Network as a Service (NaaS) – Architecture, Service Models, Features

The last session was on IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). Today, we talk about NaaS (Network as a Service). In this NaaS tutorial, we will cover benefits, features, architecture, service models and requirement.

A Network as a Service (NaaS) provides networking infrastructure to the customers, who don’t want to build their own application

So, are you ready to explore Network as a Service?

What is Network as a Service (NaaS)?

The network as a service provides networking infrastructure to the customers, who don’t want to build their own application. The third party can deliver the network infrastructure.

NaaS includes services such as Wide Area Networking Connectivity, Datacenter Connectivity, Bandwidth on Demand, and other applications. It includes the optimization of resource allocations by making network and computing resources as a unified whole.

Here, the product can be purchased for multiple users, for a particular time period. We can use NaaS with other marketing items such as cloud computing. NaaS sometimes includes network virtualization using a protocol that is OpenFlow.

Features of Network as a Service

Let’s discuss some NaaS Features in Cloud Computing:

• NaaS allows the customer to access the internet directly and in a secure manner. In addition, it allows the customer to run custom routing protocols.
• With the help of a virtualized network, the NaaS provides network service to the consumer. This feature benefits the customer as they don’t have to manage and worry about the infrastructure and can focus on developing the business.
• It helps the user in a way by providing them with a virtual environment which saves their physical costs such as the cost of the hardware and their maintenance.
• Also, it has a feature of remote access through which a customer can access the data from anywhere and at any time with the help of internet connection.

Benefits of Network as a Service

Following are some advantages of NaaS:

• A network as a Service minimizes the time taken by the staff to maintain and for the commitment and due to this, the business grows.
• NaaS also has a guaranteed uptime to a location. This benefits the customers and is one of the primary business concerns.
• SD-WAN technologies are available at NaaS, which provides an easy to use multiple network links that helps in connectivity.
• SD-Wan technology also helps to solve the issues related to traffic engineering for applications such as VoIP.
• There is an ease with deployment and management at the NaaS model with the help of SD-WAN.

Do you know what is IDaaS (Identity as a Service)?

Requirements of NaaS

One of the major requirements is the integration with current DC hardware as the existing DC constitutes a significant investment. Use of commodity networking equipment reduces the cost of large DC deployments.

Another requirement is, Network as a Service should expose a natural programming model, which should be the high-level model. Moreover, it should not expose the full complexity of physical network topology in the DC.

The third requirement is that NaaS should support the multitude of different applications, running concurrently unaware of each other. This whole thing is called scalability and multi-tenancy isolation.

NaaS Architecture

In the architecture of Network as a Service, the network devices in NaaS can execute tenant code. The component responsible for the execution of the tenant code is the NaaS box.

NaaS boxes can be integrated into the same switch hardware, also it can be implemented as a different device connected with the help of high-bandwidth links. These NaaS boxes host in-network processing elements which perform application-specific processing of the packets that travel through them.

Service Models of NaaS

• Bandwidth-on-Demand
• Virtual Private Network
• Mobile Network Virtualization

Service Models of NaaS

i. Bandwidth-on-Demand

It is a technique by which we can assign the capacity, that totally depends on the requirement between different nodes and users. Here, the rates can be adapted to the traffic demands of the nodes that are connected to the link.

ii. Virtual Private Network

It integrates with the private network and the resources. It can include networks like public internet. VPN enables the host computer to transmit and receive data, across the shared and private network with functions and policies of the private network.

iii. Mobile Network Virtualization

Here, a network operator creates and manages a network and sells its software to the third party.

The Network as a Service includes: scalable and user-friendly, multicast protocols, security firewall, intrusion detection and prevention, Wide Area Network (WAN), Virtual Private Network (VPN), bandwidth on demand, custom routing content monitoring and filtering.

The providers of the NaaS focus on some specific areas such as, ultra-secure connectivity, ultra-simple configuration, or providing services to mobile and temporary locations. The small and middle side business is enjoying the advantages of Network as a Service.

Moreover, it provides benefits for those, having no previous investment in WAN. NaaS is selected over other models because it eliminates the capital investment and the hardware investment.

It is economical, as it reduces the work of staff, maintain the level, and reduces the staff assigned to that particular case.

Do you know What is Mobile Cloud Computing?

Conclusion

The networking of the software can gradually increase. Rather than utilizing hardware switches and nodes to drive network activity, corporations began to virtualize the network method and use virtual logic entities to regulate the network.

NaaS vendors usually emphasize SD-WAN functionality in addition to the simplicity of reading and management at the centre of the NaaS model.

The network as a service can still be one of the foremost fascinating new IT choices for corporations that want to try to a lot of in terms of code design, while not hiring engineers and building physical hardware setups.

Hope you liked our explanation. If you still have a query/doubt, feel free to ask in the comment section.