Data transmission management in network

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods, and devices are provided for automatically managing data transmissions in a network. In accordance with an embodiment, the apparatus may be configured to: receive, from an rApp or other SMO function, at least one of: a request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element, and a request to update a configuration of the O-RAN network element; in response to receiving a request to retrieve configuration data for the O-RAN network element, retrieving the configuration data using the read storage device; and in response to receiving a request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element, updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using a write storage device different from the read storage device; wherein a write storage device and a read storage device may be included in the device.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 448,893, filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on February 28, 2023, entitled “A DUAL CACHE ANDASYNCHRONIZED APPROACH FOR SMO / NON-RT RIC CM READ AND WRITE CONFIGURATIONDATA OPERATIONS,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] Systems, methods, and computer programs consistent with example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to telecommunication networks, and more particularly, to management of data transmission in telecommunication networks. Background Art

[0003] The Radio Access Network (RAN) is a crucial component of telecommunications systems because it connects end-user devices (or user equipment) to the rest of the network. The RAN comprises a combination of various O-RAN network elements (NEs) that connect end users to the core network. Traditionally, the hardware and / or software of a particular RAN is vendor-specific.

[0004] Open RAN (O-RAN) technology has emerged to enable multiple vendors to provide hardware and / or software to telecommunications systems. Because different vendors are involved, the types of hardware and / or software provided can also vary. That is, different types of NEs can be provided by different vendors, and depending on the specific service, the NEs can be virtualized in software form (e.g., virtual machine (VM)-based) or in physical hardware form (e.g., non-VM-based).

[0005] To this end, O-RAN decomposes RAN functionality into a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), and a radio unit (RU). The CU can be a logical node for hosting the radio resource control (RRC), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP), and / or packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) sublayers of the RAN. The DU can be a logical node for hosting the radio link control (RLC), medium access control (MAC), and physical (PHY) sublayers of the RAN. The RU can be a physical node that converts the radio signal from the antenna into a digital signal, which can be sent to the DU via fronthaul. Because these entities have open protocols and interfaces, they can be developed by different vendors.

[0006] Figure 1The figure shows the O-RAN architecture in the related art. The RAN functions in the O-RAN architecture can be controlled and optimized by the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC). The RIC can be a software-defined component that implements modular applications to facilitate the multi-vendor operability required in the O-RAN system and automate and optimize RAN operations. Figure 1 As shown, RIC can be divided into two types: non-real-time RIC (non-RT RIC) 120 and near-real-time RIC (near-RT RIC) 130 .

[0007] The non-RT RIC 120 can be the control point for non-real-time control loops and can operate at timescales greater than 1 second within the service management orchestration (SMO) framework 110. Its functions can be implemented through modular applications called rApps and can include: providing policy-based guidance and enrichment across the A1 interface, which is the interface that enables communication between the non-RT RIC and the near-RT RIC; performing data analysis; artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) training and inference for RAN optimization; and / or recommending configuration management actions through the O1 interface, which can be the interface that connects the SMO to RAN management elements (e.g., near-RT RIC 130, O-RAN centralized units (O-CU) 140, 150, O-RAN distributed units (O-DU) 170, etc.).

[0008] The near-RT RIC 130 can operate on a timescale between 10 milliseconds and 1 second and can couple with the O-DU 170, the O-CU (decomposed into the O-CU control plane (O-CU-CP) 140 and the O-CU user plane (O-CU-UP) 150), and the open evolved NodeB (O-eNB) 160 via the E2 interface. The near-RT RIC 130 can control the underlying RAN elements (E2 nodes / network functions (NFs)) in a near-real-time control loop using the E2 interface. The near-RT RIC 130 can monitor, pause / stop, override, and control the E2 nodes (O-CUs 140, 150, O-DU 170, and O-eNB 160) via policies. For example, the near-RT RIC 130 can set policy parameters for activation functions of the E2 nodes. In addition, the near-RT RIC 130 can host xApps to implement functions such as quality of service (QoS) optimization, mobility optimization, slice optimization, interference mitigation, load balancing, security, and more.

[0009] Here, the O-CU-CP 140 and the O-CU-UP 150 may be coupled to each other via an E1 interface and may be coupled to the O-DU 170 via an F1-c interface and an F1-u interface, respectively. In addition, the O-RU 180 may be coupled to the O-DU 170 via the open fronthaul (OF) control (C), user (U), synchronization (S), and management (M) planes, and may be coupled to the SMO 110 via the OF M plane.

[0010] These two types of RICs work together to optimize O-RAN. For example, the non-RT RIC 120 can provide policies, data, and AI / ML models that are implemented and used by the near-RT RIC 130 for RAN optimization, and the near-RT RIC 130 can return policy feedback (i.e., how the policies set by the non-RT RIC 120 are working).

[0011] As described above, the non-RT RIC 120 can be located within the SMO framework 110 that manages and orchestrates RAN elements. Specifically, the SMO 110 can manage and orchestrate the so-called O-Ran Cloud (O-Cloud) 190. The O-Cloud 190 can be a collection of physical RAN nodes that host RICs, O-CUs and O-DUs, supporting software components (e.g., operating systems and runtime environments), and the SMO 110 itself. In other words, the SMO 110 can manage the O-Cloud 190 from within. The O2 interface can be the interface between the SMO 110 and the O-Cloud 190 in which it resides. Through the O2 interface, the SMO 110 can provide infrastructure management services (IMS) and deployment management services (DMS). Summary of the Invention

[0012] Example embodiments of the present disclosure automatically manage data transmission using at least two storage devices. Thus, example embodiments of the present disclosure allow data to be transmitted within a network while avoiding unnecessary signaling load, bandwidth overhead, and latency, which improves the scalability of the network.

[0013] According to an embodiment, a device is provided. The device may be configured to: receive at least one of the following from an rApp or other SMO function: a request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element, and a request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element; in response to receiving the request to obtain the configuration data of the O-RAN network element, obtain the configuration data using a read storage device; and in response to receiving the request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element, update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using a write storage device different from the read storage device; wherein the write storage device and the read storage device may be included in the device.

[0014] According to an embodiment, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus may be configured to: receive from an rApp or other SMO function at least one of: a request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element, and a request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element; in response to receiving the request to obtain the configuration data of the O-RAN network element, obtain the configuration data using a first digital twin; and in response to receiving the request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element, update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using a second digital twin different from the first digital twin; wherein the first digital twin and the second digital twin may be included in the apparatus, and wherein the first digital twin and the second digital twin may comprise full digital copies of the O-RAN network element.

[0015] According to an embodiment, a method is provided. The method may include: receiving at least one of the following from an rApp or other SMO function: a request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element, and a request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element; in response to receiving the request to obtain the configuration data of the O-RAN network element, using a read storage device to obtain the configuration data; and in response to receiving the request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element, using a write storage device different from the read storage device to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request; wherein the write storage device and the read storage device may be included in an apparatus performing the method.

[0016] According to an embodiment, a method is provided. The method may include: receiving at least one of the following from an rApp or other SMO function: a request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element, and a request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element; in response to receiving the request to obtain the configuration data of the O-RAN network element, using a first digital twin to obtain the configuration data; and in response to receiving the request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element, using a second digital twin different from the first digital twin to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request; wherein the first digital twin and the second digital twin may be included in an apparatus performing the method, and wherein the first digital twin and the second digital twin may include full digital copies of the O-RAN network element.

[0017] According to an embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium is provided. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium may have instructions recorded thereon, the instructions being executable by a device to cause the device to perform a method, the method comprising: receiving at least one of the following from an rApp or other SMO function: a request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element, and a request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element; in response to receiving the request to obtain the configuration data of the O-RAN network element, using a read storage device to obtain the configuration data; and in response to receiving the request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element, using a write storage device different from the read storage device to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request; wherein the write storage device and the read storage device may be included in the device.

[0018] Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be achieved by practice of the presented embodiments of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Features, advantages, and significance of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like symbols represent like elements, and in which:

[0020] Figure 1 The figure illustrates the O-RAN architecture in related technologies;

[0021] Figure 2 The diagram shows the service management and orchestration framework architecture in related technologies;

[0022] Figure 3A illustrates an example data flow in a system for managing data transmission in a network according to one or more embodiments;

[0023] Figure 3B Illustrated is an example data flow in a system for managing data transmission in a network according to one or more embodiments.

