I-Corps: Elastic Network Infrastructure

这个I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力在于创建一个新的网络类别。 该项目不是作为由公司IT人员管理的物理设备的静态集合提供，而是旨在提供网络处理即服务，从而降低资本成本（通过更有效地使用资源）以及运营成本（通过简化管理）。 实际上，它试图为网络做云计算为计算做的事情。 目标市场包括传统的企业网络，这些网络可以用此服务取代其物理网络设备，以节省资金并简化管理，以及云和电信服务提供商，这些服务可以作为附加功能提供给客户，以增加收入。 随着越来越多的设备上网，越来越多的流量通过网络，网络在业务运营中的重要性越来越高，对更可靠、更高效的网络的需求也将随之增加。I-Corps项目旨在探索一种新的网络功能虚拟化方法，将网络功能分解为独立的处理和状态存储组件。 实验表明，无缝的可扩展性，无中断的故障管理和处理速度与其他软件解决方案一致。 这个I-Corps项目的目的是采访大量的潜在客户，以了解他们当前和未来的需求，挑战和运营。有了这个，“无状态”网络功能技术的商业可行性和价值主张将得到更好的理解。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project rests in the creation of a new category of how networking is offered. Rather than offered as a static collection of physical appliances to be managed by a company's IT staff, this project aims to provide network processing as a service, and in turn reduce capital costs (through more efficient use of resources), as well as operational costs (by simplifying management). In effect, it seeks to do for networking what cloud computing did for computing. Target markets include traditional enterprise networks, which can replace their physical network devices with this service to save money and simplify management, and Cloud and telecom service providers which could offer the service as an add-on feature to their customers in order to increase revenue. As more devices come online, as more traffic traverses a network, and as networks further become more integral to business operations, the needs for more reliable and efficient networks will likewise increase.This I-Corps project explores the market for a new approach to network functions virtualization, where network functions are disaggregated into separate processing and state storage components. Experiments have shown seamless scalability, disruptionless failure management, and processing rates in line with other software solutions. The aim of this I-Corps project is to interview a large number of potential customers to understand their current and future needs, challenges, and operations. With this, the commercial viability and value proposition of the 'stateless' network functions technology will be better understood.