News

OpenSAF Project Targets Communications Services

• By Kurt Mackie
• March 5, 2007

Motorola is spearheading an open-source project that supports SA Forum standards for high availability communications services.

The new OpenSAF (Service Availability Forum) project aims to help independent software vendors and network equipment providers integrate operations via common software building blocks for high-availability communications services.

High-availability systems are typically what telecommunications operators need to ensure quality of service for customers. It refers to the system’s availability to perform operations on demand, rather than the equipment’s reliability.

For its part, Motorola is contributing its NetPlane Core Services (NCS) middleware suite to the OpenSAF project. The NCS software is a high-availability operating environment that doesn’t depend on a specific platform or operating system.

Ericsson plans to contribute initial resources to enhance the OpenSAF product. Other network equipment providers, such as Nokia, Nortel, OKI and Siemens Networks, have endorsed the OpenSAF initiative. Interphase, MontaVista Software and Wind River have also expressed support.

The OpenSAF project will use open-source standards advocated by the Service Availability Forum, a member organization that includes telecom equipment manufacturers such as Ericsson, Fujitsu, Lucent, NEC, Nokia, Nortel, NTT and Siemens.

Other equipment manufacturers that are part of the Service Availability Forum include Fujitsu Siemens Computers, HP, IBM, and Sun Microsystems.