Architecture of NFV | How Network Function VIRTUALIZATION Works in SDN
2How NFV Works (Simple Steps):
NFV Infrastructure (NFVI):
This is the foundation layer with physical servers, storage, and network devices.
It provides the raw computing power.
Virtualization Layer:
This layer uses hypervisors or containers to create virtual machines (VMs).
It allows multiple Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) to run on shared hardware.
Virtual Network Functions (VNFs):
These are software versions of traditional hardware (like firewall, router, etc.).
VNFs run on the virtual machines created in the virtualization layer.
NFV Orchestrator (MANO):
MANO stands for Management and Orchestration.
It manages VNFs—deploying, monitoring, scaling, and updating them automatically.
User Request → VNF → Virtualization → NFVI:
When a network task is needed (like routing data), the request is handled by a VNF, which runs on a virtual machine, which uses physical hardware from the NFVI.
📦 Example:
Let’s say you want to use a firewall feature:
A virtual firewall VNF is launched.
It runs in a virtual machine on shared servers.
The orchestrator makes sure it’s running correctly and scales it up if traffic increases.