Cloud-native network function

A Cloud-Native Network Function (CNF) is a software-implementation of a network function, which runs inside a linux container (typically Kubernetes), which would traditionally be performed by a physical device. Cloud-Native Network Functions are a successor to Virtualized Network Functions, one of the components of Network Function Virtualization. The characteristics of Cloud-Native Functions are:

• Containerized micro-services that communicate with each-other via standardized RESTful APIs
• Small performance footprint, with the ability to scale horizontally
• Similar to other containers, do not require their own guest operating system
• Manageable by Kubernetes, Docker, or any container runtime

These address many of the common issues found with VNFs by incorporating many of the innovations deployed commonly on internet infrastructure. These include auto-scaling, supporting a continuous delivery / DevOps deployment model, and efficiency gains by sharing common services across platforms. Through service discovery and orchestration, a system based on CNFs will be more resilient to node failure.

The Linux Foundation backed Cloud Native Computing Foundation project is actively supporting companies in contributing to open-source projects like Kubernetes or Prometheus, upon which Cloud Native Network Functions can be based on. The CNCF project also created a CNF Testbed, in order to facilitate a common test-ground for various cloud-native network functions. Custom Cloud-Native Network Functions are developed by several companies, such as Cisco, Ericsson, or Red Hat.