Ciena announced that it is enhancing policy capabilities in its Blue Planet software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) orchestration platform with the Linux Foundation’s open-source Open Networking Automation Platform (ONAP).  This should facilitate network providers’ migration to more software-centric networks.

According to Ciena, the new Blue Planet policy subsystem will support advanced closed-loop automation use cases, such as preventing a potential failure or dynamically scaling capacity to support growing bandwidth demands. Additionally, it will give operators more control to create intent-based policies that better guide their networks to address potential obstacles and meet their key growth objectives.

Blue Planet policy creates rules that enable software to modify the closed-loop network’s behavior.

Ciena Blue Planet is adding support for ONAP virtual network function (VNF) descriptors and packaging specifications to the already supported ETSI ISG NFV Release 2 spec.

Support on Blue Planet for ONAP VNF descriptors and packaging specifications is currently available. Enhanced policy subsystem will be available in the second half of 2018.

According to Steve Alexander, CTO of Ciena, “The future of networking lies with openness and the concept of ‘choice’, allowing network operators to select best-of-breed technologies and solutions. These Blue Planet enhancements bring us closer towards the common goal of software-led, policy defined, network transformation. They also help forge a path for more adaptive networks that can self-learn, self-configure, self-heal, and self-optimize by constantly assessing network status.”

Blue Planet was originally acquired by Ciena in 2015 through their Cyan acquisition http://www.truepulse.com/ciena-buys-cyan-and-blueplanet/

For information on NFV, refer to http://www.truepulse.com/nfv-network-function-virtualization/ and on SDN http://www.truepulse.com/sdn-theme-commtech/

For more details, see Ciena’s announcement: http://www.ciena.com/about/newsroom/press-releases/Ciena-Introduces-Enhanced-Policy-Capabilities-for-its-Blue-Planet-Platform-Leveraging-ONAP-Elements.html

Ciena Corp

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