[0024] Figure 4 illustrates a flow chart of an example method for managing data transmission according to one or more embodiments;

[0025] Figure 5 A block diagram illustrating example interactions between rApp or other SMO functions and RAN OAM-related functions according to one or more embodiments;

[0026] Figure 6A illustrates an example data flow in a system for managing data transmission in a network according to one or more embodiments;

[0027] Figure 6Billustrates an example data flow in a system for managing data transmission in a network according to one or more embodiments;

[0028] Figure 7 illustrates a flow chart of an example method for obtaining configuration data using a read storage device according to one or more embodiments;

[0029] Figure 8A Disclosed is a call flow for an rApp to obtain configuration data using a read storage device in a RAN OAM-related function according to one or more embodiments;

[0030] Figure 8B Disclosed is a call flow for other SMO functions (SMOFs) to obtain configuration data using a read storage device in a RAN OAM-related function according to one or more embodiments;

[0031] Figure 9A Discloses a call flow for an rApp to obtain configuration data without using a storage device;

[0032] Figure 9B Discloses a call flow for other SMO functions (SMOF) to obtain configuration data without reading storage devices;

[0033] Figure 10 illustrates a flow chart of an example method for updating the configuration of an O-RAN network element using write storage according to one or more embodiments;

[0034] Figure 11A Disclosed is a call flow for an rApp to update the configuration of an O-RAN network element using write storage according to one or more embodiments;

[0035] Figure 11B Disclosed is a call flow for other SMO functions (SMOFs) to update the configuration of an O-RAN network element using write storage according to one or more embodiments;

[0036] Figure 12A Disclosed is a call flow for an rApp to update the configuration of an O-RAN network element without using write storage;

[0037] Figure 12B Disclosed is a call flow for other SMO functions (SMOFs) to update the configuration of O-RAN network elements without using write storage; and

[0038] Figure 13 A diagram illustrating an example environment in which the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The following detailed description of example embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.

[0040] The above disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit implementation to disclosed precise forms. According to the above disclosure, modification and variation are possible, or can be obtained from the practice of implementation. In addition, one or more features or components of an embodiment can be incorporated into another embodiment (or one or more features of another embodiment) or combined with it. In addition, in the operational description provided below, it can be understood that one or more operations can be omitted, one or more operations can be added, one or more operations can be performed (at least in part) simultaneously, and the order of one or more operations can be switched.

[0041] It is apparent that the systems and / or methods described herein can be implemented in various forms of hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual dedicated control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods does not limit these implementations. Therefore, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code, and it should be understood that software and hardware can be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based on the description herein.

[0042] Although particular combinations of features are disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of what may be implemented. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically disclosed in the specification.

[0043] Unless expressly stated otherwise, any element, behavior or instruction used herein should not be interpreted as critical or essential. In addition, as used herein, the articles "a" and "an" are intended to include one or more items and can be used interchangeably with "one or more". If only one item is intended, the term "one" or similar language is used. In addition, as used herein, the terms "has", "have", "having", "include", "including", etc. are intended to be open terms. In addition, unless expressly stated otherwise, the meaning of "based on" is "based at least in part". In addition, expressions such as "at least one of [A] and [B]" or "at least one of [A] or [B]" should be understood to include only A, only B, or both A and B.

[0044] Figure 2 The diagram shows the service management and orchestration framework architecture in related technologies. Figure 2As shown, the service management and orchestration framework (SMO) 210 may include a non-real-time RIC (non-RT RIC) 220 and RAN operation and maintenance (OAM) related functions 240. The non-RT RIC 220 provides a software framework for the operation of applications (rApps).

[0045] rApp 230 may refer to a software application configured to run on non-RT RIC 220. RAN OAM-related functions 240 may refer to functions related to operations and maintenance within SMO 210. One or more O-RAN network elements 250 may refer to O-RAN network elements within the O-RAN architecture. For example, one or more O-RAN network elements 250 may include an O-RAN centralized unit control plane (O-CU-CP), an O-RAN centralized unit user plane (O-CU-UP), an O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU), and the like.

[0046] One or more rApps 230 may be configured to perform read operations (operations for obtaining data) and write operations (operations for updating data) on configuration management (CM) configuration data of one or more O-RAN network elements 250. For example, one or more rApps 230 may read / write CM configuration data from / to one or more O-RAN network elements 250 via an R1 service API of the R1 service 250, which exposes the configuration management (CM) service provided by the RAN OAM-related functions 240 in the SMO 210.

[0047] In related technologies, to perform read and write operations, one or more rApps 230 may send a request to the RAN OAM-related function 240 via the R1 interface, wherein the RAN OAM-related function 240 may simply forward the request directly to one or more O-RAN network elements 250 via the O1 interface or the open fronthaul (O-FH) interface, so as to obtain (read) or modify (write) managed object instance (MOI) attributes from / to the one or more O-RAN network elements 250 according to the request.

[0048] In this regard, the aforementioned methods for performing read and write operations in the related art may have the following disadvantages. Because the RAN OAM-related functions 240 in the SMO 210 simply and transparently forward information to and from the rApps, one or more rApps 230 directly access one or more O-RAN network elements 250 for each MOI read and write request, essentially using a stateless direct coordination method. Therefore, as the system scale expands and the number of rApps and O-RAN network elements increases, many rApps may attempt to read and write CM configuration data simultaneously, which can easily overload the R1 interface, O1 interface, and O-FH interface, resulting in severe message loss and unacceptable signaling delays.

[0049] Therefore, the systems, methods, apparatuses, etc. provided in example embodiments of the present disclosure automatically manage data transfer using at least two storage devices.

[0050] According to an embodiment, to perform a read operation to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element, the system may use a read storage device to obtain the configuration data. Additionally, to perform a write operation to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element, the system may use a write storage device different from the read storage device to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request.

[0051] Ultimately, example embodiments of the present disclosure automatically manage data transmission using at least two storage devices, which allows data to be transmitted within a network while avoiding unnecessary signaling load, bandwidth overhead, and latency, thereby improving the scalability of the network.

[0052] It can be expected that the features, advantages and significance of the above-described exemplary embodiments are only part of the present disclosure and are not intended to be exhaustive or limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0053] Further description of the features, components, configuration, operation, and implementation of the threshold tuning system of the present disclosure according to one or more embodiments is provided below.

[0054] System Architecture

[0055] Figure 3A Illustrated is an example data flow in a system 300A for managing data transmission in a network according to one or more embodiments.

[0056] like Figure 3A As shown, system 300A may include SMO 360 , non-RT RIC 350 , R1 services 340 , rApp 310 , RAN OAM-related functions 320 including read storage 322 and write storage 324 , and O-RAN network element 330 .

[0057] In step 1, in order to perform a write operation to update the O-RAN network element 330, the rApp 310 may send configuration data (hereinafter referred to as "write data") to the RAN OAM-related function 320, and the O-RAN network element 330 will update the configuration data based on the R1 write configuration change operation, wherein the write data may be stored in the write storage device 324.

[0058] In step 2, after the write data is received and stored in the write storage device 324, the RAN OAM-related function 320 retrieves the write data and updates the O-RAN network element 330 based on the write data stored in the write storage device 324, so that the write data is filled into the O-RAN network element 330.

[0059] The above process involving writing to storage 324 allows rApp 310 to simply provide write data to RAN OAM-related functions 320 via the R1 service API of R1 service 340, and allows rApp 310 to freely perform other tasks while the write data is being populated into O-RAN network element 330 and the O-RAN network element 330 is updated based on the write data, without having to wait for the update to complete. Consequently, the above process prevents a situation where too many rApps or other SMO functions are held while waiting for their corresponding update requests to complete (which could potentially cause platform overload during signaling spikes).

[0060] In step 3, after the O-RAN network element 330 is updated based on the write data, the RAN OAM-related function 320 may update the read storage device 322 so that the data stored in the read storage device 322 correctly reflects the updated data in the O-RAN network element 330. In this regard, since the write data (based on which the O-RAN network element 330 is updated) is already stored in the write storage device 324 at the RAN OAM-related function 320, the RAN OAM-related function 320 may update the read storage device 322 based on the write data stored in the write storage device 324.

[0061] The above process allows the read storage device 322 to be updated so that the data stored in the read storage device 322 correctly reflects the configuration in the O-RAN network element 330 without having to communicate directly with the O-RAN network element and retrieve the configuration again from the O-RAN network element 330, thereby avoiding unnecessary signaling load, bandwidth overhead, and latency associated with direct communication with the O-RAN network element 330. Subsequently, the above process reduces the processing and memory load on the SMO and RIC platforms, thereby improving the scalability of the network.

