Cloud-RAN Factory: Instantiating virtualized mobile networks with ONAP

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the deployment of a fully virtualized, end-to-end mobile network using ONAP and Kubernetes, showcasing an architecture compatible with Open-RAN and 3GPP standards.

Contribution

It presents the first end-to-end virtualized mobile network demo with Open-RAN compatibility, integrating PHY layer implementation based on 3GPP split.

Findings

Successful deployment of a fully virtualized mobile network using ONAP and Kubernetes

Demonstration of Open-RAN compatible architecture with PHY layer implementation

First illustration of an end-to-end virtualized RAN including remote units

Abstract

In this demo, we exhibit the negotiation based on the TM Forum framework (Customer Facing Service and Resource Facing Service) and the deployment of a fully virtualized end-to-end mobile network (including a RAN desegregated into Remote Unit, Distributed Unit and Centralized Unit) by using ONAP, an open-source network automation platform. The various components of mobile network are containerized and deployed by ONAP on top of Kubernetes. The demo is the first illustration of an end-to-end mobile network, which is fully virtualized up to the remote unit, whose architecture is compatible with the Open-RAN framework, and which implements a PHY layer on the basis of 3GPP 7.3 functional split in Open Air Interface code.