MEF announces two new specifications for MEF 3.0 framework
The Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), a nonprofit international industry consortium, recently released two new specifications related to the MEF 3.0 framework. According to the organization, the specifications, dubbed Information Model (MEF 59) and Interface Profile Specification (MEF 60), were developed with MEF’s Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO) Reference Architecture (RA) and serve as a set of standards for service orchestration over network technology domains.
MEF originally introduced the MEF 3.0 framework last November for defining, delivering and certifying orchestrated communication services across a global ecosystem of automated networks. The MEF LSO RA helps guide the development of the models, processes, tools and APIs that enable orchestration of MEF 3.0 services, like Layer 1, Carrier Ethernet, IP and SD-WAN, across multiple providers and over multiple network technologies.
“MEF members have been working diligently to develop and demonstrate model-driven ‘North-South’ intra-provider LSO APIs and ‘East-West’ inter-provider LSO APIs that are required to orchestrate MEF 3.0 services,” said Nan Chen, president of MEF. “The new specifications enable us to define the critical LSO Presto Network Resource Provisioning (NRP) API for orchestrating services over a mix of underlying network technologies. We thank the LSO project teams for their diligent work and look forward to also sharing more good news related to inter-provider orchestration in the coming months.”
According to the organization, MEF 59 defines the information model to facilitate the orchestration of Carrier Ethernet connectivity services through WAN SDN controllers, OTN subnetwork managers and legacy network management systems. MEF 59 draws from the network management solutions of ITU-T, ONF and TM Forum to enable wider interoperability across multi-vendor and technology platforms. Among the contributors to MEF 59 include CenturyLink, Ciena, Cisco, Coriant, Huawei, Infinera, NEC, RAD and Nokia.
MEF 60, on the other hand, provides an abstracted, intent-based solution for the activation of network resources in support of MEF-defined services. The specification is complemented by the LSO Presto software development kit (SDK), which was released last October. It includes standardized open APIs for orchestrating connectivity services over multiple network technology domains. The LSO Presto SDK is available to the MEF developer community on the MEF GitHub.
“The CenturyLink-led MEF 60 provides an essential solution in the overall development of the MEF LSO portfolio of APIs,” said Jack Pugaczewski, editor of MEF 60 and architect at CenturyLink. “This development effort is a great example of a traditional standards development and open source hybrid, which resulted in a quality, expedited specification alongside the release of a corresponding API and SDK.”
The release of the specifications occurred alongside MEF introducing a new NFV and SDN professional certification developed in collaboration with the Linux Foundation and ETSI. MEF now offers three certifications as part of a Professional Certification Framework, including MEF-SDN/NFV, MEF Carrier Ethernet Certified Professional (MEF-CECP) and MEF Network Foundations (MEF-NF) certifications.