[0062] According to an embodiment, in addition to step 3, in step 3.5, if any configuration update is made in the O-RAN network element by entities other than the SMO 360, the RAN OAM-related function 320 may further update the read storage device 322 to ensure that the data stored in the read storage device 322 correctly reflects the configuration in the O-RAN network element 330. According to an embodiment, the RAN OAM-related function 320 may update the read storage device 322 by periodically checking the latest configuration in the O-RAN network element 330 or by being notified by the O-RAN network element when there is a configuration change by entities other than the SMO.

[0063] In step 4, to perform a read operation to obtain data from the O-RAN network element 330, the rApp 310 may obtain data from the read storage device 322 at the RAN OAM related function 320 based on the R1 read configuration data operation (hereinafter referred to as "read data").

[0064] The above process involving reading storage device 322 allows rApp 310 to obtain and read data from RAN OAM-related functions 320 without having to communicate with O-RAN network element 330 or retrieve data directly from the O-RAN network element, thereby avoiding unnecessary signaling load, bandwidth overhead, and latency associated with communicating with O-RAN network element 330. Consequently, the above process reduces the processing and memory load on the SMO and RIC platforms, thereby improving network scalability.

[0065] According to an embodiment, at step 4.5 , if the read data that rApp 310 wants to obtain is not stored in read storage 322 , rApp 310 may obtain the read data directly from O-RAN network element 330 .

[0066] According to an embodiment, in the case where an rApp attempts to retrieve current configuration data from an O-RAN network element based on an R1 read configuration data operation, whether the read data is provided from a read storage device in a RAN OAM-related function or newly retrieved from the O-RAN network element by the RAN OAM-related function via an O1 / O-FH interface is determined by the RAN OAM-related function. The rApp that sends the R1 read configuration data request only needs to obtain the current configuration data in the O-RAN network element after sending the R1 read configuration request, regardless of whether the configuration data is retrieved from the read storage device in the RAN OAM-related function or retrieved from the O-RAN network element by the RAN OAM-related function via an O1 / O-FH interface.

[0067] In view of the above, it can be appreciated that the above process involving two separate stores (read storage 322 and write storage 324) allows read data to be obtained from the O-RAN network element 330 and write data to be sent to the network element 330 without interfering with each other.

[0068] For example, during step 1, a first rApp may send write data to write storage 324. However, before updating read storage based on the write data during steps 2 and 3, a second rApp may retrieve read data from read storage 322 during step 4.

[0069] In this regard, since the read data obtained by the second rApp is data stored in the read storage device 322 rather than the data stored in the write storage device 324, the read data obtained by the second rApp will be data that correctly reflects the actual configuration data in the O-RAN network element 330 (which is currently valid) rather than write data that has not yet been applied to the O-RAN network element 330.

[0070] Furthermore, because the write data is sent and stored in write storage 324 rather than read storage 322, the write data cannot accidentally overwrite the data in read storage 322 (which correctly reflects the data in O-RAN network element 330). Therefore, it can be appreciated that rApp 310 may not be able to access to write (send) data to read storage 322.

[0071] I understand. Figure 3A The configuration shown is simplified for descriptive purposes and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. Specifically, in practice, the number of rApps 310 and the number of O-RAN network elements 330 can be any number. In addition, the numerical labels of steps 1 to 4 are provided for annotation purposes and are not intended to limit the order. For example, rApp 310 may first perform a read operation and step 4, and then later perform a write operation and step 1. In addition, Figure 3A The arrows shown represent the flow of configuration data (i.e., read / write) between the different elements in the diagram, rather than the actual O-RAN interfaces (virtual / physical) between the different elements in the diagram. The actual O-RAN interfaces are represented by dashed boxes with the O-RAN interface names.

[0072] Furthermore, while the examples described in this disclosure are provided with respect to non-RT RICs, it will be appreciated that this is equally applicable to near-RT RICs, where the R1 interface becomes the near-RT RIC API and the O1 / O-FH interface becomes the E2 interface.

[0073] Figure 3BIllustrated is an example data flow in a system 300B for managing data transmission in a network according to one or more embodiments.

[0074] like Figure 3B As shown, the configuration of system 300B can be similar to Figure 3A , wherein operations related to reading data and writing data are performed by other SMO functions 370 via RAN OAM-related service APIs / RAN NF CM / PM / FM service APIs, rather than by rApp 310 via R1 interface / R1 service API and R1 service 340.

[0075] Thus, it will be appreciated that the other SMO functions 370 may perform write operations to update the O-RAN network element 330 and read operations to obtain data from the O-RAN network element 330 in a manner similar to the rApp 310 .

[0076] Example Operations for Managing Data Transfer in the Present Disclosure

[0077] Below, reference Figure 4 to Figure 1 2 describes several example operations of the present disclosure.

[0078] Figure 4 A flow diagram of an example method 400 for managing data transmission is illustrated in accordance with one or more embodiments. One or more operations in the method 400 may be performed by at least one processor.

[0079] like Figure 4 As shown, in operation S410, at least one processor may be configured to receive at least one of: a request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element, and a request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element. It will be appreciated that the request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element may refer to a request to perform a read operation. Similarly, it will be appreciated that the request to update the configuration of an O-RAN network element may refer to a request to perform a write operation. According to an embodiment, the request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element and the request to update the configuration of an O-RAN network element may be received from an rApp or other SMO function.

[0080] According to an embodiment, the configuration data may include configuration data of the O-RAN network element that the rApp or other SMO function wishes to obtain for a read operation. For example, the configuration data may include CM configuration data of the O-RAN network element that the rApp wishes to read. According to an embodiment, the request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element may include a configuration based on which the rApp or other SMO function wishes the O-RAN network element to be updated for a write operation. For example, the request may include CM configuration data that the rApp wishes to write to the O-RAN network element. The method then proceeds to operation S420.

[0081] In operation S420, in response to receiving a request to obtain configuration data of the O-RAN network element, at least one processor may be configured to use a read storage device to obtain the configuration data. According to an embodiment, the read storage device may be included in the SMO. According to an embodiment, the read storage device may be configured to store data of the O-RAN network element obtained for the read operation. For example, the read storage device may be configured to store CM configuration data of the O-RAN network element that can be obtained for the read operation. Figure 7 An example of an operation for acquiring configuration data using a read storage device is described.Then, the method proceeds to operation S430.

[0082] In operation S430, in response to receiving a request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element, at least one processor may be configured to use a write storage device to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request. According to an embodiment, the write storage device may be included in the SMO. According to an embodiment, the write storage device may be different from the read storage device. According to an embodiment, the write storage device may be configured to store data based on which the O-RAN network element will be updated for a write operation. For example, the write storage device may be configured to store CM configuration data to be written to the O-RAN network element. Figure 10 Examples of operations are described for updating the configuration of an O-RAN network element based on a configuration provided in a request using write storage.

[0083] After performing operations S420 and / or S430, method 400 may end or terminate. Alternatively, method 400 may return to operation S410, such that at least one processor may be configured to repeatedly perform, for at least a predetermined amount of time, receiving at least one of the requests (at operation S410), obtaining configuration data (at operation S420), and / or updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element (at operation S430). For example, at least one processor may continuously (or periodically) receive requests to obtain configuration data, and then resume receiving at least one of the requests (at operation S410) and obtaining configuration data (at operation S420).

[0084] Furthermore, for example, at least one processor may receive a request to obtain configuration data (at operation S410) and obtain the configuration data (at operation S420). Then, at least one processor may receive a request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element (at operation S410) and update the configuration of the O-RAN network element (at operation S430).

[0085] According to an embodiment, in addition to receiving a request to obtain configuration data for an O-RAN network element, the at least one processor may be further configured to receive another request to obtain configuration data for another O-RAN network element. For example, the at least one processor may be configured to receive a request to obtain configuration data for a first O-RAN network element and a request to obtain configuration data for a second O-RAN network element different from the first O-RAN network element. Similarly, according to an embodiment, in addition to receiving a request to update the configuration of an O-RAN network element, the at least one processor may be further configured to receive another request to update the configuration of another O-RAN network element. For example, the at least one processor may be configured to receive a request to update the configuration of the first O-RAN network element and a request to update the configuration of the second O-RAN network element different from the first O-RAN network element. These requests may be received from the same or different rApps or other SMO functions.

[0086] According to an embodiment, two or more of the above requests to different O-RAN network elements may be bundled into a single application programming interface (API) call.

