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Tech Highlights

ETSI SDG OpenSlice and OpenCAPIF:

Transforming the Telecom

Standardization Landscape

Within ETSI, renowned for developing standards that drive technological innovation, the Software
Development Group (SDG) is a new type of group tailored for collaborative software development.
Two significant initiatives under this group are OpenSlice and OpenCAPIF, which are set to revolutionize the
telecom industry by enhancing interoperability, flexibility, and scalability in network services.

OpenSlice:
Network Slice as a Service

OpenSlice is an open-source Network slices in OpenSlice are for accessing and designing services,
Operations Support System (OSS) described according to the GSMA and the NFV portal for managing
prototype within the ETSI NFV Generic Slice Template (GST), NFV artifacts. OpenSlice allows third-
(Network Functions Virtualization) characterized to expose the TM Forum party applications to interact via TM
architectural framework. OpenSlice NaaS API suite. This approach enables Forum APIs, enhancing flexibility and
offers Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) service providers to offer customized integration capabilities.
following ETSI NFV, TM Forum, 3GPP, network slices efficiently, meeting
and ETSI Zero-touch Network and diverse customer requirements. OpenSlice’s cloud-native design
Service Management (ZSM) principles. supports deployment in Kubernetes,
OpenSlice exposes TM Forum OpenSlice’s architecture supports a ensuring scalability and resilience. By
OpenAPIs, and interacts seamlessly range of functions, including service automating the lifecycle management
with NFV orchestrators through ETSI order and orchestration, NFV catalog of network slices, OpenSlice
NFV APIs and data models, ensuring management, and service inventory significantly reduces the time and
interoperability with platforms such management. The platform offers effort required to deploy new services,
as Open Source MANO (OSM). two main portals: the Services portal thus accelerating time-to-market.

OpenCAPIF:
Common APIs Framework for Interoperability

OpenCAPIF (Open Common The core objective of OpenCAPIF is to approach by Network Applications.
API Framework) is another create a unified API framework that
groundbreaking initiative under ensures seamless interaction between OpenCAPIF supports mutual
the ETSI SDG program. It aims diverse systems and services. This TLS authentication for secure
to develop an open-source standards-based framework facilitates communication between API invokers
framework for the CAPIF concept the integration of new technologies and providers. It employs a Certificate
introduced in 3GPP Release 15. and services, making it easier for Authority to manage certificates and
OpenCAPIF provides an open-source operators to adopt and deploy offers three security mechanisms for
implementation of the core function, innovative solutions. OpenCAPIF is API consumption: pre-shared keys,
enabling secure and consistent API designed expose network and service certificates, and OAuth 2.0 tokens.
exposure and invocation. APIs from different domains, ensuring OpenCAPIF’s components are deployed
a harmonized API consumption in a Kubernetes environment.

14 Enjoy! The ETSI Mag – August 2024