The Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) project unveiled its first release, a unified architecture for closed-loop network automation designed to enable tier-one operators to rapidly deploy new services.

In an announcement ONAP said the release, dubbed Amsterdam, is the first step towards delivering a shared open source architecture capable of being implemented on a global basis.

The ONAP project was formed through the combination of AT&T’s Enhanced Control, Orchestration, Management and Policy (ECOMP) platform with The Linux Foundation’s Open Orchestrator Project (OPEN-O) in late February.

Arpit Joshipura, GM of networking and orchestration at The Linux Foundation, said Amsterdam “represents significant progress for both the ONAP community and the greater open source networking ecosystem”.

ONAP stated Amsterdam delivers an end-to-end platform which addresses operators’ real-word virtualisation needs. The modular architecture includes design-time (software development kit), run-time (APIs) and managed environment pieces.

Amsterdam’s platform incorporates ECOMP and OPEN-O code covering service orchestration and uses vendor-agnostic models to speed service deployment. It also offers real-time inventory, analytics monitoring, troubleshooting and closed-loop feedback.

Community effort
ONAP indicated the platform can help NFV vendors slash development costs and deployment times, while also offering operators a “best-of-breed” selection of commercial offerings for each service. This is the first time operator and vendors have come together to develop a common platform which benefits both, ONAP announced.

Mazin Gilbert, ONAP Technical Steering Committee (TSC) chair and VP of Advanced Technology at AT&T Labs, said: “In six short months, the community has rallied together to produce a platform that transforms the service delivery lifecycle via closed-loop automation.”

“This initial release provides blueprints for service provider use cases, representing the collaboration and innovation of the community,” he added.

Two such use cases include voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) and virtual customer premise equipment (vCPE), both of which have verified Amsterdam blueprints. ONAP indicated it is working to provide verified blueprints for additional use cases.

The project plans to release its second architecture, Beijing, in mid-2018 which will cover scale, stability, security and performance enhancements, additional use cases, 5G features and inter-cloud connectivity.