Service Proxy for Kubernetes and
Carrier-Grade Aspen Mesh help bridge 4G and 5G networks while
monetizing new capabilities
F5 (NASDAQ: FFIV) today announced BIG-IP Service Proxy for
Kubernetes (SPK) and Carrier-Grade Aspen Mesh, two infrastructure
solutions aimed at supporting the deployment and operation of
cloud-native 5G standalone core networks. These solutions feature
scalable performance, visibility, and security advancements that
enable service providers to deliver innovative new 5G-based
services to consumers and enterprises.
The move to a cloud-native 5G core represents an architectural
shift for service providers that leverages a microservices-based
approach and the standard Kubernetes platform. As such,
cloud-native 5G core services will need to coexist and interoperate
with 3G and 4G signaling protocols, applications, billing systems,
policies, and infrastructure.
F5’s new 5G solutions give service providers the ability to
offer their customers a seamless, secure experience, while keeping
the complexity and cost of their infrastructure low, avoiding the
expense of maintaining separate systems that may increase security
risks and operational overhead.
New 5G Solutions
BIG-IP SPK and Carrier-Grade Aspen Mesh are the first offerings
in a 5G portfolio that will accelerate digital transformation for
service providers and their customers. These new solutions allow
service providers to easily deploy cloud-native 5G core
infrastructure and scale the operation of thousands of
microservices and 5G container-based network functions (CNFs).
Built on a 5G core service-based architecture, BIG-IP SPK and
Carrier-Grade Aspen Mesh enable support for 5G workloads alongside
existing 4G workloads with network elasticity and the application
of granular traffic management, security, and access policies to
traffic into, out of, and between Kubernetes clusters. With
multi-protocol support, service providers can continue to
seamlessly monetize 4G network traffic while transitioning to
5G.
“F5’s new solutions support the significant demands of mobile
networks by augmenting Kubernetes infrastructure and enabling
customers to fully realize the benefits of a cloud-native 5G core
with simpler operations and a faster path to revenue,” said James
Feger, VP and GM of Service Provider at F5. “This means service
providers are able to more efficiently allocate their capital and
resources to deliver a broader range of 5G use cases where it
matters most.”
BIG-IP Service Proxy for
Kubernetes utilizes repeatable elements, or patterns, in
Kubernetes to bring telco capabilities to a Kubernetes environment,
providing necessary performance and security for cloud-native 5G
deployments. BIG-IP SPK features:
- Broad 4G and 5G signaling protocols support, including
Diameter, SIP, SCTP, GTP, and HTTP/2, that allows service providers
to transition to 5G while maintaining existing 4G services,
customers, and billing systems.
- Per-service secure proxy and Kubernetes cluster firewall to
provide control and protection for inter-cluster traffic flowing
into and out of the core 5G services.
- Automated Kubernetes service discovery and policy configuration
to reduce complexity and create efficiency for network operations
teams.
Carrier-Grade Aspen Mesh
provides observability, security, and control for traffic flowing
within and between Kubernetes clusters. Because it sits independent
of CNFs, Aspen Mesh offers service providers:
- A consistent approach to encrypting and authenticating HTTP/2
and TCP traffic between multi-vendor and multi-site network
functions, built on the strongest mutual TLS methods, tied back to
a carrier-grade and 3GPP-compatible certificate authority.
- Comprehensive traffic visibility among CNFs, providing revenue
assurance and visibility into the data needed to monetize 5G using
existing billing and charging systems.
- Additional features including Kubernetes packet capture
capabilities with Aspen Mesh Packet Inspector for advanced
troubleshooting and meeting lawful intercept requirements.
“Service providers are building a new IT ecosystem for their 5G
networks, and right-sizing network resources required for 5G
solutions is incredibly important. This allows service providers to
deliver on top edge computing use cases,” said Cliff Grossner,
Executive Director and Technology Fellow at OMDIA. “Ultimately,
this robust IT ecosystem will enable 5G solutions to work together
from the cloud to the edge to the far-edge as one interoperable
software environment. Multi-protocol 5G solutions help to solve
this important market requirement.”
Commitment to 5G Innovation
F5 also announced it has joined the 5G Open Innovation Lab
(5GOILab) as a Corporate partner. The 5GOILab is a global ecosystem
of corporate enterprises, academia and government institutions
working together with early- and later-stage startups to fuel the
development of new 5G capabilities and market categories. F5 is
committed to innovation and will leverage its rich experience in
telco network traffic management, application security services,
and cloud computing to help academia and the Lab’s startup
ecosystem develop, test, and deploy innovative 5G solutions while
accelerating market adoption.
Enabling Modern App Delivery at Scale
F5 has rapidly evolved over the past several years to offer the
broadest set of technologies to secure and deliver the applications
that matter most to its customers—the world’s largest enterprises,
service providers, financial and educational institutions,
government organizations, and consumer brands. BIG-IP SPK and
Carrier-Grade Aspen Mesh are part of a comprehensive portfolio of
F5 solutions that enable customers to deploy modern, adaptive
applications to meet the increasing customer and business demands
of today’s digital-first world. Like living organisms, these
applications will naturally adapt based on their
environment—growing, shrinking, defending, and
healing themselves.
F5 solutions address a wide range of modern application use
cases, from the highly complex demands of service provider and
banking industries to enterprise-grade software and SaaS offerings
tailored to the needs of developers and DevOps teams.
Availability
BIG-IP SPK and Carrier-Grade Aspen Mesh are currently being
tested in production environments with multiple tier-one service
providers around the world. BIG-IP SPK will be generally available
by the end of calendar year 2020. Carrier-Grade Aspen Mesh is
available now.
About F5
F5 (NASDAQ: FFIV) is a multi-cloud application security and
delivery company that enables organizations to bring extraordinary
digital experiences to life. For more information, go to f5.com.
You can also follow @F5 on Twitter or visit us on LinkedIn and
Facebook for more information about F5, its partners, and
technologies.
F5, BIG-IP, and Aspen Mesh are trademarks or service marks of F5
Networks, Inc., in the U.S. and other countries. All other product
and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective
owners.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements
relating to future events or future financial performance that
involve risks and uncertainties. Such statements can be identified
by terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "plans,"
"anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," or
"continue," or the negative of such terms or comparable terms.
These statements are only predictions and actual results could
differ materially from those anticipated in these statements based
upon a number of factors including those identified in the
company's filings with the SEC.
Source: F5 Networks
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201110005509/en/
Nathan Misner F5 (206) 272-7494 n.misner@f5.com Holly Lancaster
WE Communications (415) 547-7054 hluka@we-worldwide.com
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