The NFV paradigm transforms those applications executed for decades in dedicated appliances, into software images to be consolidated in standard server. Although NFV is implemented through cloud computing technologies (e.g., virtual machines, virtual switches), the network traffic that such components have to handle in NFV is different than the traffic they process when used in a cloud computing scenario. Then, this paper provides a (preliminary) benchmarking of the widespread virtualization technologies when used in NFV, which means when they are exploited to run the so called virtual network functions and to chain them in order to create complex services.

Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) are often implemented using virtual machines (VMs) because they provide an isolated environment compatible with classical cloud computing technologies. Unfortunately, VMs are demanding in terms of required resources and therefore are not suitable for resourceconstrained devices such as residential CPEs. However, such hardware often runs a Linux-based operating system that supports several software modules (e.g., iptables) that can be used to implement network functions (e.g., a firewall), which can be exploited to provide some of the services offered by simple VNFs, but with reduced overhead. In this paper we propose and validate an architecture that integrates those native software components in a Network Function Virtualization (NFV) platform, making their use transparent from the user's point of view.

This paper presents an open-source orchestration framework that deploys end-to-end services across OpenStackmanaged data centers and SDN networks controlled either by ONOS or OpenDaylight. The proposed framework improves existing software in two directions. First, it exploits SDN domains not only to implement traffic steering, but also to execute selected network functions (e.g., NAT). Second, it can deploy a service by partitioning the original service graph into multiple subgraphs, each one instantiated in a different domain, dynamically connected by means of traffic steering rules and parameters (e.g. VLAN IDs) negotiated at run-time.

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Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) are often realized using virtual machines (VMs) because they provide an isolated environment compatible with classical cloud computing technologies. However, VMs are demanding in terms of required resources (CPU and memory) and therefore not suitable for low-cost devices like residential gateways. Such equipment often runs a Linux-based operating system that includes by default a (large) number of common network functions, which can provide some of the services otherwise offered by simple VNFs, but with reduced overhead. In this paper those native software components are made available through a Network Function Virtualization (NFV) platform, thus making their use transparent from the VNF developer point of view.