ETSI TR 103 419 addresses the issues of testing methodology for equipment and/or network configurations able to dynamically adapt its performance as function of a generic variable, e.g. traffic load variations, eventually under the control of a local and/or a centralized Management entity. Useful in the ambit of SDN (Software Defined Networks) and/or NFV (Network Function Virtualization) applications where network topology, equipment availability and/or performances such as throughput, latency, power consumption, jitter, etc. may be dynamically adapted as function of real-time needs, in order for instance to optimize operational expenditures.

The present document is intended as a general introduction to the issue in question, with the aim to be the basis for a family of papers dedicated to relevant applications may be developed in the future as part of SDN and/or NFV evolution. For sake of clarity the present document mainly refers to the ability to dynamically adapt power consumption to traffic load variations (hereinafter also called Energy Aware Networking), but principles herein described may be extended to test any other SDN and/or NFV application having the scope of altering network topology or equipment performances as function of a generic variable.