[0087] For example, Figure 5As shown, which illustrates a block diagram of an example interaction between an rApp or other SMO function and RANOAM-related functions according to one or more embodiments, a request to obtain configuration data of a first O-RAN network element (request 1) and a request to obtain configuration data of a second O-RAN network element (request 2) can be bundled into a single application programming interface (API) call (API call 1). Similarly, a request to update the configuration of the first O-RAN network element (request 3) and a request to update the configuration of the second O-RAN network element (request 4) can be bundled into a single application programming interface (API call 2).

[0088] The above configuration allows further reduction of the signaling load on the interface between the rApp or other SMO functions and RAN OAM related functions. For example, the signaling load on the R1 interface between the rApp and the non-RT RIC can be further reduced.

[0089] According to an embodiment, the read storage device and the write storage device may be configured to store all CM configuration data (managed object instance (MOI) attributes) of all O-RAN network elements in the network. According to an embodiment, the read storage device and the write storage device may be configured to store at least the CM configuration data (MOI attributes) most frequently accessed by rApps in the network to reduce size and improve efficiency. According to an embodiment, the read storage device and the write storage device may be replaced with a digital twin (DT), which is a fully digital copy of the O-RAN network element, including not only the O-RAN network element configuration, but also all other operational states in the protocol stack of the O-RAN network element / function. In this case, the read storage device is replaced with DT1, which replicates the current state of the O-RAN network element, and the write storage device is replaced with DT2, which represents the future state of the O-RAN network element in the digital domain assuming that a given configuration change is applied.

[0090] For example, reference Figure 6A , which illustrates another example data flow in a system 600A for managing data transmission in a network according to one or more embodiments. Figure 6A As shown, the configuration and steps related to system 600A can be similar to those described above in conjunction with Figure 3A624, which represents the future state of the O-RAN network element 630 (assuming a given configuration is applied) for write configuration change operations. DT1 622, which represents a copy of the current state of the O-RAN network element 630, is still based on the above combined Figure 3A Steps 3 and 3.5 described above are updated to represent the actual current configuration of the O-RAN network element 630. The configuration in DT2 624 representing the future state of the O-RAN network element 630 is still based on the above combined Figure 3A Step 2 of the description is filled in the O-RAN network element 630.

[0091] Figure 6B Illustrated is an example data flow in a system 600B for managing data transmission in a network according to one or more embodiments.

[0092] like Figure 6B As shown, the configuration of system 600B can be similar to Figure 6A , wherein operations related to reading data and writing data are performed by other SMO functions 670 via RAN OAM-related service APIs / RAN NF CM / PM / FM service APIs, rather than by rApp 610 via R1 interface / R1 service API and R1 service 640.

[0093] Thus, it will be appreciated that the other SMO functions 670 may perform write operations to update the O-RAN network element 630 and read operations to obtain data from the O-RAN network element 630 in a similar manner as the rApp 610 .

[0094] Example operations for obtaining configuration data using a read storage device in the present disclosure

[0095] Figure 7 A flowchart of an example method 700 for obtaining configuration data using a read storage device according to one or more embodiments is illustrated. One or more operations of method 700 may be part of operations S410 and S420 in method 400 and may be performed by at least one processor.

[0096] like Figure 7As shown, at operation S710, at least one processor may be configured to receive a request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element. It will be appreciated that the request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element may be received from an rApp or other SMO function in a manner similar to that described above with respect to method 400. Depending on the embodiment, prior to operation S710, the read storage device may have been synchronized with the network so that the read storage device correctly reflects the current configuration of the O-RAN network element. The method then proceeds to operation S720.

[0097] At operation S720, the at least one processor may be configured to determine whether the configuration data is stored in the read storage device. Therefore, based on determining that the configuration data is stored in the read storage device, the at least one processor may determine that it is not necessary to obtain the configuration data from the O-RAN network element, and the method proceeds to operation S730. On the other hand, based on determining that the configuration data is not stored in the read storage device, the at least one processor may determine that it is necessary to obtain the configuration data from the O-RAN network element, and the method proceeds to operation S740.

[0098] At operation S730, the at least one processor may be configured to send configuration data from the read storage device to the rApp or other SMO function. For example, the at least one processor may be configured to send CM configuration data from the read storage device to the rApp via the R1 interface without having to obtain the CM configuration data from the O-RAN network element via the O1 interface or the O-FH interface.

[0099] At operation S740, at least one processor may be configured to obtain configuration data from the O-RAN network element and send the configuration data to the rApp or other SMO function. For example, at least one processor may be configured to obtain CM configuration data from the O-RAN network element via the O1 interface or the O-FH interface and then send the CM configuration data to the rApp via the R1 interface.

[0100] Therefore, the above-described process involving reading storage devices to obtain configuration data allows rApps or other SMO functions to obtain configuration data without having to communicate with O-RAN network elements, thereby avoiding unnecessary signaling load, bandwidth overhead, and latency associated with communicating with O-RAN network elements. Subsequently, the above-described process reduces the processing and memory load on the SMO and RIC platforms, thereby improving network scalability.

[0101] O-RAN interface message flow for reading configuration data

[0102] Figure 8A A call flow for an rApp to obtain configuration data using a read storage device in a RAN OAM-related function according to one or more embodiments is disclosed.

[0103] like Figure 8A As shown, RAN-OAM-related functions 802 may first synchronize the read storage device with the O-RAN network element to obtain the current MOI attribute (i.e., CM configuration data) of network element 803. To synchronize the read storage device with the network, RAN-OAM-related functions 802 may communicate with O-RAN network element 803 via the O1 interface using the network management protocol NETCONF read-config, edit-config, create, replace, or delete. After the current MOI attribute of O-RAN network element 803 is obtained, RAN-OAM-related functions 802 may store the retrieved configuration data in the read storage device, so that the configuration data of O-RAN network element 803 stored in the read storage device correctly reflects the current configuration of O-RAN network element 803.

[0104] The RAN-OAM related function 802 may then receive a read configuration request from the rApp 801 requesting to obtain (read) the configuration of the O-RAN network element 803. The read configuration request may include data related to the request, such as rAppid and queryCriteria, and will be received via the R1 interface.

[0105] In response, the RAN-OAM related function 802 may perform authorization (AuthZ) and authentication on the received request.

[0106] After the received request is authenticated and verified, the RAN-OAM related function 802 may determine whether the requested configuration data of the O-RAN network element 803 is stored in the read storage device.

[0107] If the configuration data of the requested O-RAN network element 803 is stored (present) in the read storage, the RAN-OAM related function 802 may send a read configuration response to the rApp 801, which provides the requested configuration data of the target O-RAN network element 803. The read configuration response may include data related to the request, such as ConfigurationData, and may be sent via the R1 interface.

[0108] If the requested configuration data of the target O-RAN network element 803 is not stored in the read storage device, the RAN-OAM-related function 802 may obtain the requested configuration data of the O-RAN network element 803 from the O-RAN network element 803. To obtain the requested configuration data of the O-RAN network element 803 from the O-RAN network element 803, the RAN-OAM-related function 802 may communicate with the O-RAN network element 803 via the O1 interface using the network management protocol NETCONF read-config. After the requested configuration data of the O-RAN network element 803 is obtained from the O-RAN network element 803, the RAN-OAM-related function 802 may send a read configuration response to the rApp 801 in the same manner as described above.

[0109] Figure 8B A call flow for other SMO functions (SMOFs) to obtain configuration data using a read storage device in a RAN OAM-related function according to one or more embodiments is disclosed.

[0110] like Figure 8B As shown, Figure 8B The call flow shown can be similar to Figure 8A In the call flow shown, operations related to obtaining configuration data are performed by other SMOF 804 via the RAN NF CM service API, rather than by rApp 801 via the R1 interface.

[0111] Therefore, it can be understood that other SMOFs 804 can perform read operations in a similar manner as rApp 801 to obtain configuration data from the O-RAN network element 803.

[0112] Figure 9A A call flow for an rApp to obtain configuration data without reading a storage device is disclosed.

[0113] like Figure 9A As shown, the disclosed calling process for obtaining configuration data without using a read storage device (in a specific implementation of RAN OAM related functions, the read storage device may not exist at all) can be similar to the above-mentioned Figure 8A The calling process for obtaining configuration data by reading a storage device.

[0114] However, if Figure 9AAs shown, in this case, after the RAN-OAM related function 902 receives, authenticates and verifies the read configuration request, the RAN-OAM related function 902 directly obtains the requested configuration data of the target O-RAN network element 903 from the O-RAN network element 903, and sends a read configuration response and the configuration data retrieved from the O-RAN network element to the rApp 901.

