What are Virtual Network Functions (VNFs)?

Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) are software implementations of network functions that run on virtualized infrastructure rather than on dedicated hardware devices. This allows traditional network services to be decoupled from the physical devices and allows them to be deployed in virtual environments. VNFs can be hosted on a variety of computing resources, which enhances flexibility, scalability, and agility in network management.

The use of VNFs enables organizations to rapidly deploy, update, and manage network services with reduced costs and improved efficiency, as they can leverage existing server infrastructure rather than relying solely on specialized hardware. This model supports the dynamic provisioning of resources and allows for service chaining, where different VNFs can be linked together to deliver comprehensive networking functions.

In contrast, physical appliances refer to dedicated hardware, databases pertain to data storage and retrieval rather than to network functions, and hardware components of Network Functions Virtualization Infrastructure (NFVI) specifically refer to the underlying physical resources that support the virtualization of network services, not the services themselves.