ETSI GR NFV-EVE 023 V6.1.1 (2025-09)

Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Release 6; Evolution and Ecosystem; Report on new infrastructure resources for NFV

DGR/NFV-EVE023

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• Technical Committee: NFV EVE - Evolution and Ecosystem
• Current Stage: 12 - Citation in the OJ (auto-insert)
• Due Date: 30-Sep-2025
• Completion Date: 10-Sep-2025

Standards Content (Sample)

GROUP REPORT
Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Release 6;
Evolution and Ecosystem;
Report on new infrastructure resources for NFV
Disclaimer
The present document has been produced and approved by the Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) ETSI Industry
Specification Group (ISG) and represents the views of those members who participated in this ISG.
It does not necessarily represent the views of the entire ETSI membership.

2 ETSI GR NFV-EVE 023 V6.1.1 (2025-09)

Reference
DGR/NFV-EVE023
Keywords
cloud, management, NFV, NFVI
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ETSI
3 ETSI GR NFV-EVE 023 V6.1.1 (2025-09)
Contents
Intellectual Property Rights . 7
Foreword . 7
Modal verbs terminology . 7
1 Scope . 8
2 References . 8
2.1 Normative references . 8
2.2 Informative references . 8
3 Definition of terms, symbols and abbreviations . 9
3.1 Terms . 9
3.2 Symbols . 10
3.3 Abbreviations . 10
4 Introduction and overview . 10
4.1 Introduction to NFVI . 10
4.2 New NFVI dimensions . 11
4.2.1 Resources heterogeneity . 11
4.2.2 Locations, provision and distribution of resources . 11
4.2.3 Resources mobility . 11
4.3 New kinds of infrastructure resources . 12
4.3.1 Data Processing Unit (DPU) . 12
4.3.2 Satellite . 12
4.3.3 AI processors . 13
4.3.4 High-Altitude Platform Stations . 13
4.3.5 Vehicular Infrastructure . 14
4.3.6 Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces . 15
4.3.7 Smart-NICs . 15
4.3.8 Hybrid Cloud . 16
5 Use cases . 16
5.1 Overview . 16
5.2 Use cases about new sources of infrastructure . 16
5.2.1 Use case #1: Network service deployment across hybrid Cloud . 16
5.2.1.1 Introduction . 16
5.2.1.2 Actors and roles . 17
5.2.1.3 Trigger . 17
5.2.1.4 Pre-conditions . 17
5.2.1.5 Post-conditions . 17
5.2.1.6 Flow description . 18
5.2.2 Use case #2: Building/Setting up the NFVI of the hybrid Cloud . 18
5.2.2.1 Introduction . 18
5.2.2.2 Actors and roles . 18
5.2.2.3 Trigger . 18
5.2.2.4 Pre-conditions . 19
5.2.2.5 Post-conditions . 19
5.2.2.6 Flow description . 19
5.3 Use cases about new types of infrastructure resources . 20
5.3.1 Use case #3: Allocating acceleration resources to VNFs . 20
5.3.1.1 Introduction . 20
5.3.1.2 Actors and roles . 20
5.3.1.3 Trigger . 20
5.3.1.4 Pre-conditions . 20
5.3.1.5 Post-conditions . 20
5.3.1.6 Flow description . 21
5.3.2 Use case #4: Creating bare-metal server pool with DPUs . 21
5.3.2.1 Introduction . 21
5.3.2.2 Actors and roles . 21
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4 ETSI GR NFV-EVE 023 V6.1.1 (2025-09)
