The group will align with other API standards efforts like GSMA’s Open Gateway and CAMARA, the Linux Foundation Europe’s Sylva Project and TM Forum
ETSI has established a Software Development Group (SDG), called OpenCAPIF, to develop an open-source, Common API Framework, as defined by 3GPP. The plan is to ensure the secure and consistent exposure and use of APIs.
ETSI says that, “Beyond 3GPP APIs, OpenCAPIF can be leveraged for third-party APIs and will support other standardization activities by enabling [proofs of concept or PoCs], Plugtests, and API testing… to contribute feedback to standardization work.
“For instance, OpenCAPIF can support NFV deployments by enabling consistent API exposure by network functions, and it can also contribute to network automation scenarios in [zero-touch network and service management or MSN].”
Further if things go as expected, OpenCAPIF could be used to expose APIs for multi-access edge computing (MEC) and to validate mapping between ETSI’s MEC APIs and those defined for the Edge Computing Enabling Layer specified by 3GPP.
Scope of the work
SDG OpenCAPIF will collaborate with other ETSI software and open-source projects – such as Open Source MANO, TeraFlowSDN and OpenSlice – to share best practices and find synergies, undertake joint activities and explore opportunities for component reuse.
The code developed by SDG OpenCAPIF will support specifications from:
• 3GPP’s work group for Technical Specification Group Service and System Aspects (SA6) on enabling applications, including those for critical applications, in vertical markets.
• SA3’s contribution to Release 17 on security and privacy, and it will seek to align and provide feedback for future releases.
The new ETSI group aims to enable developers to test network applications using CAPIF to publish and consume APIs, with the aim of reducing friction and speeding deployment in 5G Networks. ETSI OpenCAPIF builds on code seeds developed through research funded by the European Union, the Evolved-5G project. This will end in December 2023.
Aligning with other standards
The OpenCAPIF community also intends to find synergies and collaborate with external fora and open-source projects engaged in developing and exposing APIs. They include, TM Forum (Open APIs), GSMA (Open Gateway), the Telco Global API Alliance (CAMARA), and the Linux Foundation Europe’s Project Sylva.
For example, the code developed by SDG OpenCAPIF can be used as CAPIF Core Function or cornerstone for to facilitate and test interactions of functions and applications that expose and consume APIs. This would ensure alignment between the Linux Foundation and GSMA-backed CAMARA project, and 3GPP’s Specifications.
SDG OpenCAPIF stresses its intention of collaborating with CAMARA to minimize code duplication and potential misalignments.
Pivotal enabler?
David Artuñedo of Telefónica and convenor of the new group, says, “ETSI SDG OpenCAPIF represents a pivotal enabler that empowers network applications to seamlessly interface with 5G networks through APIs. It will significantly enhance service innovation and ecosystem diversity.”
The founding members of the OpenCAPIF group include Fogus Innovations and Services, Keysight Technologies, Motorola Mobility, National Centre for Scientific Research Demokritos, Telefónica SA and the University of Málaga.
The SDG OpenCAPIF kick-off meeting will be held in Madrid, in January 2024. To find out more or to join the group, visit https://ocf.etsi.org or contact SDGsupport@etsi.org.