ZTE adds container networking solution to TECS OpenPalette platform
Chinese vendor ZTE recently premiered an end-to-end container networking solution in the open-source network functions virtualization (NFV) field , dubbed Knitter, as part of its Tulip Elastic Cloud System (TECS) OpenPalette Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS).
According to ZTE, contemporary container platforms are insufficient to meet the demands of telecom operators with 5G on the horizon. The company added the native Kubernetes network model used in the IT industry is too simple to meet telco service requirements. With this in mind, ZTE added Knitter solution to its cloud platform.
ZTE’s TECS is the company’s carrier-grade open source cloud platform. It is based on container and Kubernetes cluster management technologies. By serving the telco NFV field, the company said the platform can provide faster and better services, achieve continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD), and decrease the cost of development.
By adding Knitter to TECS, ZTE aims to promote the development of cloud native technology and the open source ecosystem. It is geared toward meeting specific telco application requirements, including high concurrency, large throughput and multiple network planes
While details about the solution are vague, the company noted Knitter does support the native Kubernetes network. It also includes a set of end-to-end NFV container networking solutions, including multiple network planes, static application IP address, IP address migration, configurable IP resources and high-performance forwarding, according to the company.
ZTE described itself as the world’s leading contributor to open source communities. It boasts the title as the most active contributor to the Kubernetes and Docker communities. It also serves as a founding member of the OpenStack Foundation’s Kata Containers project launched late last year. The purpose of the project is to blend the speed and manageability of container technologies with the security benefits of virtual machines.
“With the open-source carrier-grade network solution Knitter, ZTE will further expand the ecological scope of container-related fields,” said the company, “and has comprehensive cooperation with the industry in terms of models, standards, architecture, and markets, to accelerate the development of cloud native open-source communities and continuously inject new technological vitality into the construction of the ecosystem.”