5.3.2.3 Trigger . 21
5.3.2.4 Pre-conditions . 21
5.3.2.5 Post-conditions . 22
5.3.2.6 Flow description . 22
5.3.3 Use case #5: Create CIS cluster on bare-metal server pool with DPUs . 22
5.3.3.1 Introduction . 22
5.3.3.2 Actors and roles . 22
5.3.3.3 Trigger . 23
5.3.3.4 Pre-conditions . 23
5.3.3.5 Post-conditions . 23
5.3.3.6 Flow description . 23
5.3.4 Use case #6: Offloading components to DPUs of a bare-metal server pool . 24
5.3.4.1 Introduction . 24
5.3.4.2 Actors and roles . 24
5.3.4.3 Trigger . 24
5.3.4.4 Pre-conditions . 24
5.3.4.5 Post-conditions . 24
5.3.4.6 Flow description . 25
5.3.5 Use case #7: Instantiating container-based VNFs on a bare-metal CIS cluster with DPUs . 25
5.3.5.1 Introduction . 25
5.3.5.2 Actors and roles . 25
5.3.5.3 Trigger . 25
5.3.5.4 Pre-conditions . 25
5.3.5.5 Post-conditions . 26
5.3.5.6 Flow description . 26
5.3.6 Use case #8: Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces as a network resource . 26
5.3.6.1 Introduction . 26
5.3.6.2 Actors and roles . 26
5.3.6.3 Trigger . 27
5.3.6.4 Pre-conditions . 27
5.3.6.5 Post-conditions . 27
5.3.6.6 Flow description . 27
5.3.7 Use case #9: RIS as a PNF . 27
5.3.7.1 Introduction . 27
5.3.7.2 Actors and roles . 28
5.3.7.3 Trigger . 28
5.3.7.4 Pre-conditions . 28
5.3.7.5 Post-conditions . 28
5.3.7.6 Flow description . 28
5.4 Use cases about location and mobility of infrastructure . 29
5.4.1 Use case #10: Network service deployment across vehicular infrastructure . 29
5.4.1.1 Introduction . 29
5.4.1.2 Actors and roles . 29
5.4.1.3 Trigger . 29
5.4.1.4 Pre-conditions . 29
5.4.1.5 Post-conditions . 30
5.4.1.6 Flow description . 30
5.4.2 Use case #11: Network service scaling using infrastructure on HAPS . 30
5.4.2.1 Introduction . 30
5.4.2.2 Actors and roles . 30
5.4.2.3 Trigger . 31
5.4.2.4 Pre-conditions . 31
5.4.2.5 Post-conditions . 31
5.4.2.6 Flow description . 31
6 Key issue analysis . 32
6.1 Introduction . 32
6.2 Key issues on resources heterogeneity . 32
6.2.1 RIS related key issues . 32
6.2.2 Acceleration resources related key issues . 32
6.3 Key issues on location, provision and distribution of resources . 33
6.3.1 Hybrid Cloud related key issues . 33
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5 ETSI GR NFV-EVE 023 V6.1.1 (2025-09)
6.4 Key issues on resources mobility . 34
6.4.1 HAPS related key issues . 34
6.4.2 Vehicular infrastructure related key issues . 35
7 Framework and potential solutions . 36
7.1 Introduction . 36
7.2 Potential solutions . 37
7.2.1 Solutions related to hybrid Cloud resource provisioning and management . 37
7.2.1.1 Introduction . 37
7.2.1.2 Solution #1: Management scopes and interactions between the NFV-MANO and public Cloud
management system in case of infrastructure provisioning . 38
7.2.1.2.1 Solution description . 38
7.2.1.2.2 Key issues addressed . 38
7.2.1.2.3 Gap analysis . 38
7.2.1.3 Solution #2: Management scopes and interactions between the NFV-MANO and public Cloud
