Handling DU status information and recovery using NETCONF operational data

Abstract

In general, the subject matter of this disclosure relates to storing persistent data using Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) operational data. In some implementations, storing persistent data using NETCONF operational data can include receiving, at a NETCONF server, state information of at least one microservice of a distributed unit (DU) from the at least one microservice, storing the received state information in persistent storage of the NETCONF server, fetching the stored state information from the NETCONF server by the at least one microservice, and restoring the DU to an operational state based on the fetch.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] In some implementations, the subject matter of the present disclosure relates to telecommunications systems, and in particular to handling distributed unit (DU) state information and recovery of DU operational state using Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) operational data. [Background technology]

[0002] In today's world, cellular networks provide on-demand communication capabilities to individuals and businesses. Typically, cellular networks are wireless networks that can be distributed over a terrestrial area called a cell. Each such cell is served by at least one fixed-location transceiver called a cell site or base station. Each cell may use a different set of frequencies from its neighboring cells to avoid interference and provide improved service within each cell. When cells are combined, they provide wireless coverage over a wide geographic area, allowing numerous mobile phones and / or other wireless devices or portable transceivers to communicate with each other and with fixed transceivers and phones anywhere in the network. Such communication is performed through base stations and is accomplished even when a mobile transceiver is traveling through more than one cell during transmission. Major wireless communication providers have deployed such cell sites worldwide, allowing mobile phones and mobile computing devices to connect to the public switched telephone network and the public Internet.

[0003] A mobile phone is a portable telephone that can receive and / or make telephone and / or data communications through a cell site or transmission tower by using radio waves to transfer signals to and from the mobile phone. Given the large number of mobile phone users, current mobile phone networks offer limited shared resources. In that regard, cell sites and handsets may change frequencies and use low-power transmitters to allow for simultaneous use of the network by many callers with less interference. Coverage by a cell site may depend on the particular geographic location and / or the number of users who can use the network. For example, in cities, cell sites may have a range of up to about 1 / 2 mile, while in suburban areas, the range may be as much as 5 miles, and in some areas, users may be able to receive signals from cell sites 25 miles away.

[0004] The following are some examples of digital cellular technologies used by communication providers: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), cdmaOne, CDMA2000, Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT), Digital AMPS (IS-136 / TDMA), and Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN).Long Term Evolution, or 4G LTE, developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®) standards organization, is a high-speed data wireless communication standard for mobile phones and data terminals. 5G standards are currently being developed and deployed. 3GPP cellular technologies such as LTE and 5G NR are evolutions of earlier generations of 3GPP technologies such as GSM / EDGE and UMTS / HSPA digital cellular technologies, and allow for increased capacity and speeds by using a different air interface along with core network improvements.

[0005] A cellular network can be divided into a radio access network and a core network. The radio access network (RAN) can include network functions capable of handling radio layer communications processing. The core network can include network functions capable of handling higher layer communications, such as Internet Protocol (IP), transport layer, and application layer. In some cases, the RAN functions can be divided into baseband unit functions and radio unit functions. For example, a radio unit connected to a baseband unit via a fronthaul network can be responsible for lower layer processing of the radio physical layer, and the baseband unit can be responsible for higher layer radio protocols, such as MAC, RLC, etc.

[0006] A base station for a cellular network may include a centralized unit (CU), one or more distributed units (DUs) communicatively coupled to the CU, and one or more radio units (RUs), each communicatively coupled to at least one of the one or more DUs and each configured to be communicatively coupled to one or more mobile phones and / or other user equipment (UE). Each of the one or more DUs can support one or more cells. Because configuration information is necessary for proper microservice operation and the configuration information may vary between different microservices, the DU has a small amount of memory that can maintain configuration information, such as cell state, for each of the DU's one or more microservices. During DU operation, the DU may need to be restarted or rebooted, for example, due to a software crash, maintenance downtime planned by the DU's operator, or for another reason. Restarting or rebooting the DU causes the DU to lose the configuration information stored for its microservices. Therefore, the configuration information must be re-established, which may cause delays in UE services and thus worsen the customer experience. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In some implementations, the subject matter of this disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method that can include, at a Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) server, receiving, from at least one microservice of a distributed unit (DU), state information of the at least one microservice; storing the received state information in persistent storage of the NETCONF server; fetching, by the at least one microservice, the stored state information from the NETCONF server; and restoring the DU to an operational state based on the fetch.

[0008] This method can avoid having to re-establish state information for at least one microservice after a DU restart or reboot, reducing UE service delays that would otherwise result from the need to re-establish state information from default settings.

[0009] In some implementations, the subject matter of this disclosure can include one or more of the following optional features.

[0010] In some implementations, at least one microservice can fetch state information after a restart or reboot of the DU in order to restore the DU to an operational state.

[0011] In some implementations, the method may further include receiving, at the NETCONF server, at least one update to state information of the at least one microservice from the at least one microservice, and the method may further include storing the received updated state information in persistent storage of the NETCONF server, wherein the at least one microservice may fetch the state information last received by the NETCONF server for purposes of restoring the DU to an operational state after a restart or reboot.

[0012] In some implementations, a NETCONF server can receive state information via an application programming interface (API) layer.

[0013] In some implementations, the method can further include storing state information of the at least one microservice in non-persistent storage of the DU.

[0014] In some implementations, the state information may include at least one of cell state information, baseband state information, and centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) connection information.

[0015] In some implementations, a base station may include a NETCONF server and a DU, and the base station may include a gNodeB or an eNodeB.

[0016] In some implementations, a wireless communication system base station can include at least one processor and at least one non-transitory storage medium.

[0017] Also described are non-transitory computer program products (i.e., physically embodied computer program products) that store instructions that, when executed by one or more data processors of one or more computing systems, cause at least one data processor to perform the operations described herein. Similarly, also described are computer systems that may include one or more data processors and memory coupled to the one or more data processors. The memory may temporarily or permanently store instructions that cause at least one processor to perform one or more of the operations described herein. Furthermore, methods may be implemented by one or more data processors within a single computing system or distributed across two or more computing systems. Such computing systems may be connected and may exchange data and / or commands or other instructions, etc., via one or more connections, including, but not limited to, connections over a network (e.g., the Internet, a wireless wide area network, a local area network, a wide area network, a wired network, etc.), such as via a direct connection between one or more of the computing systems.

