ecialized digital signaling processors (DSPs) for these media functions. In the area of data virtualization, the trend is toward NoSql cloud databases, which are massively scalable. They feature elasticity and scalability to work with cloud computing. A target database technology may be adopted for cloud enablement that applications should be migrated to. Appropriate feasibility testing is required in this area to ensure that the database technology meets all the requirements of network and application databases before they are considered for migration to a NoSql database. Service Platforms At a high level, there are some key paradigm shifts (Figure 14.2) that should be considered when architecting network functions for SDN/NFV: 1. A shift from a model with integrated software and purpose-built hardware vendor deliver- ies to a model that focuses on software-only vendor deliveries that can be run on a cloud platform. 2. A shift from dedicated hardware resources that are tightly managed and optimized for peak traffic to using shared commodity-based infrastructure where hardware resources are plentiful and managed as a commodity. 3. A shift from assuming highly reliable hardware to software-based recovery from sin- gle component failures where software is distributed on multiple VMs that are load- balanced. QoS policies (anti-affinity rules, availability region, etc.) are used to ensure reliability. 4. A shift from designing solutions to handle millions of subscribers with large failure groups to having flexibility in real-time sizing with decomposition of the large solution into many smaller solutions with smaller failure groups and the ability to scale to different sizes at different locations. 5. A shift from monolithic components that include many functions to functional decomposi- tion of network functions into multiple VNFs. 6. A shift from always instantiating every function to instantiating functions on an as-needed basis. Network Element Purpose-built Highly reliable Stateful Load-balancing Monitoring Over