[0115] It can be understood that when rApp 901 attempts to obtain the requested configuration data of the O-RAN network element 903 in the above process, the requested configuration data may need to be retrieved from the O1 interface by the RAN OAM-related functions each time, which increases the signaling load, bandwidth overhead and delay as the network scale expands and more rApps and O-RAN network elements operate in the network.

[0116] Figure 9B A call flow for other SMO functions (SMOFs) to obtain configuration data without using a read from storage is disclosed.

[0117] like Figure 9B As shown, Figure 9B The call flow shown can be similar to Figure 9A In the call flow shown, operations related to obtaining configuration data are performed by other SMOFs 904 via the RAN NF CM service API, rather than by rApp 901 via the R1 interface.

[0118] Therefore, it can be understood that other SMOFs 904 can perform read operations in a similar manner as rApp 901 to obtain configuration data from the O-RAN network element 903.

[0119] Example Operations for Updating the Configuration of an O-RAN Network Element Using Write Storage in the Present Disclosure

[0120] Figure 10 A flowchart of an example method 1000 for updating the configuration of an O-RAN network element using write storage according to one or more embodiments is illustrated. One or more operations of method 1000 may be part of operations S410 and S430 in method 400 and may be performed by at least one processor.

[0121] like Figure 10 As shown, at operation S1010, at least one processor may be configured to receive a request to update the configuration of an O-RAN network element. It will be appreciated that the request to update the configuration of an O-RAN network element may be received from an rApp or other SMO function in a manner similar to that described above with respect to method 400. The method then proceeds to operation S1020.

[0122] At operation S1020, at least one processor may be configured to receive a configuration. Depending on the embodiment, the request received from the rApp or other SMO function may include a configuration based on which the configuration of the O-RAN network element is to be updated. For example, CM configuration data may be received from the rApp via the R1 interface. The method then proceeds to operation S1030.

[0123] In operation S1030, at least one processor may be configured to store the received configuration in a write storage device.The method then proceeds to operation S1040.

[0124] In operation S1040, the at least one processor may be configured to send a first write response to the rApp or other SMO function. According to an embodiment, the at least one processor may be configured to send the first write response to the rApp or other SMO function after storing the received configuration in the write storage device. According to an embodiment, the first write response may be configured to notify the rApp or other SMO function that the received configuration is stored in the write storage device. The method then proceeds to operation S1050.

[0125] At operation S1050, at least one processor may be configured to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device. For example, the CM configuration data of the O-RAN network element may be updated based on the CM configuration data stored in the write storage device via the O1 interface or the OFH interface (i.e., the CM configuration data received from the rApp), so that the CM configuration data stored in the write storage device is written to the O-RAN network element via the O1 interface or the OFH interface.

[0126] As another example, to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the received configuration (write the received configuration to the O-RAN network element), the at least one processor may perform a ModifyMOI operation on the O1 interface or the O-FH interface. After the ModifyMOI operation is completed and the O-RAN network element is updated, the at least one processor may receive a ModifyMOI response from the O-RAN network element, indicating that the configuration change has been successfully received and applied to the O-RAN network element. The method then proceeds to operation S1060.

[0127] At operation S1060, the at least one processor may be configured to send a second write notification to the rApp or other SMO function. According to an embodiment, the at least one processor may be configured to send the second write notification to the rApp or other SMO function after updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device. For example, the at least one processor may be configured to send the second write notification to the rApp after receiving a ModifyMOI response from the O-RAN network element.

[0128] According to an embodiment, the second write notification may be configured to notify the rApp or other SMO function to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device.Then, the method proceeds to operation S1070.

[0129] At operation S1070, the at least one processor may be configured to update the read storage device. According to an embodiment, the at least one processor may be configured to update the read storage device based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device. For example, the CM configuration data of the O-RAN network element stored in the read storage device may be updated based on the CM configuration data stored in the write storage device (the configuration of the O-RAN network element has been updated based on the CM configuration data), so that the CM configuration data stored in the read storage device is updated to correctly reflect the updated O-RAN network element without having to communicate with the O-RAN network element via the O1 interface and the O-FH interface.

[0130] According to an embodiment, the at least one processor may be configured to update the read storage device based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device after updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device. For example, the at least one processor may be configured to update the read storage device based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device after receiving a ModifyMOI response from the O-RAN network element.

[0131] According to an embodiment, the at least one processor may be configured to further update the read storage device based on the updated O-RAN network element. According to an embodiment, the read storage device may be periodically updated based on the updated O-RAN network element to ensure that the data stored in the read storage device correctly reflects the data in the O-RAN network element. For example, the read storage device may be periodically updated based on the updated O-RAN network element via the O1 interface or the OFH interface.

[0132] Thus, the above-described process for updating O-RAN network elements involving writing to storage allows an rApp or other SMO function to simply send a configuration and, while the configuration of the O-RAN network element is being updated based on the sent configuration, is free to perform other tasks without having to wait for the update to complete. Consequently, the above-described process prevents a situation where too many rApps or other SMO functions are held while waiting for their corresponding update requests to complete, which could potentially overload the platform during signal spikes.

[0133] Furthermore, the above-described process for updating the read storage device based on the configuration stored in the write storage device allows the data stored in the read storage device (which will be used for read operations) to correctly reflect the data in the O-RAN network element without having to communicate directly with the O-RAN network element, thereby avoiding unnecessary signaling load, bandwidth overhead, and latency associated with direct communication with the O-RAN network element. Subsequently, the above-described process further reduces the processing and memory load on the SMO and RIC platforms, thereby improving the scalability of the network.

[0134] Furthermore, the above-described process involving two separate stores for retrieving configuration data and updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element allows for retrieving data from the O-RAN network element and sending data to the O-RAN network element without interfering with each other.

[0135] O-RAN interface message flow for writing configuration data

[0136] Figure 11A A call flow for an rApp to update the configuration of an O-RAN network element using write storage according to one or more embodiments is disclosed.

[0137] like Figure 11A As shown, the RAN-OAM related function 1102 may receive a request to write a configuration change from the rApp 1101, requesting to update (write) the configuration attributes of the target O-RAN network element 1103. The request may include the rAppid and configuration change information related to the request, and may be received via the R1 interface.

[0138] In response, the RAN-OAM related function 1102 may perform authorization (AuthZ) and verification on the received request.

[0139] After the received request is authenticated and verified, the RAN-OAM related function 1102 may modify the write storage device so that the O-RAN network element 1103 stores the updated configuration attributes in the write storage device.

[0140] After the write storage is modified, the RAN-OAM related function 1102 may send a write configuration change response to the rApp 1101, indicating that the request was accepted and the configuration changes were stored in the write storage, but the actual process to update the O-RAN network element 1103 is still pending. In the case of an HTTP / REST API operation, the write configuration change response may include a return code of 202: ACCEPTED.

[0141] Then, by using the network management protocol NETCONF edit-config to create, replace or delete and rpc-reply <ok>or<rpc.error> By communicating with the O-RAN network element 803 via the O1 interface, the RAN-OAM related function 1102 can update the O-RAN network element 1103 based on the stored configuration attributes. Thus, the configuration / MOI attributes of the network element 1103 can be modified (updated) based on the configuration attributes stored in the write storage device.

[0142] After the O-RAN network element 1103 is updated, the RAN-OAM related function 1102 may send a configuration change notification to the rApp 1101, indicating that the O-RAN network element 1103 was successfully updated and the provided configuration changes are effective in the network. The configuration change notification may include a status indicating the completion of the operation on the O1 interface, and result information indicating which configuration attributes in the O-RAN network element 1103 were successfully configured, or which configuration attributes were not successfully configured in the case of a partial success scenario.

[0143] Figure 11B A call flow for other SMO functions (SMOFs) to update the configuration of an O-RAN network element using write storage in accordance with one or more embodiments is disclosed.

[0144] like Figure 11B As shown, Figure 11B The call flow shown can be similar to Figure 11A The call flow shown, where operations related to updating the configuration of the O-RAN network elements are performed by other SMOFs 1104 via the RAN NF CM service API, rather than by the rApp 1101 via the R1 interface.

[0145] Therefore, it can be understood that other SMOFs 1104 can perform write operations in a similar manner to rApp 1101 to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element 1103.

[0146] Figure 12A A call flow for an rApp to update the configuration of an O-RAN network element without using write storage is disclosed.