[0018] The details of one or more variations of the presently disclosed subject matter described herein are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages of the presently disclosed subject matter described herein will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate certain aspects of the disclosed subject matter disclosed herein and, together with the description, serve to explain some of the principles associated with the disclosed implementations. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1a] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary conventional Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication system.

[0021] [Figure 1b] FIG. 1b illustrates further details of the exemplary LTE system shown in FIG. 1a.

[0022] [Figure 1c] FIG. 1b illustrates further details of the evolved packet core of the exemplary LTE system shown in FIG. 1a.

[0023] [Figure 1d] FIG. 1B illustrates an exemplary evolved Node B of the exemplary LTE system shown in FIG. 1a.

[0024] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows further details of the evolved Node B shown in FIGS. 1a to 1d.

[0025] [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an example virtual radio access network in accordance with some implementations of the subject matter of this disclosure.

[0026] [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary 3GPP split architecture for providing use of higher frequency bands to its users.

[0027] [Figure 5a] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary 5G wireless communication system.

[0028] [Figure 5b] A diagram illustrating an example layer architecture of a split gNB and / or a split ng-eNB (e.g., a next-generation eNB that may be connected to 5GC).

[0029] [Figure 5c] FIG. 5B illustrates an exemplary functional split in the gNB architecture shown in FIGS. 5a-5b.

[0030] [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system in accordance with some implementations of the subject matter of this disclosure.

[0031] [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary method according to some implementations of the subject matter of this disclosure.

[0032] [Figure 8] FIG. 1 illustrates another exemplary system, according to some implementations of the subject matter of this disclosure.

[0033] [Figure 9] FIG. 1 illustrates yet another exemplary system according to some implementations of the disclosed subject matter.

[0034] [Figure 10] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary method according to some implementations of the subject matter of this disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] The subject matter of the present disclosure may provide systems and methods that may be implemented in wireless communication systems, including 5G New Radio communication systems, Long Term Evolution communication systems, and the like.

[0036] Generally, the subject matter of this disclosure relates to storing persistent data using NETCONF operational data.

[0037] In some implementations of the subject matter of this disclosure, state information of at least one microservice of a distributed unit (DU) of a base station in a wireless communication system can be persistently stored using NETCONF operational data. Thus, when a DU is restarted or rebooted, for example, due to a software crash, due to maintenance downtime planned by the DU's operator, or for another reason, state information of the at least one microservice before the restart or reboot can be retrieved and used by the DU. More specifically, after the restart or reboot, the DU can initiate operation of the at least one microservice using the most recent persistently stored state information of the at least one microservice, thereby enabling the DU to initiate operation of the at least one microservice using state information that is more likely to be appropriate for each particular microservice after the restart or reboot than if the at least one microservice were operated using default state information. Thus, after the restart or reboot, there is no need to re-establish state information of the at least one microservice, which can reduce UE service delays that would otherwise result from the need to re-establish state information from default settings.

[0038] O-RAN Alliance standards that define one or more aspects that may be related to the subject matter of this disclosure include the O-RAN Working Group 4 (Open Fronthaul Interface WG) Management Plane Specification. 3GPP standards may also be related to one or more aspects of the subject matter of this disclosure.

[0039] One or more aspects of the subject matter of this disclosure may be incorporated into transmitting and / or receiving components of a base station (e.g., gNodeB, eNodeB, etc.) within such a communication system. The following is an overview of a Long Term Evolution communication system and a 5G New Radio communication system.

[0040] I. Long Term Evolution Communication System 1a-1c and 2 illustrate a typical conventional Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication system 100 with its various components. The LTE system, or 4G LTE, as it is commercially known, is governed by a high-speed data wireless communication standard for mobile phones and data terminals. This standard is an evolution of GSM / EDGE (Global System for Mobile communications / GSM Evolution Improved Data Rates) and UMTS / HSPA (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System / High-Speed ​​Packet Access) network technologies. This standard was developed by 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project).

[0041] As shown in FIG. 1a, the system 100 may include an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (EUTRAN) 102, an evolved packet core (EPC) 108, and a packet data network (PDN) 101, where the EUTRAN 102 and the EPC 108 provide communication between user equipment 104 and the PDN 101. The EUTRAN 102 may include multiple evolved Node Bs (eNodeBs or ENODEBs or enodeb or eNBs) or base stations 106 (106a, 106b, 106c) that provide communication capabilities to multiple user equipment 104 (104a, 104b, 104c) (as shown in FIG. 1b). The user equipment 104 may be a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a server, a data terminal, and / or any other type of user equipment, and / or any combination thereof. User equipment 104 can connect to the EPC 108 and ultimately to the PDN 101 through any eNodeB 106. Typically, user equipment 104 can connect to the eNodeB 106 that is closest in distance. In the LTE system 100, the EUTRAN 102 and the EPC 108 work together to provide connectivity, mobility, and services to user equipment 104.

[0042] Figure 1b shows further details of the network 100 shown in Figure 1a. As mentioned above, the EUTRAN 102 includes multiple eNodeBs 106, also known as cell sites. The eNodeBs 106 provide radio functionality and perform important control functions, including air link resource scheduling or radio resource management, active mode mobility or handover, and admission control for services. The eNodeBs 106 are responsible for selecting which mobility management entity (MME shown in Figure 1c) will serve the user equipment 104 and for protocol functions such as header compression and encryption. The eNodeBs 106 that make up the EUTRAN 102 cooperate with each other regarding radio resource management and handover.

[0043] Communication between the user equipment 104 and the eNodeB 106 occurs over an air interface 122 (also known as the LTE-Uu interface). As shown in FIG. 1b, the air interface 122 provides communication between the user equipment 104b and the eNodeB 106a. The air interface 122 uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) and Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA), an OFDMA variant, on the downlink and uplink, respectively. OFDMA allows the use of multiple known antenna technologies, such as Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO).

[0044] The air interface 122 uses various protocols, including radio resource control (RRC) for signaling between the user equipment 104 and the eNodeB 106 and non-access stratum (NAS) for signaling between the user equipment 104 and the MME (shown in FIG. 1c). In addition to signaling, user traffic is transferred between the user equipment 104 and the eNodeB 106. Both signaling and traffic within the system 100 are carried by physical layer (PHY) channels.

