Abstract: According to a first aspect, there is provided a method of testing a plurality of virtual network functions (VNFs) during commissioning of the plurality of VNFs in a virtualized environment in a customer network, the method comprising: at a VNF testing component configured to have access to the virtualized environment of the customer network, performing interoperability testing between a first VNF component instantiation (VNFCI) within a first VNF of the plurality of VNFs and a second VNFCI within a second VNF of the plurality of VNFs, the second VNF being different from the first VNF, the first VNF and the second VNF comprising a subset of VNFs within the plurality of VNFs, wherein performing the interoperability testing comprises: instructing the first VNFCI to interoperate directly with the second VNFCI in a predetermined manner; and determining whether the second VNFCI reacts to the instructed direct interoperation in an expected manner.

Abstract: Certain aspects provide a method of commissioning a virtualized network function (VNF), including: at a commissioning virtual machine instantiated in a virtualized environment of a customer network, configuring a remote access connection facility for accessing the commissioning virtual machine remotely from outside of the customer network, wherein the commissioning virtual machine has access to a virtual infrastructure manager (VIM) component of the virtualized environment; causing, via the remote access connection facility, configuration of a VNF manager component within the commissioning virtual machine; and causing, via the remote access connection facility, the configured VNF manager component to instruct the VIM component to instantiate one or more virtual machines in the virtualized environment, the one or more virtual machines being operable to perform at least a part of the VNF.

Abstract: Certain aspects provide a method of commissioning a virtualized network function (VNF), including: at a commissioning virtual machine instantiated in a virtualized environment of a customer network, configuring a remote access connection facility for accessing the commissioning virtual machine remotely from outside of the customer network, wherein the commissioning virtual machine has access to a virtual infrastructure manager (VIM) component of the virtualized environment; causing, via the remote access connection facility, configuration of a VNF manager component within the commissioning virtual machine; and causing, via the remote access connection facility, the configured VNF manager component to instruct the VIM component to instantiate one or more virtual machines in the virtualized environment, the one or more virtual machines being operable to perform at least a part of the VNF.

Abstract: According to a first aspect, there is provided a method of testing a plurality of virtual network functions (VNFs) during commissioning of the plurality of VNFs in a virtualized environment in a customer network, the method comprising: at a VNF testing component configured to have access to the virtualized environment of the customer network, performing interoperability testing between a first VNF component instantiation (VNFCI) within a first VNF of the plurality of VNFs and a second VNFCI within a second VNF of the plurality of VNFs, the second VNF being different from the first VNF, the first VNF and the second VNF comprising a subset of VNFs within the plurality of VNFs, wherein performing the interoperability testing comprises: instructing the first VNFCI to interoperate directly with the second VNFCI in a predetermined manner; and determining whether the second VNFCI reacts to the instructed direct interoperation in an expected manner.