The old Metro Ethernet Forum (now simply MEF) issued a press release to cover a focus on SD-WAN. This covers three areas:
- Service Implementations using the MEF frameworks
- Market Education
- Proof of Concept Demonstrations
Service Implementation
The Service Implementation uses the MEF Lifecycle Service Orchestration Reference Architecture and Framework (LSO) issued as MEF-55. This documents business process flows and the APIs that manage a network during its full lifecycle, and covers service delivery, ordering and billing, security and analytics.
It also covers the MEF OpenCS (Open Connectivity Services), and the SD-WAN elements of OpenCS. These provide a benchmark level of capability for the various APIs implemented with the LSO platform. These deliver SD-WAN assurance, application performance, and security policies, which include telemetry data. Riverbed and Velocloud lead the OpenCS SD-WAN project, with contributions from others.
Market Education
White papers and webinars both cover the market education element.
The white paper is snappily entitled Understanding SD-WAN Managed Services: Service Components, MEF LSO Reference Architecture, and Use Cases.
“MEF’s new SD-WAN work will address implementation challenges and accelerate SD-WAN services deployments by creating a common vernacular and service architecture, which have not existed up to this point.” – Ralph Santitoro, Head of SDN/NFV Solutions Practice, Fujitsu.
Ralph is the principal author of MEF’s SD-WAN white paper, and a MEF Distinguished Fellow. Other contributors to the paper are Ceragon, NEC/Netcracker, Nokia, RAD, Riverbed, Silver Peak, VeloCloud, and MEF’s CTO.
A webinar at 11am US ET on 9 August 2017, which will address how MEF are working to address the operational challenges in SD-WANs, helping accelerating service delivery.
Registration for this available on BrightTalk.
Proof of Concept Demonstrations
During MEF17, the annual gathering of the forum participants, demonstrations of SD-WAN will be one of the hot-topics. Workshops and keynotes on the subject will also feature at the global networking event to be held November 13-16 at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort in Orlando, Florida.