DriveNets Network Cloud Solution

DriveNets Network Cloud is cloud-native software solution that turns the physical network into a shared resource supporting multiple network services in the most efficient way possible. As an open networking platform, it supports a hardware abstraction layer and the distributed DriveNets Networking Operating System (DNOS), virtualizing the network’s physical resources. DriveNets Network Orchestrator (DNOR) automates the network’s lifecycle management, supporting zero-touch provisioning (ZTP), enhanced visibility and advanced analytics.

DriveNets Network Cloud

DriveNets Network Cloud allows network and cloud operators to build their network like clouds – delivering the cost, flexibility and innovation benefits of this powerful new architecture. It takes inspiration from the cloud-native, virtualized approach of hyperscale clouds and adapts it to high-scale networks.

Separating hardware from software, the data plane is disaggregated from the control plane, running cloud-native software on standard networking white boxes from multiple original design manufacturers (ODMs). Relying on a simplified, distributed architecture and a fully virtualized hardware infrastructure, it can easily scale from 2.4Tbps to 819Tbps. Network Cloud supports routing services – from core to edge – and any hosted third-party service (e.g. security, 5G, IoT, gaming) with maximum efficiency and at the lowest cost.

DriveNets Network Cloud brings an efficient operational model that’s as simple to operate as traditional networks, advancing cloud benefits in the network.

Network Cloud comprises:

  • DriveNets Network Operating System (DNOS):
    a distributed cloud-base infrastructure and NOS that create a unified shared networking and compute platform, supporting integral routing and third-party services instances (SIs) from core to edge
  • DriveNets Network Orchestrator (DNOR):
    an automation system for deploying, scaling and managing the DriveNets Network Cloud solution
  • Standard networking white boxes
    standard white boxes, from leading ODMs, based on merchant silicon (OCP DDC-compliant) – one for packet forwarding (NCP) and one for fabric (NCF)

Network-Cloud

Ecosystem

DriveNets technology is aligned with the industry’s main communities working to build the next generation of network infrastructure. Collaboration with the OCP and TIP organizations is an extension of DriveNets’ efforts to build an industry ecosystem that supports the vision of disaggregated core and edge networks.

Features and Benefits

Software disaggregated from hardware

  • Software provided by DriveNets
  • Hardware supplied by ODM vendors (UfiSpace, Edgecore, Delta)
  • Hardware tested, certified and maintained by DriveNets

Data plane disaggregated from control plane

  • Distributed data plane powered by high-performance merchant silicon
  • Centralized control plane based on COTS x86 or VMs
  • Independent scaling of each plane

Delivered as one solution

  • End-to-end solution under DriveNets responsibility
  • Lower-cost white box hardware
  • Same hardware and software building blocks for any use case, reducing complexity and overhead
  • Optimal use of resources – multiple network functions using the same infrastructure but still managed separately
  • Lowest # of ports – eliminating ports serving internal traffic as in Clos and similar architectures
  • Simplified operations with smart automation, reducing operational overhead

Resiliency, high-availability and QoS

  • Fast reroute for unicast and multicast networks
  • Smooth restart
  • Non-stop routing (NSR)
  • Deep buffer and multiple quality-of-service (QoS) mechanisms

Configuration and management

  • Legacy interfaces and protocols (CLI, SNMP, syslog)
  • Open standard interfaces (NETCONF/YANG, gNMI/gRPC, open APIs)

Unified, shared virtualized infrastructure

  • Full abstraction of networking and compute resources
  • Hardware-agnostic

Containerized microservice-based software

Standard northbound interfaces

  • Open APIs, OpenConfig models, NETCONF/YANG, gNMI, CLI, SNMP

High capacity and scale

High availability

  • Multi-level redundancy configuration

Fast innovation

  • Deployment of third-party network-centric services on same infrastructure
  • Support of telco cloud / edge cloud / 5G services

Unified, shared virtualized infrastructure

Automated operations

Support and maintenance

  • Single point of support for any software or hardware issue
  • Multi-level SLA tiers
  • Standard ticketing system
  • Deployed at Tier-1 service providers worldwide (AT&T and others)
  • Highest-scale solution in production with high-availability and resiliency
New Economic Model

Detaching network growth from network cost, Network Cloud’s flat software pricing is changing the network’s cost structure and increasing its profitability.