The OpenSAF project announced a new version of its open source High Availability (HA) middleware platform for Carrier Grade Linux (CGL) networking systems. Release 3.0 of the Open Service Availability Framework (OpenSAF) adds numerous platform management features, usability improvements, and support for Java APIs, says the project.

Available for free download under the LGPL 2.1 license, OpenSAF 3.0 is based on some 200 contributions from members, as well as beta versions that have been “thoroughly tested by the community” since last August, says OpenSAF. The new release is said to bring the code into closer alignement with recent Service Availability Forum (SAF) and SCOPE Alliance specifications.

Key features in OpenSAF 3.0 include:

• Improved compliance with current SAF specifications for high availability, including Availability Management Framework (AMF)
• New Information Model Management (IMM) service, enabling standardized management of both applications and OpenSAF itself
• New notification (NTF) services for standardized alarm handling
• Extensive usability improvements, including simplified Linux-based build system
• Support for Java APIs
• Updated availability, logging, event, message, and check-pointing services

OpenSAF background

OpenSAF is intended to conserve engineering resources for NEPs (network equipment providers) and other companies requiring high availability, says the Foundation. It is also intended to act as a benchmark for developing highly available applications.

The OpenSAF project was launched in 2007 with the release of OpenSAF 1.0, developed by Motorola's Embedded Communications Computing Group (ECC). Motorola ECC was then acquired by Emerson Network Power (ENP), which maintained support for the standard.

Other founding members included Ericsson, HP, Nokia Siemens Networks, and Sun Microsystems. Since then companies including Enea and Wind River have since joined. A formal, non-profit OpenSAF Foundation was founded in January 2008 to support the project.

The OpenSAF project released OpenSAF 3.0 in conjunction with its second annual Developer Days Conference, which was hosted by Huawei at its headquarters in Shenzhen, China. Over 50 developers at the conference discussed plans for OpenSAF 4.0, which will improve software management features, adding a “seamless upgrade/downgrade” function, among other features.

Stated Jonas Arndt, Co-Chair of the OpenSAF Technical Leadership Council, “Release 3 is a significant step forward in that it includes most of the features deemed by the SCOPE Alliance as a high priority in high availability middleware. Release 4 will continue the compliance with, and adoption of, new SAF specifications for systems and platform management.”

Scoping out CGL 4.0

In addition to supporting select SAForum home specs, such as the Application Interface Specification (AIS), OpenSAF is also aligned with the requirements of the SCOPE Alliance. Formed by Alcatel, Ericsson, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, and Siemens, SCOPE aims to promote the interoperability of COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) hardware and software for infrastructure equipment.

In April, the SCOPE Alliance published a white paper entitled “I/O Virtualization: A NEP Perspective”. According to a company spokesperson, SCOPE will soon release details about recent updates to its Carrier-Grade Operating System technical work, including a Gap Analysis for the Linux Foundation's CGL 4.0 specification.

Availability

The OpenSAF 3.0 software is now available for free download under LGPL 2.1 license, here.

 
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