management system in case of infrastructure provisioning and NFs management . 39
7.2.1.3.1 Solution description . 39
7.2.1.3.2 Key issues addressed . 40
7.2.1.3.3 Gap analysis . 40
7.2.1.4 Solution #3: Management scopes and interactions between the NFV-MANO and public Cloud
management system in case of infrastructure provisioning and VNFs and NSs management . 40
7.2.1.4.1 Solution description . 40
7.2.1.4.2 Key issues addressed . 41
7.2.1.4.3 Gap analysis . 41
7.2.2 Solutions related to connectivity for hybrid Cloud deployments . 41
7.2.2.1 Introduction . 41
7.2.2.2 Solution #4: Multi-site connectivity service between private Cloud sites and public Cloud sites
provided by WIM . 42
7.2.2.2.1 Solution description . 42
7.2.2.2.2 Key issues addressed . 42
7.2.2.2.3 Gap analysis . 42
7.2.3 Solution related to VNF placement in the hybrid Cloud . 43
7.2.3.1 Solution #5: VNF placement in the public Cloud . 43
7.2.3.1.1 Introduction . 43
7.2.3.1.2 Solution description . 43
7.2.3.1.3 Key issues addressed . 43
7.2.3.1.4 Key issues addressed . 43
7.2.3.2 Solution #6: VNF placement in the public Cloud with prior knowledge of available locations . 43
7.2.3.2.1 Introduction . 43
7.2.3.2.2 Solution description . 44
7.2.3.2.3 Key issues addressed . 44
7.2.3.2.4 Gap analysis . 44
7.2.4 Solution related to HAPS . 44
7.2.4.1 Introduction . 44
7.2.4.2 Solution #7: NFV-MANO aware of HAPS mobility, power consumption, and hardware
resources . 44
7.2.4.2.1 Introduction . 44
7.2.4.2.2 Solution description . 44
7.2.4.2.3 Key issues addressed . 45
7.2.4.2.4 Gap analysis . 45
7.2.4.3 Solution #8: Mapping VNFs' requirements to HAPS availability . 46
7.2.4.3.1 Introduction . 46
7.2.4.3.2 Solution description . 46
7.2.4.3.3 Key issues addressed . 47
7.2.4.3.4 Gap analysis . 47
7.2.4.4 Solution #9: Suitable virtualisation technologies for resource- and power-constrained
environment such as HAPS . 47
7.2.4.4.1 Introduction . 47
7.2.4.4.2 Solution description . 47
7.2.4.4.3 Key issues addressed . 48
7.2.4.4.4 Gap analysis . 48
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7.2.4.5 Solution #10: the LCM and OAM operations related to VNFs deployed over NFVI provided by
HAPS . 49
7.2.4.5.1 Solution description . 49
7.2.4.5.2 Key issues addressed . 49
7.2.4.5.3 Gap analysis . 50
7.2.4.6 Solution #11: Predicting and handling failures of VNFs and NSs deployed on infrastructure
provided by HAPS . 50
7.2.4.6.1 Solution description . 50
7.2.4.6.2 Key issues addressed . 50
7.2.4.6.3 Gap analysis . 50
7.3 Evaluation of solutions . 51
7.3.1 Overview . 51
7.3.2 Evaluation of solutions for key issues about hybrid Cloud . 51
7.3.3 Evaluation of solutions for key issues about HAPS. 52
8 Recommendations . 53
8.1 Overview . 53
8.2 Recommendations related to the NFV architectural framework . 54
8.3 Recommendations related to functional aspects . 54
8.4 Recommendations related to interfaces and information model. 54
9 Conclusion . 55
Annex A: Change history . 56
History . 59

