BIG-IP Next Cloud-Native Network Functions (CNFs)
BIG-IP Next Cloud-Native Network Functions (CNFs) Optimize networks, reduce costs, and scale with true cloud-native functionality and unmatched security.
Scalable, Secure, and Cloud-Native with BIG-IP Next CNF 2.0
Built for Kubernetes, optimized for efficiency
CNF 2.0 is purpose-built for Kubernetes, delivering true cloud-native functionality. It leverages lightweight containers, secure API communication, and independent scaling of data and control planes. These features reduce complexity, lower operational costs, and deliver unmatched flexibility for dynamic network demands.
- True Cloud-Native Architecture - Built from the ground up for Kubernetes, CNF 2.0 uses lightweight containers, delivering unmatched resource efficiency and scalability.
- Secure API-Based Communication - Seamless and secure communication across containers enhances system reliability and reduces failure domains.
- Independent Scaling of Data and Control Planes - Optimally allocate resources with independent scaling, ensuring flexibility for both growing and complex workloads.
Unmatched scalability and cost efficiency
CNF 2.0 ensures high performance and reduced operational complexity using a disaggregation (DAG) layer for dynamic traffic steering, fast DNS acceleration, and consolidated subscriber services. With resource optimization that cuts CapEx by 60%+, service providers can seamlessly manage growing traffic and reduce costs.
- Disaggregation (DAG) for Traffic Steering - Efficiently route traffic across CNF pods with dynamic steering, ensuring better resource utilization and high performance.
- Accelerated DNS Delivery - High-speed DNS acceleration with caching ensures rapid query resolution and minimal latency for dynamic workloads.
- Resource Optimization for Cost Efficiency - Consolidated services reduce CapEx by 60%+ and streamline operations, lowering OpEx while boosting scalability.
Modern security for modern networks
CNF 2.0 provides advanced security with solutions including stateful firewall, DDoS mitigation, Deterministic CGNAT and IP Intelligences. These capabilities protect against evolving threats, optimize traffic control, and deliver user experiences with lower latency and greater reliability.
- High-Performance Stateful Firewall - Ensure secure, optimized user experiences for mobile and enterprise applications with intelligent, high-performance traffic management.
- DDoS Mitigation with Advanced Signatures - Protect against stealthy and high-volume DDoS attacks, safeguarding infrastructure and service availability.
- Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) - Granular traffic classification enables URL filtering, policy enforcement, and enhanced subscriber-level control.
Product Overview
Unlock the benefits of a cloud-native solution
BIG-IP Next CNFs are easily installed using F5-provided helm charts and configured using custom resources via the Kubernetes API.
BIG-IP Next Edge Firewall CNF
Firewall, DDoS, and Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) technology based on F5’s highly successful BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM).
BIG-IP Next DNS CNF
Enable DNS caching and reduce DNS latency up to 80%. DoH decrypts and resolves DNS queries over HTTPS without impacting RPS.
BIG-IP Next CGNAT CNF
Ease IPv6 migration and improve network scalability and security with IPv4 address management.
BIG-IP Next Policy Enforcer CNF
Improve QoE and ARPU with tools like traffic classification and subscriber awareness.
BIG-IP Next Disaggregation (DAG) CNF
Efficiently route traffic across CNF pods with dynamic steering, ensuring better resource utilization and high performance.
Deployable on NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs enabling AI use cases
By deploying on NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs, service providers can bring network and security functions closer to end users. This frees compute resources for diverse applications and allows service providers to gain scalable, cloud-native solutions capable of automatically adapting to evolving network demands.
Distributed N6-LAN
Enable efficient and secure processing of N6-LAN traffic at the edge, leveraging the high-performance capabilities of BlueField-3 DPUs to meet the stringent requirements of 5G networks.
AI-RAN
Optimize AI-RAN deployments with dynamic scaling and enhanced security, ensuring that AI workloads are processed efficiently and securely at the edge, improving overall network performance.
Edge AI Security
Deploy advanced AI applications at the edge with the confidence of carrier-grade security and traffic management, ensuring real-time processing and analytics for a variety of edge use cases.
Core Capabilities
Platform Support and Integrations
Cloud-native deployments
BIG-IP Next Cloud-Native Network Functions (CNF) can be flexibly deployed on Kubernetes cloud-native infrastructure
CNCF Certified
The Edge Firewall CNF is certified by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). The CNCF CNF Test Suite is an open-source test suite for telcos validating cloud native principles and best practices.
F5 Partner CNF certification program
Certify partner CNFs interoperability on SPK and Aspen Mesh
F5 and its partners certify onboarding, integration, deployment, and lifecycle management of BIG-IP Next SPK and Aspen Mesh in a cloud-native environment with F5 and vendor CNFs.
Resources
Featured
Unlocking the Power of Cloud-Native Infrastructures
Explore how F5's BIG-IP Next CNF drives cloud-native innovation. Join our webinar to unlock strategies for agile, scalable network solutions.
Watch the webinarSolution areas
Consolidate and Virtualize the S/Gi-LAN/N6 Functions ›
Videos
Rakuten Symphony Symworld Solutions Powered by F5 CNFs ›
Solution overviews
F5 and NVIDIA Optimize AI-RAN, Distributed N6-LAN, and AI Edge Security ›
Recent news
F5 Accelerates AI at the Edge for Service Providers with NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs ›
F5 Expands Collaboration with NVIDIA to Turbocharge AI-Powered Edge Innovations ›