Sergio Tarazona
Gerente de Soluciones y Arquitectura en Whitestack
The telecom industry has widely adopted Kubernetes as its container orchestration platform. Network functions are increasingly being containerized, with new deployments emerging daily. However, Telco applications introduce unique challenges not originally addressed by Kubernetes—such as multi-interface pods, ultra-low latency, and high bandwidth requirements. In practice, while most vendors use Helm for deployment, each implements network functions differently, leading to fragmentation.
The Project Sylva
Sylva is an initiative led by European operators (Telefónica, Orange, T-Mobile, TIM), network function vendors, and infrastructure providers. Its goals:
Deliver a Telco/Edge-optimized cloud framework addressing technical challenges in the ecosystem.
Develop a reference implementation with a validation program for compliant deployments.
In short: Sylva standardizes how network functions (Telco apps) are deployed.
The Problem Today
While tools like Helm manage application deployment, they ignore infrastructure requirements (e.g., SR-IOV, CPU pinning, kernel/kubelet tuning). Each infrastructure provider meets these needs ad hoc, creating portability and interoperability issues across environments.
Sylva’s Solution
Standardized Infrastructure Provisioning: Defines all infra requirements via “units”, ensuring consistent resource allocation.
GitOps Lifecycle Management: Enables true cloud-native workflows.
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Adoption Roadmap
The Sylva working group has already:
Released an upstream-aligned reference software.
Validated key network functions:
✅ User Plane Function (UPF)
✅ 5G Core Network
✅ Policy Control Function (PCF)
✅ Telco Service Orchestrator
✅ Session Management Function (SMF)
Eight validation centers are operational in Europe, with Whitestack soon launching Latin America’s first hub.
Industry Impact
Sylva aims to:
Align network function vendors with its framework.
Encourage operators to require Sylva compliance in procurement.
Ensure portability and interoperability for containerized network functions (CNFs).
Whitestack’s Role in Sylva
With proven expertise deploying carrier-grade CNFs in Latin America, Whitestack understands the region’s unique Telco challenges. By joining Sylva, we’re:
Aligning with open standards to simplify deployments.
Adapting WhiteCruiser to become Sylva-compliant, combining Sylva’s benefits with our platform’s high availability, scalability, and efficiency.
Why it matters:
Operators gain standardized, portable CNFs.
Vendors reduce integration complexity.
The ecosystem moves toward true interoperability.
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