Akanda

Akanda is an open source Network Virtualization (NV) platform that provides virtualized networking, routing, and security services for cloud environments.

• Open source NV and orchestration for cloud infrastructures.
• Virtual routing and firewall services for multi-tenant environments.
• Integration with OpenStack-based clouds and related orchestration components.
• Support for Software Defined Networking (SDN) architectures and virtual network functions.
• Focus on automating lifecycle management of virtual networking services.

More About Akanda

Akanda is a NV platform designed for cloud operators that need virtualized Layer 3–7 services such as routing, firewalling, and Network Address Translation (NAT) in multi-tenant environments. It operates as an open source project and targets integration with Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) clouds, with a particular focus on OpenStack-based deployments where automated orchestration of network services is required.

The platform provides virtual network functions (VNFs) (network virtualization) that can be instantiated and managed in a SDN context. Akanda typically works alongside existing virtual switches and SDN controllers, handling higher-layer services like routing and firewall policies while relying on underlying virtual networking components for Layer 2 connectivity. This architectural separation allows cloud operators to pair Akanda with different Virtual Switch (vSwitch) technologies while maintaining a consistent model for tenant-facing network services.

In OpenStack environments (cloud networking), Akanda integrates with networking components to offer multi-tenant routers and security services that can be provisioned through standard cloud workflows. Tenants can obtain isolated virtual networks, connect them through virtual routers, and apply firewall rules, while operators manage capacity and lifecycle of these services using the Akanda control plane. The system coordinates configuration, monitoring, and failover of the virtual appliances that implement these functions.

From an enterprise use-case perspective, Akanda targets service providers, hosting companies, and organizations running private or hybrid clouds that require virtualized networking with automation rather than relying only on hardware appliances. It fits into marketplace categories such as NV, virtual Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) (vCPE), and SDN-based network services. Compared with traditional hardware routers and firewalls, Akanda’s model emphasizes software-based deployment, orchestration through cloud APIs, and tenancy-aware isolation within shared infrastructure.

Technically, Akanda aligns with architectures that use virtualization platforms such as Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM), hypervisor-based VNFs, and standard IP routing and firewalling protocols. It leverages concepts from SDN and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) (network functions virtualization) to expose network services programmatically and to scale them horizontally as tenant demand grows. For directory and taxonomy purposes, Akanda is best categorized under NV, SDN/NFV orchestration, and virtual routing and firewall services for cloud infrastructure operators.