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7 ETSI GR NFV-EVE 023 V6.1.1 (2025-09)
Intellectual Property Rights
Essential patents
IPRs essential or potentially essential to normative deliverables may have been declared to ETSI. The declarations
pertaining to these essential IPRs, if any, are publicly available for ETSI members and non-members, and can be
found in ETSI SR 000 314: "Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs); Essential, or potentially Essential, IPRs notified to
ETSI in respect of ETSI standards", which is available from the ETSI Secretariat. Latest updates are available on the
ETSI IPR online database.
Pursuant to the ETSI Directives including the ETSI IPR Policy, no investigation regarding the essentiality of IPRs,
including IPR searches, has been carried out by ETSI. No guarantee can be given as to the existence of other IPRs not
referenced in ETSI SR 000 314 (or the updates on the ETSI Web server) which are, or may be, or may become,
essential to the present document.
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ETSI claims no ownership of these except for any which are indicated as being the property of ETSI, and conveys no
right to use or reproduce any trademark and/or tradename. Mention of those trademarks in the present document does
not constitute an endorsement by ETSI of products, services or organizations associated with those trademarks.
DECT™, PLUGTESTS™, UMTS™ and the ETSI logo are trademarks of ETSI registered for the benefit of its
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the oneM2M Partners. GSM and the GSM logo are trademarks registered and owned by the GSM Association.
Foreword
This Group Report (GR) has been produced by ETSI Industry Specification Group (ISG) Network Functions
Virtualisation (NFV).
Modal verbs terminology
In the present document "should", "should not", "may", "need not", "will", "will not", "can" and "cannot" are to be
interpreted as described in clause 3.2 of the ETSI Drafting Rules (Verbal forms for the expression of provisions).
"must" and "must not" are NOT allowed in ETSI deliverables except when used in direct citation.

