Ruckus' virtual WLAN controller is first component in a larger NFV plan

Ruckus Wireless unveiled a virtualized wireless LAN controller targeted at mobile network operators, cable operators, managed service providers (MSPs) and enterprises requiring a carrier-class solution. The cloud-based controller is designed to run in a service provider's data center.

Building on the company's hardware-centric SmartCell Gateway 200 (SCG), the Ruckus vSCG runs as a virtual application within either the open-source KVM (Kernel-base Virtual Machine) or VMware's vSphere virtualization environments. It provides gateway functionality for Ruckus' Smart Wi-Fi ZoneFlex access points.

The vSCG's virtual appliance layer handles control plane traffic, while data plane traffic can be forwarded via either centralized or distributed paths, Ruckus said. "This provides for some Wi-Fi user traffic to be forwarded directly from the access point to the Internet, while other traffic is forwarded to an operator, partner, or enterprise network for additional handling," the company added.

Ruckus noted the vSCG lets organizations control their cloud-based WLAN service offerings and support their own service-level agreements with customers. In addition, the vSCG can run in either dedicated or multi-tenant mode. 

The vSCG will be a component in a larger network functions virtualization (NFV) solution being planned by Ruckus, which said it intends to roll out a virtualized infrastructure and services manager for Ruckus virtualized appliances. The manager will integrate support for OpenStack open-source cloud computing software.


(Source: Ruckus Wireless)

Ruckus will charge a perpetual software license fee of $995 for each instance of the vSCG deployed, plus a perpetual license fee of $100 per each Ruckus ZoneFlex access point installed in each network.

The first two service providers to use the vSCG are Frontiir, a U.S.-based technology company that provides enterprise ICT and communications services and solutions in Myanmar, and Global Gossip, a Wi-Fi managed services provider based in Sydney, Australia.

For more:
- see this Ruckus release

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