[0045] Multiple eNodeBs 106 may be interconnected with each other using X2 interfaces 130 (130a, 130b, 130c). As shown in FIG. 1b, the X2 interface 130a provides interconnection between the eNodeBs 106a and 106b, the X2 interface 130b provides interconnection between the eNodeBs 106a and 106c, and the X2 interface 130c provides interconnection between the eNodeBs 106b and 106c. The X2 interfaces may be established between two eNodeBs to provide an exchange of signals, which may include information related to loading or interference, as well as information related to handover. The eNodeBs 106 communicate with the evolved packet core 108 via the S1 interfaces 124 (124a, 124b, 124c). The S1 interface 124 may be split into two interfaces, one for the control plane (shown in FIG. 1c as control plane interface (S1-MME interface) 128) and the other for the user plane (shown in FIG. 1c as user plane interface (S1-U interface) 125).

[0046] The EPC 108 establishes and enforces Quality of Service (QoS) for user services and enables the user equipment 104 to maintain a consistent Internet Protocol (IP) address while moving. Note that each node in the network 100 has its own IP address. The EPC 108 is designed to interwork with legacy wireless networks. The EPC 108 is also designed to separate the control plane (i.e., signaling) and the user plane (i.e., traffic) in the core network architecture, which allows for more flexibility in implementation and independent scalability of the control and user data functions.

[0047] The EPC 108 architecture is dedicated to packet data and is shown in more detail in Figure 1c. The EPC 108 includes a serving gateway (S-GW) 110, a PDN gateway (P-GW) 112, a mobility management entity (MME) 114, a home subscriber server (HSS) 116 (a subscriber database for the EPC 108), and a policy control and charging rules function (PCRF) 118. Some of these (e.g., S-GW, P-GW, MME, HSS) are often integrated into nodes, depending on the manufacturer's implementation.

[0048] The S-GW 110 functions as an IP packet data router and is the bearer path anchor for the user equipment in the EPC 108. Thus, when the user equipment moves from one eNodeB 106 to another during mobility operation, the S-GW 110 remains the same and the bearer path towards the EUTRAN 102 is switched to communicate with the new eNodeB 106 serving the user equipment 104. When the user equipment 104 moves to the domain of a different S-GW 110, the MME 114 transfers all of the user equipment's bearer path to the new S-GW. The S-GW 110 establishes a bearer path for the user equipment to one or more P-GWs 112. When downstream data is received for an idle user equipment, the S-GW 110 buffers the downstream packets and requests the MME 114 to find and re-establish a bearer path to and through the EUTRAN 102.

[0049] The P-GW 112 is the gateway between the EPC 108 (as well as the user equipment 104 and EUTRAN 102) and the PDN 101 (shown in FIG. 1a). The P-GW 112 acts as a router for user traffic and performs functions on behalf of the user equipment. These include IP address allocation for the user equipment, packet filtering of downstream user traffic to ensure it is placed on the appropriate bearer path, and enforcement of downstream QoS, including data rate. Depending on the services a subscriber is using, there may be multiple user data bearer paths between the user equipment 104 and the P-GW 112. A subscriber may use services on PDNs served by different P-GWs, in which case the user equipment has at least one bearer path established to each P-GW 112. During handover of a user equipment from one eNodeB to another, if the S-GW 110 is also changing, the bearer path from the P-GW 112 is switched to the new S-GW.

[0050] The MME 114 manages user equipment 104 in the EPC 108, including managing subscriber authentication, maintaining context for authenticated user equipment 104, establishing a data bearer path in the network for user traffic, and tracking the location of idle mobiles that have not detached from the network. For idle user equipment 104 that needs to reconnect to the access network to receive downstream data, the MME 114 initiates paging to locate the user equipment and reestablishes a bearer path to and through the EUTRAN 102. The MME 114 for a particular user equipment 104 is selected by the eNodeB 106 from which the user equipment 104 initiates system access. An MME is typically part of a group of MMEs in the EPC 108 for load sharing and redundancy purposes. In establishing a data bearer path for a user, the MME 114 is responsible for selecting the P-GW 112 and S-GW 110 that form the ends of the data path through the EPC 108.

[0051] The PCRF 118 is responsible for policy control decision-making and controlling the flow-based charging functionality with the policy control enforcement function (PCEF) residing in the P-GW 110. The PCRF 118 provides QoS authorization (QoS class identifier (QCI) and bit rate), which determines how a particular data flow is treated by the PCEF and ensures that this is in line with the user's subscription profile.

[0052] As mentioned above, IP services 119 are provided by PDN 101 (shown in FIG. 1a).

[0053] 1d shows a typical structure of an eNodeB 106. The eNodeB 106 may include at least one remote radio head (RRH) 132 (typically, there may be three RRHs 132) and a baseband unit (BBU) 134. The RRHs 132 may be connected to an antenna 136. The RRHs 132 and BBU 134 may be connected using an optical interface compliant with the common public radio interface (CPRI) / enhanced CPRI (eCPRI) 142 standard specification, either using RRH-specific custom control and user plane framing methods or using O-RAN Alliance compliant control and user plane framing methods. The operation of the eNodeB 106 can be characterized using the following standard parameters (and specifications): radio frequency band (Band 4, Band 9, Band 17, etc.), bandwidth (5, 10, 15, 20 MHz), access method (downlink: OFDMA, uplink: SC-OFDMA), antenna technology (single-user and multi-user MIMO, uplink: single-user and multi-user MIMO), number of sectors (up to 6), maximum transmission speed (downlink: 150 Mb / s, uplink: 50 Mb / s), S1 / X2 interface (1000Base-SX, 1000Base-T), and mobile environment (up to 350 km / h). The BBU 134 can be responsible for digital baseband signal processing, S1 line termination, X2 line termination, call processing, and monitoring and control processing. IP packets (not shown in FIG. 1d) received from the EPC 108 can be modulated into digital baseband signals and transmitted to the RRH 132. Conversely, digital baseband signals received from the RRH 132 may be demodulated into IP packets for transmission to the EPC 108.

