The Linux Foundation has announced a new open source project called Akraino. The goal of Akraino is to build a software stack that supports high-availability cloud services that are optimized for edge computing systems. The Akraino community plans to release the project source code in the second quarter of 2018.
As part of the announcement, AT&T is contributing code to the project for carrier-scale edge computing computing apps running on virtual machines. This will provide support for reliability and performance requirements for those apps.
“This project will bring the extensive work AT&T has already done to create low-latency, carrier-grade technology for the edge that address latency and reliability needs,” said Jim Zemlin, executive director of The Linux Foundation. “Akraino complements LF Networking projects like ONAP in automating services from edge to core. We’re pleased to welcome it to The Linux Foundation and invite the participation of others as we work together to form Akraino and establish its governance.”
The project will also allow users to accelerate the process of scaling edge cloud services, maximize the applications and subscribers supported on servers, and ensure that servers do not experience any downtime.
According to the Linux Foundation, there are several project out there currently that do pieces of that, but nothing that meets the need of an edge infrastructure solutions. By integrating existing efforts into this project, it will be able to “deliver ease of use, hardened reliability, unique features, and performance for carrier, provider, and IoT networks,” the Linux Foundation wrote in a post.
“Akraino, coupled with ONAP and OpenStack, will help to accelerate progress towards development of next-generation, network-based edge services, fueling a new ecosystem of applications for 5G and IoT,” said Mazin Gilbert, vice president of advanced technology at AT&T Labs.
