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Recently, Allyson Klein, Intel Chip Chat host, recorded the podcast with Srini Beereddy, Founder and CTO of Anuta Networks, where he describes how Anuta’s NCX Network Service Orchestrator for network services automation fits in the network transformation taking place in the industry. He explains that providers are looking to automation to increase service agility and reduce operational costs by reducing manual processes. Srini discusses the challenge of interoperability as orchestrators may interact with multiple vendor solutions, and how Anuta is facing that challenge through work with standards organizations and ecosystem collaboration programs like Intel Network Builders.
Check it out in the links below:
Play in new window | Download (6.75MB)
Also, following is the full transcript of the Intel® Chip Chat: Network Insights episode 43
Welcome to the Intel Network “Chip Chat” Insights where we take a look inside conversations that explores network transformations through interviews with industry experts.
Host: Welcome to the Intel Network “Chip Chat” Insights. I’m Allyson Klein and I’m delighted today to be joined by Srini, the Founder and CTO of Anuta Networks. Welcome!!
Srini: Thank you very much, Allyson.
Host: I would love to learn a little bit more about the company and about your role at the company as CTO?
Srini: Sure Allyson. We at Anuta Networks deliver an orchestration platform for network services automation. Using our platform the service provider and medium to large enterprise customers can do lifecycle management with their network services. Which typically includes designing of the network services and modeling the components of those network services and orchestrating these on a multi-vendor network infrastructure. My role is to lead the technical and architectural evolution of the platforms.
Host: When you look at the massive transition that’s going to the software-defined solutions. Can you tell me a little bit about why you chose this particular area of that broad transition to target for solutions?
Srini:We wanted to solve and shorten the delivery of the services. We found that many customers are still using manual processes to configure a network for a given application. They use a lot of manual processes and it takes a lot of their time. They want to shorten this process as much as possible. And also, each customer environment has many different multi-vendor devices. Different interfaces, different ways to interact, different ways to configure the features. So that brings in a lot of complexity. Our customers want us to simplify that process. Also many of the steps that are being manually operated will reduce the operational and expenditure costs because they will now be automated.
Host: Where do you think the providers are in terms of thinking about automating those processes and what do you think is going to be critical in making that transition with the customer base?
Srini: Many of customers are in the process of choosing either an orchestration platform or a software-defined networking platform. This means they want to actually bring in a service agility and also reduce operation expenditure. So automation of the network services is on the mind of many customers that we are talking to. Many of them are trying out many frameworks or platforms to automate that network services and some of them are actually in deployment and also we see a good amount of interest in the transition towards the use of virtual appliances. That adds to the agility and also has begun to reduce Cap Ex while deploying these network services.
Host: So you guys have NCX network service orchestrator. Can you tell me a little bit about that product offering and how you see it differentiated within the solutions coming to market?
Srini: Yes, our network services platform is deployed in the production deployment with service provider customers and as well as large enterprise customers. The main differentiating feature of our product is that our platform is based on modeling infrastructure. We have come up with an “out of the box” model for many vendor devices that enable our customers to quickly develop any of the services they need. We have many device models developed according to industry standard language such as YANG. We developed many service models so that out of the box customers can use this platform to deploy their services. Some examples include a simple network services, such as configuring the SNMP credential on a group of devices or it could be as complex as creating end-to-end network services such as a L3 VPN. Also, we have an integration with virtual infrastructure managers such as Open Stack or VMware vSphere. So using our platform you can deploy this network services not only on the physical appliances, but on the virtual appliances and orchestrate the network services.
Host: When it comes to working with the ecosystem. In a space of open industry standard solution based on ETSI standard etc. Obviously, cooperation across partners is really critical. How do you see the networking ecosystem embracing this type of collaboration and where do you think we are in terms of ensuring inter operability of those solutions you talked about where your orchestrator may be interacting with multiple providers’ solutions?
Srini: That is one of the key challenges that our industry needs to solve. But there are quite good efforts going on. Such as the ETSI NFV effort which is defining many frameworks so that the virtual appliances can be deployed and orchestrated and they have set out frameworks and architecture specifications. Another one is the MANO architecture which defines how these components can be managed and orchestrated. So our platform basically implements the functional block described by the MANO and also we go beyond that and provide a finer grained network service.
Host: You guys are part of the Intel Network Builders program. Can you tell me a little bit about the collaboration with Intel and tell me why you chose to join Intel Network Builders?
Srini: We joined Network Builders program last year early 2015 mainly because Intel built an ecosystem of customers, vendors, and partners. It gives us access to many of the customers use cases or the vendors we can actually communicate with the ecosystem partners learn about what’s going on as well as communicate what we are doing. We are very excited to be the part of this program.
Host: When you look at it 2016. What are the key things that you’re really excited about in terms of Anuta’s progress in the marketplace? As well as the overall traction of NFV with MANO’s?
Srini: One is, automating this network services right now. We are really excited since it’s on many of our customer’s minds. They wanted to automate. So we are really excited about that!
Host: Can you provide a place where folks can find out more information about your products and engage with you around trial?
Srini: Sure they can go to www.dec17.anutanetworks.com
Host: I can’t wait to hear more about what happens in the marketplace with Anuta in 2016. It’s a very big year for the delivery and service based solutions. Thank you so much for being on the program today would love to have you back again.
Srini: Thank you, Allyson, It’s my pleasure.
– Kiran Sirupa, February 18th, 2016.