Implementation of NRF in the Docker-based NFV platform

• Main Authors: Shasha Liu, Zhan Xu, Zhigang Tian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2019-10-01
• Series: The Journal of Engineering
• Subjects: virtual machines; virtualisation; cloud computing; 5g mobile communication; computer network performance evaluation; next generation networks; nrf; nfv-based 5g architecture; docker-based nfv platform; network function virtualisation; virtual network functions; virtualisation system; network services; 5g core network; network repository function; service discovery function; hardware platforms; next generation mobile network systems; software component; json+http/2.0 platform; nf register; nf update; nf deregister
• Online Access: https://digital-library.theiet.org/content/journals/10.1049/joe.2018.9135

Network function virtualisation (NFV) represents one of the key enablers of the next generation mobile network systems (5G). NFV allows running virtual network functions (NFs) as software components on top of a virtualisation system (i.e. virtual machines or containers) hosted in a cloud, allowing high flexibility and elasticity to deploy network services and functions. Therefore, the NFs in 5G core network can be deployed on the common hardware platform in the form of software. In this study, network repository function (NRF) is implemented in Docker-based NFV platform in the form of JSON + HTTP/2.0 that supports service discovery function. The performance of NRF is also tested on real hardware platforms, including NF Register, NF Update, and NF Deregister. From the experimental data, it can be seen that the NRF in the NFV-based 5G architecture has good performance, and Docker-based NFV platform is more flexible than traditional communication networks.