[0147] like Figure 12A As shown, the call flow for updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element 1203 without using a write storage device can be similar to the above-mentioned Figure 11A The call flow for updating the configuration of an O-RAN network element using write storage. Figure 12A As shown, in this case, after the RAN-OAM-related function 1202 receives, authenticates, and verifies the request to write a configuration change, the RAN-OAM-related function 1202 can directly update the O-RAN network element 1203 based on the received configuration attributes. After the O-RAN network element 1203 is updated, the RAN-OAM-related function 1202 can send a write configuration change response to the rApp 1201, indicating that the O-RAN network element 1203 was successfully updated and the provided configuration attributes are valid in the network. In the case of an HTTP / REST API operation, the write configuration change response can include a response code of 200: OK.

[0148] It will be appreciated that during the above process, the RIC may block rApp 1201 and hold the context of the write configuration request until all O-RAN network elements 1203 are updated. Furthermore, rApp 1201 may not be aware of the process of updating O-RAN network elements 1203 until the update is complete and a write configuration change response is received. Therefore, as the network scales and more rApps and O-RAN network elements operate in the network, the RIC may simultaneously block and hold too many rApps and contexts while waiting for the update process to complete over the O1 interface and the O-FH interface, potentially leading to platform overload and signaling spikes.

[0149] Figure 12B A call flow for other SMO functions (SMOFs) to update the configuration of O-RAN network elements without using write storage is disclosed.

[0150] like Figure 12B As shown, Figure 12B The call flow shown can be similar to Figure 12A The call flow shown, where operations related to updating the configuration of the O-RAN network elements are performed by other SMOF 1204 via the RAN NF CM service API, rather than by rApp 1201 via the R1 interface.

[0151] Therefore, it can be understood that other SMOFs 1204 can perform write operations in a similar manner to rApp 1201 to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element 1203.

[0152] Example implementation environment

[0153] Figure 13 13 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example environment 1300 in which the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented. Figure 13 As shown, environment 1300 may include device 1310, platform 1320, and network 1330. The devices of environment 1300 may be interconnected via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections. In some embodiments, any of the functions and operations described above with reference to FIG. 3 to FIG. 12 may be implemented by Figure 13 Any combination of the elements shown may be performed.

[0154] According to an embodiment, the system described herein may be stored, hosted, or deployed in a cloud computing platform 1320. In this regard, the device 1310 may include a device, system, equipment, etc. used by a user (e.g., a user of a marketing team, a user of a network planning team, etc.) to access the system. In this case, the device 1310 may include one or more devices capable of receiving, generating, storing, processing, and / or providing information associated with the platform 1320.

[0155] The platform 1320 includes one or more devices capable of receiving, generating, storing, processing, and / or providing information. In some implementations, the platform 1320 may include a cloud server or a group of cloud servers. In some implementations, the platform 1320 may be designed to be modular so that certain software components can be swapped in or out based on specific needs. Thus, the platform 1320 can be easily and / or quickly reconfigured for different uses.

[0156] In some implementations, as shown, the platform 1320 can be hosted in a cloud computing environment 1322. It is worth noting that although the implementations described herein describe the platform 1320 as being hosted in the cloud computing environment 1322, in some implementations, the platform 1320 may not be cloud-based (i.e., may be implemented outside of a cloud computing environment) or may be partially cloud-based.

[0157] Cloud computing environment 1322 includes an environment that hosts platform 1320. Cloud computing environment 1322 can provide computing, software, data access, storage, and other services without requiring end users (e.g., user devices 1310) to be aware of the physical location and configuration of the system(s) and / or device(s) hosting platform 1320. As shown, cloud computing environment 1322 can include a set of computing resources 1324 (collectively, computing resource(s) 1324 and individually, computing resource(s) 1324).

[0158] Computing resources 1324 include one or more personal computers, clusters of computing devices, workstation computers, server devices, or other types of computing and / or communication devices. In some implementations, computing resources 1324 can host platform 1320. Cloud resources can include computing instances executed in computing resources 1324, storage devices provided in computing resources 1324, data transmission devices provided by computing resources 1324, etc. In some implementations, computing resources 1324 can communicate with other computing resources 1324 via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections.

[0159] like Figure 13 As further shown, computing resources 1324 include a set of cloud resources, such as one or more applications (APPs) 1324-1, one or more virtual machines (VMs) 1324-2, virtualized storage (VS) 1324-3, one or more hypervisors (HYPs) 1324-4, and the like. While the present example embodiment refers to virtualized network functions, it should be understood that one or more other embodiments are not limited thereto and may be implemented in at least one of containers, cloud-native services, one or more container platforms, and the like. For example, in one or more other example embodiments, any of the aforementioned components may be software-based components deployed or hosted in, for example, a server cluster (such as a hybrid cloud server, a data center server, or the like). The software-based components may be containerized and deployed and controlled by one or more machines (referred to as "nodes") that run or execute the containerized O-RAN network elements and are addressable. In this regard, the server cluster may include at least one master node and multiple worker nodes, where the master node(s) control and manage a group of associated worker nodes.

[0160] Applications 1324-1 include one or more software applications that can be provided to or accessed by user device 1310. Applications 1324-1 can eliminate the need to install and execute software applications on user device 1310. For example, applications 1324-1 can include software associated with platform 1320 and / or any other software that can be provided via cloud computing environment 1322. In some implementations, one application 1324-1 can send information to / receive information from one or more other applications 1324-1 via virtual machine 1324-2.

[0161] Virtual machine 1324-2 includes a software implementation of a machine (e.g., a computer) that executes a program (e.g., a physical machine). Virtual machine 1324-2 can be a system virtual machine or a process virtual machine, depending on the use and correspondence of virtual machine 1324-2 to any real machine. A system virtual machine can provide a complete system platform that supports the execution of a complete operating system (OS). A process virtual machine can execute a single program and can support a single process. In some implementations, virtual machine 1324-2 can execute on behalf of a user (e.g., user device 1310) and can manage the infrastructure of cloud computing environment 1322, such as data management, synchronization, or long-term data transfer.

[0162] Virtualized storage 1324-3 includes one or more storage systems and / or one or more devices that use virtualization technology within the storage system or device of computing resource 1324. In some implementations, in the context of a storage system, the types of virtualization may include block virtualization and file virtualization. Block virtualization may refer to extracting (or separating) logical storage from physical storage so that the storage system can be accessed without regard to physical storage or heterogeneous structures. This separation may allow administrators of the storage system flexibility in how the administrator manages storage for end users. File virtualization may eliminate the dependency between data accessed at the file level and the location where the file is physically stored. This may optimize storage usage, server consolidation, and / or the performance of non-disruptive file migration.

[0163] The virtual machine monitor 1324-4 can provide hardware virtualization technology that allows multiple operating systems (e.g., guest operating systems) to execute simultaneously on a host computer (such as computing resources 1324). The virtual machine monitor 1324-4 can present a virtual operating platform to the guest operating systems and can manage the execution of the guest operating systems. Multiple instances of various operating systems can share virtualized hardware resources.

[0164] The network 1330 may include one or more wired and / or wireless networks. For example, the network 1330 may include a cellular network (e.g., a fifth generation (5G) network, a long term evolution (LTE) network, a third generation (3G) network, a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, etc.), a public land mobile network (PLMN), a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a telephone network (e.g., a public switched telephone network (PSTN)), a private network, an ad hoc network, an intranet, the Internet, a fiber-optic-based network, etc., and / or a combination of these or other types of networks.

[0165] Figure 13 The number and arrangement of devices and networks shown are provided as examples. Figure 13 There may be additional devices and / or networks, fewer devices and / or networks, different devices and / or networks, or differently arranged devices and / or networks than those shown. Figure 13 Two or more of the devices shown may be implemented in a single device, or Figure 13 The single device shown may be implemented as multiple distributed devices. Additionally or alternatively, one set of devices (eg, one or more devices) of environment 1300 may perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of devices of environment 1300.

[0166] Various aspects of the embodiments

[0167] The above disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the implementation to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the implementation.

[0168] Some embodiments may involve systems, methods, and / or computer-readable media at any possible level of integrated technical detail. In addition, one or more of the above components may be implemented as instructions stored on a computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor (and / or may include at least one processor). The computer-readable medium may include (one or more) computer-readable non-transitory storage media having computer-readable program instructions thereon for causing the processor to perform operations.

