HPE and Red Hat Joining to Give Customers Choice for NFV Deployments

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Red Hat, Inc. are working together to accelerate the deployment of network functions virtualization (NFV) solutions based on fully open, production-ready, standards-based infrastructures.

HPE plans to offer ready-to-use, pre-integrated NFV system solutions and Validated Configurations incorporating Red Hat OpenStack Platform and Ceph Storage for communications service providers (CSPs).

Consistent with HPE’s multi-cloud, multi-stack strategy and broader open source software commitment, the company is collaborating with Red Hat to accelerate OpenStack adoption by CSPs worldwide, offering customers increased choice through multiple commercial distributions, including both Helion OpenStack Carrier Grade and Red Hat OpenStack Platform. Red Hat is an open source provider, using an ‘upstream first’ approach to the development of its products, including OpenStack Platform. As a result, OpenStack Platform offers an open source foundation for NFV deployments.

“The expansion of the relationship brings together two leaders in telecommunications well positioned and committed to helping CSPs accelerate their network transformations,” said David Sliter, VP and GM, communications solutions business, HPE. “Red Hat and HPE share a common vision and commitment to enable a rich ecosystem of NFV solutions – our work together is aimed at easing customers’ ability to leverage the expansive options we collectively provide.“

With these offerings, the two companies are building upon an existing alliance, focused on helping customers overcome the inflexibility and high costs created by data center, application and IT sprawl by shifting resources to business innovation. This expanded collaboration enables Red Hat to make use of HPE OpenNFV Labs for virtual network function (VNF) validation and for OpenStack Platform customers to access VNF Onboarding Services. The OpenNFV Solution Portal is also being expanded to include VNFs from Red Hat partners, providing customers with access to pre-validated solutions that can help simplify deployments.

“With an open foundation for their NFV deployments, CSPs have access to a more flexible, agile, and scalable platform that can meet dynamic requirements, now and in the future,” said Radhesh Balakrishnan, GM, OpenStack, Red Hat. “By bringing Red Hat OpenStack Platform and Red Hat Ceph Storage to HPE’s NFV solution, we are offering even more choice to CSPs as they transform and modernize their networks.“

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Additionally, the two companies are collaborating to certify HPE NFV operations solutions, including NFV Director for management and orchestration (MANO), Service Director for operations support systems (OSS), HPE VNFs and the OpenDaylight-based HPE OpenSDN solution on the OpenStack Platform, backed by end-to-end support from HPE.

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OpenStack Platform and Ceph Storage integration is planned for availability with the release of HPE NFV System 1.4. NFV system is a pre-integrated solution bundle containing an optimal mix of hardware and software to simplify and accelerate NFV deployments, providing customers a simplified end-to-end experience from ordering, deployment, operations, lifecycle management and services. Bundles are fully tested, designed as building blocks that allow customers to start small and scale out as requirements increase.

NFV System 1.4 is targeted for availability in April 2017 for both Helion OpenStack Carrier Grade and OpenStack Platform.

For customers seeking guidance, systems integration and support for Red Hat open source technologies on NFV System, HPE technology services offers services spanning strategy planning, proof-of-concept, assessment, validated active design, integration, solution support and comprehensive program management.