The network edge provides a dramatic opportunity for NFV deployment, as communications service providers rapidly convert their existing edge infrastructure to mini virtualized data centers, and as cloud providers extend their reach closer to end users. This presentation will describe this burgeoning market, explain the fundamental challenges, and review the various open source and standardization projects in this area. We will then introduce Smart NICs and show how Smart NICs using FPGAs that offer affordable, programmable, hardware-based acceleration, provide an ideal solution for this growing market segment. On this Light Reading webinar, we will address the following:
- What is the virtualized edge, and what are telcos and cloud providers doing in this space?
- The unique requirements of the virtualized edge
- Lessons learned from Microsoft Azure’s experience with Smart NICs
- How Smart NICs accelerate both NFVi and various VNFs at the edge using SR-IOV
- Why FPGA-based Smart NICs are best suited to address the challenges of the virtualized edge
Simon Stanley, Analyst at Large, Heavy Reading
Simon is founder and principal consultant of Earlswood Marketing, an independent market analysis and consulting company based in the U.K. His work has included investment due diligence, market analysis for investors and business/product strategy for semiconductor companies. Simon has written extensively for Heavy Reading and Light Reading, and he authors the bimonthly Heavy Reading Components Insiderresearch newsletter, covering the latest developments in telecom silicon and subsystems. His reports and Webinars cover a variety of communications-related subjects, including LTE, policy management, SDN/NFV, IMS, ATCA, 100/400G optical components, multicore processors, switch chipsets, network processors and optical transport. He has also run several Light Reading events, including Next-Generation Network Components and ATCA. Simon holds a bachelor's degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from Brunel University, London.
Barak Perlman, CTO, Ethernity
Barak leads the design of data center and virtualization activities at Ethernity. He oversees the development of ENET DPDK and several research projects. Barak participates in MEF and several open source activities.
Barak is an expert in SDN/NFV with significant experience in open-source projects. He had built full solutions from concept through high-level design, software and FPGA & ASIC design. Prior to Ethernity, Barak held a variety of technical positions, VP R&D, Chief Architect, and Director of Systems Engineering. He worked at ECI and in several start-ups including Chromatis Networks, acquired by Lucent. While at ConteXtream, which was acquired by HPE, Barak led the technical definitions of the vE-CPE and SD-WAN solutions. Prior to that, he was responsible for the architecture of networking ASICs for the PON market and NPUs in PMC-Sierra. Via all the positions he had held, Barak gained experience of close cooperation with many of the major carriers/MSOs worldwide. Over the course of years, Barak contributed to the work of many standardization bodies: ITU-T, IETF, IEEE, FSAN and BBF. Recently Barak has focused on performance and SDN in ETSI NFV ISG. Barak Perlman holds several patents.
Jim Kronebusch, Vice President, Technology & Engineering, HBC
Katherine Gessner, Vice President, Strategic Planning, MCTV
Katherine Gessner is responsible for implementation of the company's strategic plan and works closely with all aspects of the company's operations. Prior to her current role, she served as MCTV's Sales and Marketing Director where she oversaw marketing, commercial sales and the Safeguard home security sales teams. She is the granddaughter of MCTV founders, Richard and Susan Gessner, and the third generation to work at the family-owned company.