[0054] The RRH 132 can transmit and receive wireless signals using an antenna 136. The RRH 132 can convert (using a converter (CONV) 140) digital baseband signals from the BBU 134 to radio frequency (RF) signals and power amplify them (using an amplifier (AMP) 138) for transmission to the user equipment 104 (not shown in FIG. 1d). Conversely, RF signals received from the user equipment 104 are amplified (using AMP 138) and converted (using CONV 140) to digital baseband signals for transmission to the BBU 134.

[0055] Figure 2 shows additional details of a typical eNodeB 106. The eNodeB 106 includes multiple layers: LTE Layer 1 (202), LTE Layer 2 (204), and LTE Layer 3 (206). LTE Layer 1 includes the physical layer (PHY). LTE Layer 2 includes medium access control (MAC), radio link control (RLC), and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP). LTE Layer 3 includes various functions and protocols, including radio resource control (RRC), dynamic resource allocation, eNodeB measurement configuration and provisioning, radio admission control, connection mobility control, and radio resource management ("RRM"). The RLC protocol is an automatic repeat request (ARQ) fragmentation protocol used over the cellular air interface. The RRC protocol handles LTE Layer 3 control plane signaling between user equipment and the EUTRAN. The RRC includes functions for connection establishment and release, system information broadcast, radio bearer establishment / reconfiguration and release, RRC connection mobility procedures, paging notification and release, and outer loop power control. The PDCP performs IP header compression and decompression, user data transfer, and radio bearer sequence number maintenance. The BBU 134 shown in FIG. 1d may include LTE layers L1-L3.

[0056] One of the primary functions of the eNodeB 106 is radio resource management, including scheduling of both uplink and downlink air interface resources for the user equipment 104, control of bearer resources, and admission control. As an agent for the EPC 108, the eNodeB 106 is responsible for forwarding paging messages used to locate a mobile when it is idle. The eNodeB 106 also communicates common control channel information over the air, performs header compression, encryption and decryption of user data sent over the air, and establishes handover reporting and trigger criteria. As mentioned above, the eNodeB 106 can cooperate with other eNodeBs 106 via the X2 interface for handover and interference management purposes. The eNodeB 106 communicates with the MME of the EPC via the S1-MME interface and with the S-GW using the S1-U interface. Additionally, the eNodeB 106 exchanges user data with the S-GW via the S1-U interface. The eNodeBs 106 and the EPC 108 have a many-to-many relationship to support load sharing and redundancy between MMEs and S-GWs. The eNodeB 106 selects an MME from a group of MMEs so that it can distribute the load across multiple MMEs to avoid congestion.

[0057] II. 5G NR wireless communication network In some implementations, the subject matter of this disclosure relates to 5G New Radio (NR) communication systems. 5G NR is the next communication standard beyond the 4G / IMT-Advanced standard. 5G networks offer higher capacity than current 4G, allowing for more mobile broadband users per area unit, and enabling higher and / or unlimited data consumption in gigabytes per month and per user. This may allow users to stream high-definition media for many hours per day using their mobile devices, even when Wi-Fi networks do not allow it. 5G networks have improved support for device-to-device communications, lower costs, lower latency than 4G devices, and less battery consumption. Such networks will have data rates of tens of megabits per second for many users, data rates of 100 Mb / s for large metropolitan areas, simultaneous 1 Gb / s to users within a limited area (e.g., an office floor), many simultaneous connections for wireless sensor networks, enhanced spectral efficiency, improved coverage, enhanced signaling efficiency, 1-10 ms latency, and reduced latency compared to existing systems.

[0058] 3 illustrates an exemplary virtual radio access network 300. The network 300 can provide communication between various components, including a base station (e.g., eNodeB, gNodeB) 301, radio equipment 303, a centralized unit 302, a digital unit 304, and a wireless device 306. The components within the system 300 can be communicatively coupled to a core using a backhaul link 305. The centralized unit (CU) 302 can be communicatively coupled to a distributed unit (DU) 304 using a midhaul connection 308. The radio frequency (RU) component 306 can be communicatively coupled to the DU 304 using a fronthaul connection 310.

[0059] In some implementations, the CU 302 can provide intelligent communication capabilities to one or more DU units 304. The units 302, 304 can include one or more base stations, macro base stations, micro base stations, remote radio heads, etc., and / or any combination thereof.

[0060] In a lower layer split architecture environment, the CPRI bandwidth requirement for NR can be several hundred Gb / s. CPRI compression can be implemented in the DU and RU (shown in Figure 3). In 5G communication systems, compressed CPRI over Ethernet frames is referred to as eCPRI and is the recommended fronthaul network. This architecture can enable standardization of fronthaul / midhaul, which can include upper layer splitting (e.g., Option 2 or Option 3-1 (upper / lower RLC split architecture)) and fronthaul with L1 split architecture (Option 7).

[0061] In some implementations, a lower layer split architecture (e.g., Option 7) may include a receiver in the uplink and joint processing across multiple transmission points (TPs) for both DL / UL and transport bandwidth and latency requirements to facilitate deployment. Additionally, the lower layer split architecture of the presently disclosed subject matter can include splitting of cell-level and user-level processing, which may include cell-level processing in a remote unit (RU) and user-level processing in a DU. Additionally, using the lower layer split architecture of the presently disclosed subject matter, frequency-domain samples may be transported over the Ethernet fronthaul, and the frequency-domain samples may be compressed to reduce the fronthaul bandwidth.

[0062] 4 illustrates an example communication system 400 that can implement 5G technology and provide users with access to higher frequency bands (e.g., greater than 10 GHz). The system 400 can include a macro cell 402 and small cells 404, 406.

[0063] The mobile device 408 may be configured to communicate with any one or more of the small cells 404, 406. The system 400 may enable splitting of the control plane (C-plane) and user plane (U-plane) between the macrocell 402 and the small cells 404, 406, with the C-plane and U-plane utilizing different frequency bands. Specifically, the small cells 404, 406 may be configured to utilize higher frequency bands when communicating with the mobile device 408. The macrocell 402 may utilize existing cellular bands for C-plane communications. The mobile device 408 may be communicatively coupled via the U-plane 412, and the small cells (e.g., the small cell 406) may provide higher data rates and more flexible, cost-efficient, and energy-efficient operation. The macrocell 402 may maintain good connectivity and mobility via the C-plane 410. Furthermore, in some cases, LTE and NR may be transmitted on the same frequency.

