This document is intended for anyone who is interested in modern network design. System Architects, Developers, Product and project managers, Network operators, should all find useful information here that will help them better understand the state-of-the-art in networking technology and figure out how the Linux Foundation Networking projects may be used as building blocks for modern networks. This white paper does not intend to prescribe the "right" solution for building a network. There is more than one way of doing that and it all depends on the network designer's preferences and available resources. Instead, we try to introduce the capabilities of each project and suggest potential ways they can be used in harmony. One of the goals of this document is to solicit engagement from potential users and contributors to the Linux Foundation Networks projects. You are strongly encouraged to share your insights and thoughts with the LFN community. The LFN Technical Advisory Committee mailing list is one place to start such engagement. Please see more details in chapter 5.
Just over two decades ago, the network was mainly a fixed voice network in widespread use in mature markets but with limited reach in emerging economies. Cellular and the internet were only just starting to appear. Each regional network was built and run by a Communications Services Provider who would acquire the underlying proprietary technology from Network Equipment Providers and charge subscribers to use the network. The resulting networks were largely homogenous with most of the equipment typically coming from a single vendor.
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How then does the communications industry and its suppliers move to the open model of innovation, development and collaboration enjoyed by other technology-based industries? Enter Open Source. Benefits of Open Source in the Enterprise domain include higher quality software, improved security, lower cost of ownership and greater innovation. Linux has long been a leader in open source for Operating Systems, successful as a result of strong governance and collaboration and without one vendor controlling development or direction. Traditionally, the pace of innovation in the networking industry has been determined by a process that included standards creation, separate implementation of it based on each Network Equipment Providers' s interoperation interpretation and then multi-vendor interoperability testing. Often times several iterations of the process were required until the technology was ready for wide deployment.
Standards and Open Source, Better together: Open Source Software can accelerate and simplify the process as the open source implementation of the standards provides immediate feedback loop to the standard creation, and a reference implementation for Equipment Providers and Network Operators.
In recognising both the importance of communications to the emerging emerging global digital economy and to improving lives of people everywhere, and the challenges facing the commuications communications industry, the Linux Foundation established LFN as the umbrella organisation to provide platforms and building blocks for Network Infrastructure & Services across Service Providers, Cloud Providers, Enterprises, Vendors, System Integrators that enable rapid interoperability, deployment & adoption.
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