Israel-based DriveNets took the wraps off of its latest network orchestrator to help drive service providers' cloud-native networks and white box deployments. DriveNets' Network Orchestrator (DNOR 2.0) is part of its Network Cloud software. Network Cloud uses cloud-native routing software to support new functions in the underlying white-box hardware.
"DNOR 2.0 changes the paradigm of traditional network operations that grow in complexity and costs as the network grows. We have developed a state of the art orchestration platform with complete automation, transparency and intelligence, starting from the white boxes to the software containers and finally to the entire network level," said DriveNets CEO Ido Susan, in a statement. "With DNOR 2.0 DriveNets Network Cloud gains the operational integration of monolithic routers while maintaining the cost and scale efficiencies of the disaggregated cloud-like network architecture."
DriveNets, which emerged from stealth mode in February of last year with $110 million in Series A funding, said the vision behind Network Cloud was to simplify and scale service providers' rollout of 400G, 5G and other new services. By taking cloud features to the network, instead of vice versa, Network Cloud can run the routing data plane on white-boxes and the control plane on standard servers, which separates the network cost from capacity growth.
Network Cloud can run any network function as a microservice on the same distributed hardware infrastructure. Its cloud-native capabilities include zero touch provisioning, full life cycle management and automation as well as diagnostics.
DriveNets is primarily focused on scale-out architecture for service providers by providing an elastic platform that serves to replace the existing proprietary routers from carrier core to access to the edge. With its disaggregated architecture, service providers can scale up without relying on the proprietary and traditional chassis approach.
DriveNet's orchestration platform is currently managing Network Cloud deployments with service providers around the world. DriveNets said DNOR 2.0 simplifies operations by orchestrating open disaggregated networks the same way that cloud providers orchestrate their clouds.
“Our research shows that telecom companies desperately want to reduce the cost of operations, and one of the best ways to do that is to implement cloud-based software orchestration and automation," said Scott Raynovich, the founder and chief analyst of Futuriom. "DNOR 2.0 is the type of technology that delivers this automation, offering increased software-based visibility, control, an management of an entire cloud networking operation.”
DNOR 2.0 eliminates the complexity of having multiple vendors by orchestrating, managing, and troubleshooting the entire Network Cloud deployment from hardware to the software container of the hosted network service and applications, according to DriveNets.
Due to the cloud-native nature of Network Cloud, DNOR 2.0 manages the deployment and upgrades of base operating systems, firmware and containerized software. DNOR 2.0 also provides visibility across all levels including the hardware component, firmware, base operating system, network operating system and service containers, as well as across white boxes and clusters of white boxes.
DriveNets said DNOR 2.0 automates root-cause analysis, alarm correlation and proactive monitoring, all of which simplifies troubleshooting and increases network reliability and availability.
It also integrates with other orchestration and lifecycle management platforms. DNOR offers standard northbound APIs for control, automation and integration with third-party cloud and network orchestration systems such OSS/BSS, multi domain orchestrators, inventory management, end-to end-service provisioning and analytics systems.
RELATED: Spotlight is on DriveNets with AT&T's deployment
In September, perhaps to the surprise of no one, AT&T acknowledged for the first time that DriveNets was indeed providing core-networking routing software for its next-gen core network. More than a year ago, AT&T put its specifications for its distributed disaggregated chassis (DDC) white box architecture into the Open Compute Project (OCP.) On the same day last year, DriveNets announced its Network Cloud routing software was first on the market to support the DDC model.
In a previous interview with FierceTelecom, Susan said DriveNets was in various stages of discussion with about 20 Tier 1 service providers around the world to deploy Network Cloud.
DriveNets was founded in 2015 by Susan and Hillel Kobrinsky. Kobrinsky, who had a career stop at AT&T, serves as the company's chief strategy officer.