[0064] FIG. 5a illustrates a typical 5G wireless communication system 500 according to some implementations of the subject matter of this disclosure. The system 500 may be configured to have a lower-layer split architecture according to Option 7-2. The system 500 may include a core network 502 (e.g., 5G Core) and one or more gNodeBs (or gNBs), where the gNBs may have a centralized unit (gNB-CU). The gNB-CU may be logically divided into a control plane portion (gNB-CU-CP) 504 and one or more user plane portions (gNB-CU-UP) 506. The control plane portion 504 and the user plane portion 506 may be configured to be communicatively coupled using an E1 communication interface 514 (defined in the 3GPP standard). The control plane portion 504 may be configured to be responsible for executing the RRC and PDCP protocols of the radio stack.

[0065] The control plane portion 504 and user plane portion 506 of the centralized unit of the gNB may be configured to be communicatively coupled to one or more distributed units (DUs) 508, 510 according to an upper layer split architecture. The distributed units 508, 510 may be configured to execute upper portions of the RLC, MAC, and PHY layer protocols of the radio stack. The control plane portion 504 may be configured to be communicatively coupled to the distributed units 508, 510 using an F1-C communication interface 516, and the user plane portion 506 may be configured to be communicatively coupled to the distributed units 508, 510 using an F1-U communication interface 518. The distributed units 508, 510 may be coupled to one or more remote radio units (RUs) 512 via a fronthaul network 520 (which may include one or more switches, links, etc.), which communicate with one or more user equipment (not shown in FIG. 5a). The remote radio unit 512 may be configured to execute lower portions of the PHY layer protocol and provide antenna capabilities to the remote unit for communication with user equipment (similar to the description above in connection with Figures 1a-2).

[0066] Figure 5b shows an exemplary layer architecture 530 for a split gNB. The architecture 530 may be implemented within the communication system 500 shown in Figure 5a, which may be configured as a virtualized disaggregated radio access network (RAN) architecture, whereby layers L1, L2, L3 and radio processing may be virtualized and separated in centralized, distributed, and radio units. As shown in Figure 5b, the gNB-DU 508 may be communicatively coupled to a gNB-CU-CP control plane portion 504 (also shown in Figure 5a) and a gNB-CU-UP user plane portion 506. Each of the components 504, 506, 508 may be configured to include one or more layers.

[0067] The gNB-DU 508 may include RLC, MAC, and PHY layers, as well as various communication sublayers. These may include an F1-Application Protocol (F1-AP) sublayer, a GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTPU) sublayer, a Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) sublayer, a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) sublayer, and an Internet Protocol (IP) sublayer. As described above, the distributed unit 508 may be communicatively coupled to the control plane portion 504 of the centralized unit, which may also include the F1-AP, SCTP, and IP sublayers, as well as the Radio Resource Control and PDCP Control (PDCP-C) sublayers. Furthermore, the distributed unit 508 may also be communicatively coupled to the user plane portion 506 of the centralized unit of the gNB. The user plane portion 506 may include the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), PDCP User (PDCP-U), GTPU, UDP, and IP sublayers.

[0068] Figure 5c shows an example functional division in the gNB architecture shown in Figures 5a-5b. As shown in Figure 5c, the gNB-DU 508 may be communicatively coupled to the gNB-CU-CP 504 and the gNB-CU-UP 506 using an F1-C communication interface. The gNB-CU-CP 504 and the gNB-CU-UP 506 may be communicatively coupled using an E1 communication interface. The upper portion of the PHY layer (or Layer 1) may be performed by the gNB-DU 508, and the lower portion of the PHY layer may be performed by the RU (not shown in Figure 5c). As shown in Figure 5c, the RRC portion and the PDCP-C portion may be performed by the control plane portion 504, and the SDAP portion and the PDCP-U portion may be performed by the user plane portion 506.

[0069] Some of the functions of the PHY layer in a 5G communication network may include error detection on transport channels and indication to higher layers, FEC encoding / decoding of transport channels, hybrid ARQ soft combining, rate matching of coded transport channels to physical channels, mapping of coded transport channels to physical channels, power weighting of physical channels, modulation and demodulation of physical channels, frequency and time synchronization, radio characteristic measurement and indication to higher layers, MIMO antenna processing, digital and analog beamforming, RF processing, and other functions.

[0070] The MAC sublayer of Layer 2 may perform beam management, random access procedures, mapping of logical channels to transport channels, concatenation of multiple MAC service data units (SDUs) belonging to one logical channel into transport blocks (TBs), multiplexing / demultiplexing of SDUs belonging to logical channels to / from TBs passed to / from the physical layer on transport channels, scheduling information reporting, error correction using HARQ, prioritization between logical channels for one UE, prioritization between UEs using dynamic scheduling, transport format selection, and other functions. The RLC sublayer's functions may include forwarding upper-layer packet data units (PDUs), error correction using ARQ, reordering of data PDUs, duplication and protocol error detection, reestablishment, etc. The PDCP sublayer may be responsible for forwarding user data, various functions during reestablishment procedures, retransmission of SDUs, discarding SDUs in the uplink, forwarding of control plane data, and others.

[0071] The RRC sublayer of Layer 3 may perform functions such as broadcasting system information to the NAS and AS, establishing, maintaining, and releasing RRC connections, security, establishing, configuring, maintaining, and releasing point-to-point radio bearers, mobility functions, reporting, and other functions.

[0072] III. Storing Persistent Data Using NETCONF Operational Data In some implementations of the subject matter of this disclosure, state information of at least one microservice of a DU (e.g., DU 304 of FIG. 3, DUs 508 and 510 of FIGS. 5a-5c, DU 806 of FIG. 8, etc.) of a base station (e.g., eNodeB 106 of FIGS. 1b-2, gNodeB 602 of FIG. 6, Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN) node such as an eNodeB or gNodeB, etc.) in a wireless communication system can be persistently stored using NETCONF operational data. Thus, when a DU is restarted or rebooted, for example, due to a software crash, due to maintenance downtime planned by the DU's operator, or for another reason, state information of the at least one microservice before the restart or reboot can be retrieved and used by the DU. More specifically, after a restart or reboot, the DU can initiate operation of the at least one microservice using the most recent persistently stored state information of the at least one microservice, thereby enabling the DU to initiate operation of the at least one microservice using state information that is more likely to be appropriate for each particular microservice than if the at least one microservice were operated using default state information after a restart or reboot. Thus, after a restart or reboot, there is no need to re-establish state information for the at least one microservice, which can reduce UE service delays that would otherwise result from having to re-establish state information from default settings.