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8 ETSI GR NFV-EVE 023 V6.1.1 (2025-09)
1 Scope
The present document investigates the aspects about enabling in the NFV framework new dimensions to extend and
evolve the NFVI in terms of source, location, and mobility, resources distribution and resources heterogeneity,
including but not limited to the study of use cases on:
- new locations for infrastructure resources (e.g. data centres for non-terrestrial networks);
- new types of infrastructure resources (e.g. SmartNICs, Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces); and
- new sources of infrastructure resources (e.g. public Cloud providers).
The present document also analyses key issues related to respective use cases and documents potential solutions, and
where applicable, it also provides recommendations for enhancements to the NFV architectural framework and its
functionality aiming to provide further support to address the inclusion of new NFV infrastructure resources.
2 References
2.1 Normative references
Normative references are not applicable in the present document.
2.2 Informative references
References are either specific (identified by date of publication and/or edition number or version number) or
non-specific. For specific references, only the cited version applies. For non-specific references, the latest version of the
referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
NOTE: While any hyperlinks included in this clause were valid at the time of publication, ETSI cannot guarantee
their long-term validity.
The following referenced documents may be useful in implementing an ETSI deliverable or add to the reader's
understanding, but are not required for conformance to the present document.
[i.1] ETSI GR NFV 003: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV); Terminology for Main Concepts in
NFV".
[i.2] ETSI GS NFV 006: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Release 5; Management and
Orchestration; Architectural Framework Specification".
[i.3] ETSI TS 123 501 (V18.9.0): "5G; System architecture for the 5G System (5GS) (3GPP TS 23.501
version 18.9.0 Release 18)".
[i.4] 3GPP TR 38.811: "Study on New Radio (NR) to support non-terrestrial networks (Release 15)".
[i.5] ETSI GR RIS 001: "Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS); Use Cases, Deployment Scenarios
and Requirements".
[i.6] ETSI GR RIS 002: "Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS); Technological challenges,
architecture and impact on standardization".
[i.7] ETSI GS NFV-IFA 001: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV); Acceleration Technologies;
Report on Acceleration Technologies & Use Cases".
[i.8] ETSI SR 003 391: "Cloud Standards Coordination Phase 2; Interoperability and Security in Cloud
Computing.
[i.9] ETSI GS NFV-IFA 032: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Release 5; Management and
Orchestration; Interface and Information Model Specification for Multi-Site Connectivity
Services".
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9 ETSI GR NFV-EVE 023 V6.1.1 (2025-09)
[i.10] ETSI GS NFV-IFA 036: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Release 5; Management and
Orchestration; Requirements for service interfaces and object model for container cluster
management and orchestration specification".
[i.11] ETSI GS NFV-IFA 005: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Release 5; Management and
Orchestration; Or-Vi reference point - Interface and Information Model Specification".
[i.12] ETSI GS NFV-IFA 053: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Release 5; Management and
Orchestration; Requirements and interface specification for Physical Infrastructure Management".
[i.13] ETSI GS NFV-IFA 030: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Release 5; Management and
Orchestration; Multiple Administrative Domain Aspect Interfaces Specification".
[i.14] ETSI GS NFV-IFA 013: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Release 5; Management and
Orchestration; Os-Ma-nfvo reference point - Interface and Information Model Specification".
[i.15] ETSI GS NFV-SOL 011: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Release 4; Protocols and Data
Models; RESTful protocols specification for the Or-Or Reference Point".
[i.16] ETSI GR NFV-IFA 035: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Release 5; Architectural
Framework; Report on network connectivity integration and operationalization for NFV".
[i.17] ETSI GS NFV-IFA 011: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Release 5; Management and
Orchestration; VNF Descriptor and Packaging Specification".
[i.18] ETSI GR NFV-EVE 025: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV); Release 6; Evolution and
Ecosystem; Report on Serverless and other application virtualization forms in NFV".
[i.19] ETSI GS NFV-IFA 049: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV); Release 5; Architectural
Framework; VNF generic OAM functions and other PaaS Services specification".
[i.20] G. Karabulut Kurt et al.: "A Vision and Framework for the High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS)
Networks of the Future," in IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, vol. 23, no. 2,
pp. 729-779, Secondquarter 2021, doi: 10.1109/COMST.2021.
[i.21] ETSI GS NFV-IFA 045: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Release 5; Management and
Orchestration; Faults and alarms modelling specification".
[i.22] ETSI GS NFV-IFA 008: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Release 5; Management and
Orchestration; Ve-Vnfm reference point - Interface and Information Model Specification".
[i.23] ETSI GS NFV-IFA 047: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Release 5; Management and
Orchestration; Management data analytics Service Interface and Information Model
Specification".
[i.24] ETSI GR NFV-IFA 041: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Release 4; Management and
Orchestration; Report on enabling autonomous management in NFV-MANO".
[i.25] ETSI GS NFV-IFA 027: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Release 5; Management and
Orchestration; Performance Measurements Specification".
[i.26] ETSI GR NFV-IFA 046: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Release 5; Architectural
Framework; Report on NFV support for virtualisation of RAN".
3 Definition of terms, symbols and abbreviations
3.1 Terms
For the purposes of the present document, the terms given in ETSI GR NFV 003 [i.1] apply.
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10 ETSI GR NFV-EVE 023 V6.1.1 (2025-09)
3.2 Symbols
Void.
3.3 Abbreviations
For the purposes of the present document, the abbreviations given in ETSI GR NFV 003 [i.1] and the following apply:
AI Artificial Intelligence
ASIC Application Specific Integrated Circuit
BS Base Station
DC Data Centre
DL Deep Learning
DPDK Data Plane Development Kit
DPU Data Processing Unit
EPD Extensible Para-virtualised Device
FPGA Field Programmable Gate Array
FRU Field Replaceable Unit
GEO Geosynchronous Earth Orbit
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
HAPS High-Altitude Platform Station
ICT Information and Communications Technology
LEO Low Earth Orbit
LIS Large Intelligent Surface
MEO Medium Earth Orbit
ML Machine Learning
NPU Neural Processing Unit
NTN Non-Terrestrial Network
OBU On-Board Unit
RDMA Remote Direct Memory Access
RIS Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface
RSU Roadside Unit
SoC System-on-a-Chip
TPU Tensor Processing Unit
TRM Time-varying Resource Management
UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
UPF User Plane Function
V2I Vehicle-to-Infrastructure
V2V Vehicle-to-Vehicle
VCC Vehicular Cloud Computing
4 Introduction and overview
4.1 Introduction to NFVI
The NFV Infrastructure (NFVI) comprises the infrastructure used for NFV deployments. As defined in ETSI
GR NFV 003 [i.1], the NFVI comprises the totality of all hardware and software components that build up the
environment in which VNFs are deployed.
The types of resources comprising the NFVI are compute, storage and n
...