[0169] Computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device, and it can retain and store instructions for use by instruction execution equipment.Computer readable storage medium can be, for example, but not limited to, electronic storage device, magnetic storage device, optical storage device, electromagnetic storage device, semiconductor storage device or any suitable combination of the above.The non-exhaustive list of the more specific example of computer readable storage medium includes: portable computer floppy disk, hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD), memory stick, floppy disk, the mechanical encoding device (such as the convex structure in punch card or groove) of instruction recorded thereon and any suitable combination of the above.Computer readable storage medium as used in this article itself should not be interpreted as transient signal, such as radio wave or other free propagation electromagnetic wave, electromagnetic wave (such as, by the light pulse of fiber optic cable) propagated by waveguide or other transmission medium or the electric signal sent by wire.

[0170] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to a corresponding computing / processing device, or downloaded to an external computer or external storage device via a network (e.g., the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network). The network can include copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmissions, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. The network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer-readable program instructions to be stored in a computer-readable storage medium within the corresponding computing / processing device.

[0171] The computer readable program code / instruction for performing an operation can be an assembly instruction, an instruction set architecture (ISA) instruction, a machine instruction, a machine-related instruction, a microcode, a firmware instruction, a state setting data, the configuration data of an integrated circuit system, or a source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​(such as Smalltalk, C++, etc.) and process programming languages ​​(such as "C" programming languages ​​or similar programming languages). The computer readable program code / instruction can be executed completely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, executed as an independent software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or completely on a remote computer or server. In the latter case, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or can be connected to an external computer (for example, using an internet service provider through the internet). In certain embodiments, an electronic circuit system (including, for example, a programmable logic circuit system, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a programmable logic array (PLA)) can execute the computer readable program instruction by utilizing the state information of the computer readable program instruction to personalize the electronic circuit system, thereby performing various aspects or operations.

[0172] These computer-readable program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus create components for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram. These computer-readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct the computer, programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other device to operate in a specific manner, such that the computer-readable storage medium having the instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture that includes instructions for implementing various aspects of the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0173] Computer-readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device, thereby producing a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0174] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functions and operations of the systems, methods and computer-readable media that may be implemented according to various embodiments. In this regard, each box in the flowchart or block diagram can represent (one or more) microservice modules, instruction segments or instruction portions, which include one or more executable instructions for implementing (one or more) specified logical functions. Compared to what is shown in the figure, the method, computer system and computer-readable medium may include additional boxes, fewer boxes, different boxes or boxes arranged differently. In some alternative implementations, the functions described in the box may not appear in the order shown in the figure. For example, in fact, two boxes shown in succession can be executed simultaneously or substantially simultaneously, or these boxes can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It will also be noted that each box in the block diagram and / or flowchart illustration and the combination of boxes in the block diagram and / or flowchart illustration can be implemented by a system based on dedicated hardware that performs the specified function or action or performs a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0175] It is apparent that the systems and / or methods described herein can be implemented with various forms of hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual dedicated control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods does not limit these implementations. Therefore, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code. It should be understood that software and hardware can be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based on the description herein.

[0176] Various further respective aspects and features of embodiments of the present disclosure may be defined by the following clauses:

[0177] Clause [1]: A device, the device being configured to:

[0178] receiving, from the rApp or other SMO function, at least one of: a request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element, and a request to update a configuration of the O-RAN network element;

[0179] In response to receiving the request to obtain the configuration data of the O-RAN network element, obtaining the configuration data using a read storage device; and

[0180] in response to receiving the request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element, updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using a write storage device distinct from the read storage device;

[0181] The write storage device and the read storage device may be included in the device.

[0182] Clause [2]: The apparatus of clause [1], wherein the apparatus can be configured to obtain the configuration data using the read storage device by:

[0183] determining whether the configuration data is stored in the read storage device; and

[0184] In response to determining that the configuration data is stored in the read storage device, the configuration data is sent from the read storage device to the rApp or other SMO function.

[0185] Clause [3]: An apparatus according to any of clauses [1] to [2], wherein the apparatus may be configured to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using the write storage means by:

[0186] receiving the configuration from the rApp or other SMO functionality;

[0187] storing the received configuration in the write storage device; and

[0188] The configuration of the O-RAN network element is updated based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device.

[0189] Clause [4]: ​​An apparatus according to clause [3], wherein the apparatus may be further configured to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using the write storage device in the following manner: after updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device, updating the read storage device based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device.

[0190] Clause [5]: An apparatus according to any of clauses [3] to [4], wherein the apparatus is further configured to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using the write storage means by:

[0191] After storing the received configuration in the write storage, sending a first response to the rApp or other SMO function, wherein the first response may be configured to notify the rApp or other SMO function that the received configuration is stored in the write storage; and

[0192] After updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device, sending a second notification to the rApp or other SMO function, wherein the second notification can be configured to notify the rApp or other SMO function that the configuration of the O-RAN network element is updated based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device.

[0193] Clause [6]: An apparatus according to any one of clauses [1] to [5], wherein:

[0194] The O-RAN network element may be a first O-RAN network element;

[0195] The apparatus may be further configured to receive a request from an rApp or other SMO function to obtain configuration data for a second O-RAN network element different from the first O-RAN network element; and

[0196] The request to obtain the configuration data of the first O-RAN network element and the request to obtain the configuration data of the second O-RAN network element may be bundled into a single application programming interface (API) call.

[0197] Clause [7]: An apparatus according to any one of clauses [1] to [6], wherein:

[0198] The O-RAN network element may be a first O-RAN network element;

[0199] The apparatus may be further configured to: receive, from an rApp or other SMO function, a request to update the configuration of a second O-RAN network element different from the first O-RAN network element based on a configuration provided in the request to update the configuration of the second O-RAN network element; and

[0200] The request to update the configuration of the first O-RAN network element and the request to update the configuration of the second O-RAN network element may be bundled into a single application programming interface (API) call.

[0201] Clause [8]: A device, the device being configured to:

[0202] receiving, from the rApp or other SMO function, at least one of: a request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element, and a request to update a configuration of the O-RAN network element;

[0203] In response to receiving the request to obtain the configuration data of the O-RAN network element, obtaining the configuration data using a first digital twin; and

[0204] In response to receiving the request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element, updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using a second digital twin different from the first digital twin;

[0205] The first digital twin and the second digital twin may be included in the device, and wherein the first digital twin and the second digital twin may include full digital copies of the O-RAN network element.

[0206] Clause [9]: A method, which may include:

[0207] receiving, from the rApp or other SMO function, at least one of: a request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element, and a request to update a configuration of the O-RAN network element;

[0208] In response to receiving the request to obtain the configuration data of the O-RAN network element, obtaining the configuration data using a read storage device; and

[0209] in response to receiving the request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element, updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using a write storage device distinct from the read storage device;

[0210] The writing storage device and the reading storage device may be included in a device for executing the method.

[0211] Clause

[10] : The method of clause [9], wherein using the read storage device to obtain the configuration data may include:

[0212] determining whether the configuration data is stored in the read storage device; and

[0213] In response to determining that the configuration data is stored in the read storage device, the configuration data is sent from the read storage device to the rApp or other SMO function.

[0214] Clause

[11] : A method according to any of clauses [9] to

[10] , wherein, using the write storage device, updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request may include:

[0215] receiving the configuration from the rApp or other SMO functionality;

[0216] storing the received configuration in the write storage device; and

[0217] The configuration of the O-RAN network element is updated based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device.

[0218] Clause

[12] : A method according to clause

[11] , wherein updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using the write storage device may also include: after updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device, updating the read storage device based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device.

[0219] Clause

[13] : The method of any of clauses

[11] to

[12] , wherein updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using the write storage device may further comprise:

[0220] After storing the received configuration in the write storage device, sending a first response to the rApp or other SMO function, wherein the first response may be configured to: notify the rApp or other SMO function that the received configuration is stored in the write storage device; and

[0221] After updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device, sending a second notification to the rApp or other SMO function, wherein the second notification can be configured to: notify the rApp or other SMO function that the configuration of the O-RAN network element is updated based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device.

[0222] Clause

[14] : A method according to any one of clauses [9] to

[13] , wherein:

[0223] The O-RAN network element may be a first O-RAN network element;

[0224] The method may further include: receiving a request from an rApp or other SMO function to obtain configuration data for a second O-RAN network element different from the first O-RAN network element; and

[0225] The request to obtain the configuration data of the first O-RAN network element and the request to obtain the configuration data of the second O-RAN network element may be bundled into a single application programming interface (API) call.