[0073] DUs, such as mmWave DUs and small cell DUs, traditionally have very limited raw file storage available for persistently storing data for network functions (NFs). Furthermore, the raw file storage in a DU is typically used for storing vendor-specific (operator-specific) data and operating system (OS)-provided information, and therefore does not have enough space to store the state information of all microservices. Therefore, the state information of the DU's microservices cannot traditionally be persistently stored.

[0074] NETCONF servers traditionally have a relatively large amount of raw file storage available for persistently storing data. However, because NETCONF servers traditionally do not receive or otherwise have knowledge of the DU's microservice state information, the NETCONF server's available persistent storage cannot be used to store microservice state information. Using NETCONF operational data to persistently store microservice state information as described herein may enable the NETCONF server to persistently store microservice state information using, for example, a YANG model structure, and the DU to use the persistently stored microservice state information. Storing microservice state information in the NETCONF server's persistent data storage may provide reliable storage against data corruption scenarios, such as scenarios requiring a DU restart or reboot. Storing microservice state information in the NETCONF server's persistent data storage can take advantage of traditional uses of NETCONF for configuration management (CM) solutions and, therefore, avoid the need to implement an additional software stack to achieve persistent data storage using NETCONF operational data as described herein. Storing microservice state information in the NETCONF server's persistent data storage may allow the data to be easily accessed by multiple readers and multiple writers. Because the data is stored persistently, a restart or reboot of the NETCONF server does not cause the deletion of the microservice state information stored in the NETCONF server's persistent data storage and therefore does not affect the DU's ability to self-heal or self-retrieve state information after the DU's restart or reboot.

[0075] An example of state information for a microservice is cell state information. Cell state information relates to a timing lock or timing manager application that provides time synchronization with external sources (external to the DU containing the microservice and external to the base station containing the DU). The time synchronization defined in a microservice's cell state information allows communications with the DU for that microservice to be time synchronized for proper transmission and reception.

[0076] Another example of microservice state information is baseband state information, which relates to baseband sector and carrier signaling. The sector and carrier signaling defined in the baseband state information of a microservice enables proper signaling to and from the DU for that microservice.

[0077] Another example of microservice state information is CU-CP connection information. As described above, the DU is configured to be communicatively coupled to the CU using an F1 interface and to be communicatively coupled to the control plane portion of the CU using an F1-C interface. The CU-CP connection information relates to the DU's F1-C connection with the CU-CP and enables communication between the DU and the CU-CP regarding the microservice, as configured when the F1-C connection is established.

[0078] A particular microservice can have one or more types of state information associated with it.

[0079] FIG. 6 illustrates an example system 600 configured to handle DU state information and recovery using NETCONF operational data. The base station 602 in this example implementation is a gNB configured to reside in a 5G wireless communication system similar to the 5G wireless communication system 500 of FIG. 5a described above, although other base stations (in various wireless communication systems, including 5G New Radio communication systems, 6G and beyond communication systems, LTE communication systems, etc.) may be similarly configured and used to store persistent data using NETCONF operational data. In the example implementation of FIG. 6, the base station 602 includes a CU, which includes a CU-CP 604 and multiple CU-UPs 606a, 606b, and 606c. The CU-CP 604 is configured to be communicatively coupled to the CU-UPs 606a, 606b, and 606c using an E1 communication interface. The base station 602 includes three CU-UPs 606a, 606b, and 606c in this example implementation, but may include other numbers of CU-UPs. The CU of the base station 602 is configured to be communicatively coupled to a core network (not shown in FIG. 6), such as the 5GC 502 of FIG. 5a.

[0080] The base station 602 also includes multiple DUs. In this example implementation, the base station 602 includes 66 DUs, but may include multiple other DUs. The CU-CP 604 is configured to be communicatively coupled to the DUs using an F1-C communication interface. The CU-UPs 606a, 606b, and 606c are configured to be communicatively coupled to the DUs using an F1-U communication interface.

[0081] In the example implementation of FIG. 6, three of the DUs 608a, 608b, and 608c are macro cells (labeled macro1, macro2, and macro3 in FIG. 6), and 63 of the DUs 610 are small cells (nine of which are labeled gNB-DU10, gNB-DU20, gNB-DU30, gNB-DU40, gNB-DU50, gNB-DU60, gNB-DU70, gNB-DU80, and gNB-DU90 in FIG. 6). The base station 602 may include other numbers of macro cells and / or other numbers of small cells. Twenty-one of the small cell DUs 610, including macro1 DU 608a, macro2 DU 608b, and gNB-DU10, gNB-DU20, and gNB-DU30, are configured to be served by a first CU-UP 606a (labeled CU-UP1 in FIG. 6). Twenty-one of the small cell DUs 610, including macro1 DU 608a, macro2 DU 608b, macro3 DU 608c, and gNB-DU40, gNB-DU50, and gNB-DU60, are configured to be served by a second CU-UP 606b (labeled CU-UP2 in FIG. 6). Twenty-one of the small cell DUs 610, including macro2 DU 608b, macro3 DU 608c, and gNB-DU70, gNB-DU80, and gNB-DU90, are configured to be served by a third CU-UP 606c (labeled CU-UP3 in FIG. 6).

[0082] 6, each CU-UP 606a, 606b, 606c serves a subset of the DUs 610, 608a, 608b, 608c for all microservices. However, a CU-UP can serve all of the DUs 610, 608a, 608b, 608c of the base station 602 for one microservice (e.g., enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) or other microservices) while serving a subset of the DUs 610, 608a, 608b, 608c for another microservice (e.g., vehicle-to-everything (V2X), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), or other microservices).

