The Linux Foundation announced on Wednesday that it’s creating a new open networking automation project for virtual network functions using code donated by telecommunications provider AT&T Inc.

Virtual network functions refers to virtualized tasks done in software that were formerly carried out by proprietary, dedicated hardware. With VNF, network functions are moved away from dedicated hardware devices and delivered by the software, so that specific functions can be performed on standard Intel Corp. x86 servers without any additional hardware.

AT&T said it’s donating its ECOMP software, the operating system for its own software-defined network, to serve as the framework for the Linux Foundation’s new project. The stated goal of the project, which still hasn’t officially launched, is to enable software, network, information technology and cloud providers and developers to rapidly create new services in response to evolving customer requirements.

The ECOMP framework is designed to facilitate policy-driven software automation of virtual network functions in real time. It can leverage cloud technologies along with network virtualization to offer new network services, and can handle diverse workloads, ranging from the real-time creation of virtual machines on commercial hardware to the dynamic assignment of applications and workloads, AT&T said.

Besides AT&T, a whole bunch of prominent tech companies have signed up for the open networking automation effort, including Brocade Communications Systems Inc., IBM Corp., Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., Intel Corp. and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, the Linux Foundation said. The project will be covered by the Apache 2.0 open source license, with the organization promising more details to come during its Open Networking Summit in Santa Clara, California April 3-6.

Photo: SIII87 Flickr via Compfight cc