MANO is the brain of the NFV Network. It is the part of the network through which control operations are performed on virtual network functions and virtual network functions infrastructure.

One set of v-eNB, vMME, vSGW, vPGW, vPCRF can be assumed to be a Network Service. Each of the above v’s provide distinct Network Functions which with the v’s are deployed as Virtual Network Functions on Virtual Network Functions Infrastructure. The Virtual Network Functions Infrastructure is hardware with the virtual abstraction layer providing virtualization. These are the acronyms.

Multiple virtual network functions are connected together, or chained together, to provide a network service. The physical links are in the infrastructure which is the compute/storage hardware equipment while the logical links are among the VNFs. The endpoint is the Network Service endpoint which is providing service to the end devices.  Between the physical links and the logical links sits the virtualization layer.

The NFVO i.e. the NFV Orchestrator is the part of the network which controls the deployment and operations of virtual network functions.