[0083] The base station 602 also includes multiple RUs (not shown in FIG. 6 ). The RUs are configured to be communicatively coupled to the DUs via a fronthaul network. Furthermore, each of the RUs is configured to be communicatively coupled to one or more UEs (not shown in FIG. 6 ).

[0084] Figure 7 illustrates an example method 700 according to some implementations of the subject matter of this disclosure. Method 700 is described with respect to example system 800 shown in Figure 8, but may similarly be implemented in other systems, such as system 100 of Figures 1a-1c and 2, system 400 of Figure 4, system 500 of Figure 5a, system 6, etc. System 800 of Figure 8 may be implemented in various wireless communication systems, such as an LTE wireless communication system, a 5G wireless communication system, or a 6G or later generation wireless communication system, as described above.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 8, the system 800 includes an operations support system (OSS) 802 and a DU 806 (e.g., DU 304 in FIG. 3, DU 508 in FIG. 5a-FIG. 5c, DU 510 in FIG. 5a, DU 608a, 608b, 608c in FIG. 6, DU 610 in FIG. 6, etc.) of a base station (e.g., eNodeB 106 in FIG. 1b-FIG. 2, gNodeB in FIG. 5a, gNodeB 624 in FIG. 6, Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN) node such as an eNodeB or gNodeB). The base station includes other components not shown in Figure 8, such as RUs (e.g., RU 306 in Figure 3, RU 512 in Figure 5a, etc.) and CUs (e.g., CU 302 in Figure 3, CUs in Figures 5a to 5c including CU-CP 504 and CU-UP 506, CUs in Figure 6 including CU-CP 604 and CU-UP 606a, 606b, 606c, etc.).

[0086] The OSS 802 is configured to be communicatively coupled to a core network (not shown in FIG. 8), the EPC 108 of FIGS. 1a-1c and 2, the 5GC 502 of FIG. 5a, etc. In some implementations, the operations support system 802 may include an operations support system / business support system (OSS / BSS).

[0087] The DU 806 shown in FIG. 8 includes at least one microservice. In this example implementation, the at least one microservice of the DU 806 includes a first microservice 810 (denoted as microservice-1 in FIG. 8) and a second microservice 812 (denoted as microservice-2 in FIG. 8). In other implementations, the DU 806 can include other numbers of microservices. A DU typically includes significantly more than two microservices. Microservices are generally architectural designs in which software applications are designed as a set of smaller services configured to communicate using an application programming interface (API). The microservices of a DU typically vary for different vendor implementations of the DU and may therefore be vendor-specific.

[0088] As shown in Figure 7, the method 700 includes the NETCONF server 808 receiving (702) initial configuration information for at least the microservices from the OSS 802. As shown in Figure 8, the NETCONF server receiving (702) the initial configuration information for at least the microservices may include the OSS 802 pushing (814) initial configuration information to the NETCONF server 808. The initial configuration information defines default configuration information that the DU 806 can use to initiate initial operation of the first and second microservices 810, 812.

[0089] The NETCONF server 808 sends (704) the initial configuration information to each of the DU's microservices 810, 812, thereby enabling the microservices 810, 812 to become operational with the initial configuration information. As shown in FIG. 8 , sending (704) the initial configuration information from the NETCONF server 808 to the first microservice 810 may include the NETCONF server 808 pushing (816) the initial configuration information to the first microservice 810 and pushing (818) the initial configuration information to the second microservice 812.

[0090] The microservices 810, 812 store (706) their received configuration information (including state information), for example, in a data structure or memory. As noted above, this storage (706) is not persistent. As shown in Figure 8, the configuration information stored (706) for the first microservice 810 includes cell state information 820, shown in Figure 8 as a cell state of "X," and the configuration information stored (706) for the second microservice 812 includes baseband state information 822, shown in Figure 8 as a baseband state of "M."

[0091] Once the state information is stored and available, each of the DU's microservices 810, 812 is enabled to operate using its respective state information 708. As described above, the microservices 810, 812 initially operate using default configuration information, which in this example implementation includes a cell state of "X" for the first microservice 810 and a baseband state of "M" for the second microservice 812.

[0092] Because different UEs may have different service requirements, and because the service requirements of a particular UE may change over time, the microservice state information may change over time; typically, the microservice state information changes one or more times during the DU's use in providing services to one or more UEs (not shown in FIG. 8) that are communicatively coupled to the base station's RU. Thus, the microservice state information initially stored (706) may change over time. When the microservice state information changes, the new, updated state information is stored non-persistently, for example, in a data structure or memory, for use until (and if) the state information changes again.

[0093] As shown in Figure 7, the NETCONF server 808 receives 710 periodic state information updates from each of the microservices 810, 812. The NETCONF server 808 can receive 710 the state information updates via its API, such as a configuration database (CDB) API. As described above, the NETCONF server 808 is already configured to use APIs in accordance with 3GPP and O-RAN standards, so no additional software needs to be installed in order for the NETCONF server 808 to receive 710 the state information updates from the microservices 810, 812. The updated state information sent by the microservices 810, 812 to the NETCONF server 808 is time-stamped, allowing the NETCONF server 808 to know which state information for a particular microservice is the most recent state information for that microservice. As shown in Figure 8, the first microservice's sending (824) state information update to the NETCONF server 808 includes cell state information (e.g., an update changing the first microservice's cell state from "X" to "Y"), and the second microservice's sending (826) state information update to the NETCONF server 808 includes baseband state information (e.g., an update changing the second microservice's baseband state from "M" to "N"). Although Figure 8 shows the first microservice 810 sending (824) its updated state information to the NETCONF server 808 before the second microservice 812 sending (826) its updated state information to the NETCONF server 808, the updates from the DU's microservices 810, 812 can be sent to the NETCONF server 808 in any order. Additionally, while FIG. 8 shows only one update being sent (824, 826) to the NETCONF server 808 for each of the microservices 810, 812 for simplicity, any number of updates can be sent from each of the microservices 810, 812 prior to restarting or rebooting (714, 828) the DU 806.

