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Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP)

The Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) is an open-source, model-driven automation platform for design, orchestration, and lifecycle management of physical and virtual network services and network functions (network automation / orchestration).

  • End-to-end design, orchestration, and lifecycle management of network services and network functions (network automation).
  • Model-driven service design and policy-based automation for closed-loop control (service orchestration / policy management).
  • Support for multi-domain and multi-site networks across physical, virtual, and cloud-native infrastructure (hybrid network management).
  • Integration with Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) ecosystems for programmable control of networking resources (SDN/NFV orchestration).
  • Common automation platform under LF Networking governance for CSPs, enterprises, and solution vendors (open-source network automation framework).

More About ONAP

The Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) is an open-source project hosted by LF Networking that provides a unified platform for real-time, policy-driven orchestration and automation of physical and virtual network functions and services (network automation / orchestration). ONAP targets communication service providers (CSPs), cloud providers, and large enterprises that need a common framework to automate complex, multi-vendor network environments and reduce manual configuration and operations.

ONAP addresses the problem space created by SDN and NFV, where networks are programmable and functions run on virtualized or cloud-native infrastructure (SDN/NFV management). In this context, ONAP delivers capabilities for service design, deployment, configuration, monitoring, and closed-loop control, using model-driven definitions and policies instead of static, device-centric scripts. It supports both existing physical network functions and newer virtual network functions, enabling operators to manage hybrid networks through a single automation layer.

The platform is organized into functional areas that include service design and creation, orchestration, control, analytics, and policy (network orchestration / service management). The design-time environment allows users to model services, resources, and workflows using standardized templates and descriptors. At runtime, ONAP’s orchestration and control components coordinate with SDN controllers, Virtual Network Function (VNF) managers, and cloud platforms to instantiate, configure, scale, and retire services. Policy-driven automation enables closed-loop operations, where telemetry and analytics can trigger predefined actions such as scaling, healing, or reconfiguration without manual intervention.

ONAP integrates with existing ecosystems through open APIs and standard interfaces (integration / interoperability). It is built to interoperate with SDN controllers, NFV MANO components, and various cloud infrastructure stacks, enabling deployment across multiple domains and sites. The project emphasizes a modular, microservices-based architecture (cloud-native architecture), typically deployed using container orchestration platforms, which allows operators and vendors to extend or replace individual components while maintaining a consistent automation framework.

In enterprise and carrier environments, ONAP is used as a network automation and orchestration layer for services such as VPNs, 5G network slices, virtual Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), and other virtualized or cloud-native network offerings (telecom service orchestration). Its model-driven approach supports reuse of service definitions and policies across different deployments, which can streamline service introduction and operations. Under the LF Networking umbrella, ONAP aligns with other networking projects and reference architectures, providing a common platform that vendors and operators can use to integrate domain-specific controllers, management systems, and analytics tools. Within a technical taxonomy, ONAP fits into categories such as network service orchestration, NFV/SDN management and orchestration (MANO), and closed-loop network automation.