Virtualisation extended to the edge of the network

NXP’s QorIQ NFV solution leverages the industry’s broadest portfolio of 64-bit ARM v8-based LS-series processors, spanning from 9.6mmx9.6mm SoCs running at 1W typical power, up to eight-core SoCs with 64-bit ARM Cortex-A72 cores running at 2GHz and delivering up to 100Gbps of performance at under 40W of power. NXP complements these devices with software based on the OPNFV Brahmaputra release with industry standard components like OpenStack, OpenDayLight, KVM, Docker, DPDK, ODP and OVS, which enable customers to seamlessly migrate their applications from the data centre to the network’s edge. In addition, the LS1088 and LS2088 processors provide support to offload the entire virtual switching and service-chaining into programmable hardware engines, freeing up the ARM cores to run a much larger density of virtual network functions. These NXP solutions support a range of use cases and can be deployed in a wide variety of form factors including thin/thick clients, network appliances or micro-servers.

The solution provides a highly scalable and efficient virtualisation platform, featuring exceptional performance, power and price propositions for targeted applications. This standards-compliant offering allows customers to quickly deploy services throughout the network, combining the right balance of virtual network infrastructure offload with general purpose ARM v8 64-bit compute performance, while maintaining compatibility with a single standard software ecosystem from the data-centre to the network.

“NXP understands that virtualisation holds tremendous promise outside the cloud,” said Noy Kucuk, Vice President of Product Development for NXP’s Digital Networking business line. “For network operators, virtualisation can boost network efficiency, security and service agility while reducing power consumption and lowering operation costs. And for carriers, fully virtualised networks can dramatically boost end user satisfaction by supporting the rapid delivery of a range of new and differentiated services on next-gen broadband gateways and customer premise equipment powered by highly virtualised silicon/software platforms.”

The extension of virtualisation beyond the cloud presents significant growth opportunities. For example, research firm IHS Infonetics predicts the service provider NFV market will grow from $950m in 2014 to $11.6bn in 2019, representing a 2014-2019 CAGR of 65%.

Applications and Technical Details
Compatible with emerging standards for virtual network functions (VNF) and management and operations (MANO) technology, NXP’s QorIQ NFV platform is based on OPNFV software developed through the Linux Foundation. Target applications for NXP’s QorIQ NFV platform include: customer premises equipment (vCPE and Business vE-CPE) as well as cloud edge equipment (vPE, vEPC, vRAN, vBRAS).

The QorIQ NFV solution is comprised of:

• Standard Hardware Platforms
  • QorIQ LS-series processors: LS1043, LS1046, LS1088 and LS2088 – 4 to 8 ARMv8 cores + virtual networking

• Standard Linux Distribution
  • CentOS 7 with UEFI

• Standard Virtualisation components
  • KVM v2.2, QEMU v2.5, Docker v1.11

• Standard Orchestration and Management
  • OP-NFV Brahmaputra release: OpenDayLight, OpenStack

• Standard API and libraries
  • DPDK 16.04, ODP v1.4, OVS 2.5, Virtio

• Virtual Network Functions
  • vFirewall, vNAT, vRouter, vVPN
  • 3^rd Party VNF for DPI.

• Out-of-the-Box Experience
  • Benchmarks, User-guide, Documentation

NXP is demonstrating the QorIQ NFV solution at the OPNFV Summit in Berlin, June 20^th-23^rd, 2016.