[0226] Clause

[15] : A method according to any one of clauses [9] to

[14] , wherein:

[0227] The O-RAN network element may be a first O-RAN network element;

[0228] The method may further include: receiving, from an rApp or other SMO function, a request to update the configuration of a second O-RAN network element different from the first O-RAN network element based on a configuration provided in the request to update the configuration of the second O-RAN network element; and

[0229] The request to update the configuration of the first O-RAN network element and the request to update the configuration of the second O-RAN network element may be bundled into a single application programming interface (API) call.

[0230] Clause

[16] : A method, which may include:

[0231] receiving, from the rApp or other SMO function, at least one of: a request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element, and a request to update a configuration of the O-RAN network element;

[0232] In response to receiving the request to obtain the configuration data of the O-RAN network element, obtaining the configuration data using a first digital twin; and

[0233] In response to receiving the request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element, updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using a second digital twin different from the first digital twin;

[0234] The first digital twin and the second digital twin may be included in an apparatus for performing the method, and the first digital twin and the second digital twin may comprise fully digital copies of the O-RAN network element.

[0235] Clause

[17] : A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium may have instructions recorded thereon, the instructions being executable by an apparatus to cause the apparatus to perform a method, the method comprising:

[0236] receiving, from the rApp or other SMO function, at least one of: a request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element, and a request to update a configuration of the O-RAN network element;

[0237] In response to receiving the request to obtain the configuration data of the O-RAN network element, obtaining the configuration data using a read storage device; and

[0238] in response to receiving the request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element, updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using a write storage device distinct from the read storage device;

[0239] The write storage device and the read storage device may be included in the device.

[0240] Clause

[18] : The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of clause

[17] , wherein using the read storage device to obtain the configuration data may include:

[0241] determining whether the configuration data is stored in the read storage device; and

[0242] In response to determining that the configuration data is stored in the read storage device, the configuration data is sent from the read storage device to the rApp or other SMO function.

[0243] Clause

[19] : The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of any of clauses

[17] to

[18] , wherein, using the write storage device, updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request may include:

[0244] receiving the configuration from the rApp or other SMO functionality;

[0245] storing the received configuration in the write storage device; and

[0246] The configuration of the O-RAN network element is updated based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device.

[0247] Clause

[20] : A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to clause

[19] , wherein using the write storage device to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request may also include: after updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device, updating the read storage device based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device.

[0248] It will be appreciated that many modifications and variations of the disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings. It will be apparent that, within the scope of the appended sections, the disclosure may be practiced in ways other than those specifically described herein.< / ok>

Claims

1. A device configured to: receiving, from the rApp or other SMO function, at least one of: a request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element, and a request to update a configuration of the O-RAN network element; In response to receiving the request to obtain the configuration data of the O-RAN network element, obtaining the configuration data using a read storage device; as well as in response to receiving the request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element, updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using a write storage device distinct from the read storage device; wherein the write storage device and the read storage device are included in the device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to obtain the configuration data using the read storage device by: determining whether the configuration data is stored in the read storage device; and In response to determining that the configuration data is stored in the read storage device, the configuration data is sent from the read storage device to the rApp or other SMO function.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using the write storage device by: receiving the configuration from the rApp or other SMO functionality; storing the received configuration in the write storage device; as well as The configuration of the O-RAN network element is updated based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using the write storage device by: updating the read storage device based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device after updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using the write storage device by: After storing the received configuration in the write storage, sending a first response to the rApp or other SMO function, wherein the first response is configured to notify the rApp or other SMO function that the received configuration is stored in the write storage; and After updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device, sending a second notification to the rApp or other SMO function, wherein the second notification is configured to notify the rApp or other SMO function that the configuration of the O-RAN network element is updated based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The O-RAN network element is a first O-RAN network element; The apparatus is further configured to receive a request from an rApp or other SMO function to obtain configuration data for a second O-RAN network element different from the first O-RAN network element; and The request to obtain the configuration data of the first O-RAN network element and the request to obtain the configuration data of the second O-RAN network element are bundled into a single application programming interface (API) call.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The O-RAN network element is a first O-RAN network element; The apparatus is further configured to: receive from an rApp or other SMO function a request to update the configuration of a second O-RAN network element different from the first O-RAN network element based on a configuration provided in the request to update the configuration of the second O-RAN network element; and The request to update the configuration of the first O-RAN network element and the request to update the configuration of the second O-RAN network element are bundled into a single application programming interface (API) call.

8. An apparatus configured to: receiving, from the rApp or other SMO function, at least one of: a request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element, and a request to update a configuration of the O-RAN network element; In response to receiving the request to obtain the configuration data of the O-RAN network element, obtaining the configuration data using a first digital twin; and In response to receiving the request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element, updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using a second digital twin different from the first digital twin; The first digital twin and the second digital twin are included in the device, and wherein the first digital twin and the second digital twin comprise full digital copies of the O-RAN network element.

9. A method comprising: receiving, from the rApp or other SMO function, at least one of: a request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element, and a request to update a configuration of the O-RAN network element; In response to receiving the request to obtain the configuration data of the O-RAN network element, obtaining the configuration data using a read storage device; as well as in response to receiving the request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element, updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using a write storage device distinct from the read storage device; The writing storage device and the reading storage device are included in a device for executing the method.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein using the read storage device to obtain the configuration data comprises: determining whether the configuration data is stored in the read storage device; as well as In response to determining that the configuration data is stored in the read storage device, the configuration data is sent from the read storage device to the rApp or other SMO function.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein using the write storage device, updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request comprises: receiving the configuration from the rApp or other SMO functionality; storing the received configuration in the write storage device; as well as The configuration of the O-RAN network element is updated based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein using the write storage device to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request further comprises: After updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the received configuration stored in the write storage, updating the read storage based on the received configuration stored in the write storage.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein using the write storage device to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request further comprises: After storing the received configuration in the write storage device, sending a first response to the rApp or other SMO function, wherein the first response is configured to: notify the rApp or other SMO function that the received configuration is stored in the write storage device; as well as After updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device, sending a second notification to the rApp or other SMO function, wherein the second notification is configured to: notify the rApp or other SMO function that the configuration of the O-RAN network element is updated based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The O-RAN network element is a first O-RAN network element; The method further includes: receiving a request from an rApp or other SMO function to obtain configuration data for a second O-RAN network element different from the first O-RAN network element; and The request to obtain the configuration data of the first O-RAN network element and the request to obtain the configuration data of the second O-RAN network element are bundled into a single application programming interface (API) call.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein: The O-RAN network element is a first O-RAN network element; The method further includes receiving, from an rApp or other SMO function, a request to update the configuration of a second O-RAN network element different from the first O-RAN network element based on a configuration provided in the request to update the configuration of the second O-RAN network element; and The request to update the configuration of the first O-RAN network element and the request to update the configuration of the second O-RAN network element are bundled into a single application programming interface (API) call.

16. A method comprising: receiving, from the rApp or other SMO function, at least one of: a request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element, and a request to update a configuration of the O-RAN network element; In response to receiving the request to obtain the configuration data of the O-RAN network element, obtaining the configuration data using a first digital twin; as well as In response to receiving the request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element, updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using a second digital twin different from the first digital twin; The first digital twin and the second digital twin are included in an apparatus for performing the method, and wherein the first digital twin and the second digital twin comprise fully digital copies of the O-RAN network element.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having instructions recorded thereon, wherein the instructions are executable by a device to cause the device to perform a method, the method comprising: receiving, from the rApp or other SMO function, at least one of: a request to obtain configuration data of an O-RAN network element, and a request to update a configuration of the O-RAN network element; In response to receiving the request to obtain the configuration data of the O-RAN network element, obtaining the configuration data using a read storage device; as well as in response to receiving the request to update the configuration of the O-RAN network element, updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request using a write storage device distinct from the read storage device; wherein the write storage device and the read storage device are included in the device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 17, wherein using the read storage device to obtain the configuration data comprises: determining whether the configuration data is stored in the read storage device; as well as In response to determining that the configuration data is stored in the read storage device, the configuration data is sent from the read storage device to the rApp or other SMO function.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 17, wherein, using the write storage device, updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request comprises: receiving the configuration from the rApp or other SMO functionality; storing the received configuration in the write storage device; as well as The configuration of the O-RAN network element is updated based on the received configuration stored in the write storage device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 19, wherein using the write storage device, updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the configuration provided in the request further comprises: After updating the configuration of the O-RAN network element based on the received configuration stored in the write storage, updating the read storage based on the received configuration stored in the write storage.

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