网络功能虚拟化技术综述

无论是企业网还是数据中心,为实现相关应用功能、提升网络性能和加强网络安全等部署了大量的网络功能设备,但这些网络功能设备大多基于硬件,存在功能固化、扩展能力差、统一管理困难等问题。为解决上述问题,学术界和工业界不约而同将目光投向了网络功能虚拟化NFV技术。通过解耦网络功能和物理设备,使网络功能不受物理设备的约束,便于网络设备服务的升级更新,同时,NFV为新的体系结构、系统和应用的产生提供了可能。首先介绍了NFV技术,并与云计算和SDN进行对比,然后从VNF的系统结构、数据平面、控制平面、部署方式、实现语言和应用6个维度详细阐述了当前的研究成果,最后总结并展望了NFV未来的研究发展方向。

Review on network function virtualization technology

A large number of network function devices are deployed in enterprise networks and data centers to implement related application functions, improve network performance, and strengthen network security. Most of these network function devices are based on hardware, and have problems such as functional hardening, poor scalability, and unified management difficulties. In order to solve the above problems, both the industry and academia have turned their attention to the network function virtualization (NFV) technology. By decoupling network functions from the physical devices on which they run, network functions are not constrained by physical devices, facilitating the upgrades and updates of network device services. At the same time, NFV provides possibility for new architectures, systems, and applications. We first introduce the NFV technology and compare it with cloud computing and SDN. Then we elaborate current research results from six dimensions, which are virtual network function (VNF) system architecture, data plane, control plane, deployment mode, implementation language and application. Finally, we summarize and provide an outlook of future NFV research direction.