEF China Working Group and the leader of CCSA TC3 SAV working group. His research interests include SDN/NFV and next-generation internet.

Abstract: Network innovation and business transformation are both necessary for telecom operators to adapt to new situations, but operators face challenges in terms of network bearer complexity, business centralization, and IT/CT integration. Network function virtualization (NFV) may inspire new development ideas, but many doubts still exist within industry, especially about how to introduce NFV into an operator’s network. This article describes the latest progress in NFV standardization, NFV requirements and hot technology issues, and typical NFV applications in an operator networks.

Key words: network functions virtualization (NFV), overlay network, virtual extensible LAN (VXLAN), service chaining