2017.05.16 – Open Online YANG Repository Enhances Network Management

Open Online YANG Repository Enhances Network Management and Boosts Operational Efficiency

IETF and Broadband Forum participants collaborate streamline network operations and management

16 May 2017 – Collaboration among network engineers active in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the Broadband Forum has produced the YANG Catalog, an open online repository designed to make sharing, finding and using network management models simpler and easier.

The YANG Catalog collects models specified for use in a wide variety of networking equipment and deployed by operators around the world to accelerate and automate network operations and management. The catalog contains numerous models standardized in the IETF, Broadband Forum and IEEE, as well as vendor-specific data models. The catalog makes it easy to search for models and identify their maturity level, module type and implementation information.

Developed by the IETF, YANG is a data modeling language, widely used by network operators to automate the configuration and control of network elements. As a common language, YANG enables the reuse of data models across equipment from different vendors and networks managed by different operators. The YANG Catalog was built by engineers from many different networking companies while participating in IETF Hackathon events.

“We started this journey towards data model-driven management years ago and since then YANG has become THE data modeling language of choice for the industry. This is good news, but industry Coordination around YANG is even better news. The YANG Catalog aims to break down silos and reduce barriers, making it easier for data model developers to find what already exists and for operators to do their work efficiently. We’re excited about the progress made so far by this joint effort between the IETF and Broadband Forum, and welcome interest and participation from other standards organizations, equipment vendors, open source projects and network operators.”

The Broadband Forum published its first YANG models for Fiber-To-The-distribution point (FTTdp) management software specifications last year. The Forum’s work on TR-355 has delivered YANG Models for Fiber-To-The-distribution point management, allowing operators to configure and control fiber-fed nodes (DPUs) in the periphery of the access network, enabling interoperability for FTTdp management. This management model was the first to follow the Forum’s new Intellectual Property Policy, which was updated last year to streamline software licensing and meet the increasing desire of industry players to develop specifications with agility and transparency. While previously work in progress was only visible to Forum members, today the Forum is making its work in progress public so the industry can use the YANG models much more quickly and the Forum can perfect the models with industry feedback.

“By providing open access to a wide variety of models that can be combined to meet specific network management needs, including active validation and testing of the new models, the YANG Catalog provides an alternative to large and sometimes cumbersome standards processes. It is a key enabler in the evolution towards more agile and programmable networks. The YANG Catalog collaboration successfully combines our domain expertise in broadband management and the efficiency of YANG modeling, as well as the agility of our new licensing policy that allows early and open review of our software releases. We appreciate the support and collaboration we have with the experts at the IETF.”

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