NaaS is one of the important part of the ITaaS operating model which help customers to achieve specific IT (network,security, and so on) outcomes. We have to review current network and security operating model across people, processes and technology and how to offer NaaS using the VMware Operations Transformation model and framework.

We should first discover the operational capabilities required to manage and operate NaaS based services with a structured approach.

It focuses on three main areas:

• Proactive operations management
• Network and security service provisioning
• Security operations

The key operational capabilities are identified, as well as how to transform from the current operational capabilities to operating a network virtualization environment that enables the NaaS vision for each of the following areas:

• Defining the vision and strategy
• Defining key operational capabilities
• Assessing operational readiness
• Building an operations transformation roadmap and plan
• Developing and implementing the target operating model with the NaaS vision

The VMware NaaS transformation workshop service provides customers with an operational and organizational view on how to leverage the network virtualization architecture to move toward a NaaS operating model and ultimately toward the ITaaS operating model.

VMware defines ITaaS as a new delivery and operating model that leverages cloud technologies to enable business agility and value-based choice through readily-consumable IT services that have transparent prices and established service levels. The network plays a key role in enabling the ITaaS vision. Until now seen as a barrier to agility and speed, the new and emerging network architecture, based on network virtualization and SDDC/cloud, makes a new way to deploy, manage, and operate network and security possible.

The new operating model implies a paradigm shift from a device-centric operating model to a service-oriented operating model called NaaS. Though network virtualization is the technology enabler, the technology alone is not enough to achieve the full benefits of software-defined networking (and SDDC in general) but it has to be complemented by streamlined, integrated, and automated processes and a cross-functional organization that breaks silos with new skills.

This paradigm shift is actually an operations transformation that goes beyond the technology aspects that impact operational and organizational aspects. The operational and organizational aspects shouldn't be considered as an afterthought—they should be planned and designed in parallel to the technology plan and design.

The NaaS transformation workshops are directed to support the customer in the vision and strategy-definition phase, as well as in the planning of the operational and organizational capabilities required to deploy, manage, and operate the network virtualization solution that the customer is going to implement.

The goal of the workshops is to facilitate the customer to understand the NaaS operating model and identify the operational and organizational impact and challenges of network virtualization adoption as well as the capabilities required to fully leverage the benefits of the emerging network architecture.

The workshop service also provides an introduction to the VMware Operations Transformation model and framework and how it applies to driving the operational and organizational maturity growth toward the NaaS operating model.

The NaaS service can be divided into two parts: 

• NaaS transformation envisioning: We have to assist customers with a clear understanding of the VMware NaaS operating model, its role as part of the ITaaS operating model, and the benefits of adopting this model in terms of IT outcomes. We will also discuss the customer's operational strategy, goals and objectives, the current network and security operating model across people, processes and technology and how it can be transformed to NaaS using the VMware Operations Transformation model and framework. This is oriented to network and IT infrastructure and operations teams that are willing to explore how network virtualization can drive the adoption of a new network and security operating model to make IT more agile, flexible, efficient, and business-aligned.
• NaaS transformation discovery: Discover the operational capabilities required to manage and operate NaaS starting from a process perspective. The end-to-end operational processes are decomposed in common process elements and the operational capabilities required to optimally execute the process elements are identified. The discovery activity focuses on three main areas: proactive operations management, network and security services automated provisioning, and life cycle management and security operations. For each area, the key operational capabilities are identified and high-level observations on how to evolve and transform from the current operational capabilities to operating a network virtualization environment that enables the NaaS vision.

Transforming traditional network by consuming NaaS:

• Traditional networking challenges: Networking is all about ports and its capabilities related to performance, configuration, and the power dissipation of custom application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). It's also connected with related skillsets and OpEx cost-related with network operations. Network services will not be agile if it sticks with particular physical device with manual deployment, which raises the risk of configuration changes and human errors. It is not justified to write a script for each device interfaces to orchestrate automation as it creates hindrance to utilize the full capabilities of virtualization and cloud model.
• Networking is a service: It always has been, and will continue to be, a service by abstracting, creating resource pools, and automating the network. Networking services are instantly provisioned from a capacity pool, decoupled from specific hardware, made equally mobile, deployed using templates, and controlled and managed through policies. The NaaS operating model enables us to deliver the agile data center of the future, the service velocity and agility that modern applications need, and the OpEx and CapEx efficiencies and cost savings we desire.