 an operations point of view, it is changing how everyday functions are performed, such as turning up new network elements and lifecycle management. This in turn enables corresponding improvements in operational efficiency and, over time, improved customer experience. It impacts the operations teams' roles and respon- sibilities and even the skillsets of the personnel involved. The following sections first discuss NFV and then focus on SDN in the context of AT&T's software-defined networking platform known as ONAP (see Chapter 7). We examine some of the impact on network operations, challenges associ- ated with operating legacy networks in parallel, and the implications this has on operations' orga- nizational structure and skillsets. 15.2.1 NFV AND ITS IMPACT ON OPERATIONS As is typically the case with the introduction of new technologies, NFV presents a double-edged sword. It provides opportunities to reduce operational expenditure (OPEX) and improve customer experience through the rapid turn up of new services and the ability to spin up new network capac- ity in response to changing network conditions. However, NFV also introduces additional layers of complexity from an operational point of view and puts more onus on the operator to integrate technologies that were traditionally integrated by a vendor. Building the Network of the Future As discussed in Chapter 2, traditional network elements were implemented using customized hardware and ASICs with tightly integrated software and a vendor-specific element management system (EMS). The integration of all of these was thus provided by the vendor, and the ecosystem appeared as a "black box" to the network operator. The interfaces through which operator OSSs interacted with the equipment to deploy, configure, and manage the network elements were vendor specific. The alarms, logs, and the majority of the performance measurements reported by the net- work elements and EMSs were different for each vendor and even type of element. Even common metrics-for example, acces