[0094] The frequency at which each of the microservices 810, 812 sends (824, 826) updated state information to the NETCONF server 808 may be the same for each of the microservices 810, 812 or may be different for each of the microservices. In some implementations, the microservices can be configured to send updated state information to the NETCONF server 808 in response to a change in the microservice's state information, e.g., a first microservice 810 is triggered to send an update changing the first microservice's cell state from "X" to "Y" in response to a change in the cell state to "Y," and a second microservice 812 is triggered to send an update changing the second microservice's baseband state from "M" to "N" in response to a change in the baseband state to "N." Thus, the NETCONF server 808 can keep the state information of each microservice up to date without receiving state information from the microservices 810, 812 if the state information has not changed, which can help conserve bandwidth and / or storage space on the NETCONF server 808.

[0095] In some implementations, the microservices can be configured to send updated state information to the NETCONF server 808 according to a predetermined time schedule, such as every 1 second, every 5 seconds, etc. Sending regularly scheduled updates to the NETCONF server 808 can help ensure that the NETCONF server 808 always has timely state information for the microservices 810, 812.

[0096] In some implementations, a microservice can include multiple types of state information, each of which can be updated to the NETCONF server 808 according to its own predetermined time schedule or in response to changes in the particular state information. Thus, the NETCONF server 808 can receive state information on a rolling basis, each appropriate for a different type of state information. Alternatively, a microservice can be configured to periodically send updated state information for all of its two or more types of state information, allowing the state information for a particular microservice to all share the same timestamp and therefore be clearly identified to the NETCONF server 808 as the latest state information for the microservice.

[0097] 7, the NETCONF server 808 stores 712 the state information received 710 from the microservices 810, 812 as operational data in the NETCONF server's 808 persistent data storage. Because the NETCONF server 808 is not responsible for the execution of the microservices 810, 812, it does not need to use this stored state information except in an administrative capacity by storing the state information for retrieval as needed. The state information can be stored 712 in the NETCONF server's operational DB or in another database on the NETCONF server 808, such as MongoDB or other database.

[0098] At some point during operation of the DU 806, during which each of the microservices 810, 812 may provide one or more state information updates to the NETCONF server 808 as described above, the DU 806 may need to be restarted or rebooted (714, 828). After this restart or reboot (714, 828), the microservices 810, 812 fetch (716) their respective state information from the NETCONF server 808, which previously stored the microservices' state information, as described above. The latest state information indicated by the timestamp data is fetched (716). Thus, when the microservices 810, 812 begin operation following the restart / reboot (814, 828), they can retrieve and use the latest state information stored by the NETCONF server 808, instead of starting over using default configuration information. Specifically, at least one of the microservices 810, 812 may restore (718) the DU to an operational state based on the fetch (716). In some cases, the latest configuration information may be default configuration information, depending on the time the DU restart / reboot (714, 828) occurs and the configuration of the particular microservice. As shown in Figure 8, the first microservice's fetching of state information from the NETCONF server 808 (716) includes fetching cell state information (830), and the second microservice's fetching of state information from the NETCONF server 808 (716) includes fetching baseband state information (832).

[0099] The microservices 810, 812 store 706 their respective fetched 716 state information, for example, in a data structure or memory. The method 700 then continues as described above.

[0100] In some implementations, instead of persistently storing state information of at least one microservice of a DU in a NETCONF server within a persistence layer API as described above, state information of at least one microservice may be persistently stored in raw file storage of the NETCONF server's OS. While such raw file storage has traditionally been very limited and more susceptible to corruption than data stored in a persistence layer API, raw file storage is also an option for persistently storing data in a NETCONF server.

[0101] In some implementations, the subject matter of this disclosure can be configured to be implemented in a system 900, as shown in FIG. 9 . The system 900 can include one or more of a processor 910, a memory 920, a storage device 930, and an input / output device 940. Each of the components 910, 920, 930, and 940 can be interconnected using a system bus 950. The processor 910 can be configured to process instructions for execution within the system 600. In some implementations, the processor 910 can be a single-threaded processor. In alternative implementations, the processor 910 can be a multi-threaded processor. The processor 910 can be further configured to process instructions stored in the memory 920 or the storage device 930, including receiving or transmitting information through the input / output device 940. The memory 920 can store information within the system 900. In some implementations, the memory 920 can be a computer-readable medium. In alternative implementations, the memory 920 can be a volatile memory unit. Further, in some implementations, memory 920 may be a non-volatile memory unit. Storage device 930 may be capable of providing mass storage for system 900. In some implementations, storage device 930 may be a computer-readable medium. In alternative implementations, storage device 930 may be a floppy disk device, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, a tape device, a non-volatile solid-state memory, or any other type of storage device. Input / output device 940 may be configured to provide input / output operations to system 900. In some implementations, input / output device 940 may include a keyboard and / or a pointing device. In alternative implementations, input / output device 940 may include a display unit for displaying a graphical user interface.

[0102] 10 illustrates an example method 1000 for storing persistent data using NETCONF operational data in accordance with some implementations of the disclosed subject matter. Method 1000 can be performed, for example, using the implementations shown in and described with respect to FIGS.

[0103] The method 1000 may include receiving, at a NETCONF server, from at least one microservice of a DU, state information of the at least one microservice (1002); storing the received state information in persistent storage of the NETCONF server (1004); fetching, by the at least one microservice, the stored state information from the NETCONF server (1006); and restoring, based on the fetching (1006), e.g., by the at least one microservice from the NETCONF server, to the DU to an operational state (1008).

[0104] In some implementations, the subject matter of this disclosure can include one or more of the following optional features.

[0105] In some implementations, at least one microservice can fetch state information after a restart or reboot of the DU in order to restore 1008 the DU to an operational state.

[0106] In some implementations, the method can further include receiving, at the NETCONF server, at least one update to state information of the at least one microservice from the at least one microservice, and can further include storing the received updated state information in persistent storage of the NETCONF server, and the at least one microservice can fetch 1006 the state information last received by the NETCONF server for the purpose of restoring 1008 the DU to an operational state after a restart or reboot.

[0107] In some implementations, the NETCONF server can receive 1002 the state information via an application programming interface (API) layer.

[0108] In some implementations, the method can further include storing state information of the at least one microservice in non-persistent storage of the DU.

[0109] In some implementations, the state information may include at least one of cell state information, baseband state information, and centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) connection information.

[0110] In some implementations, a base station may include a NETCONF server and a DU, and the base station may include a gNodeB or an eNodeB.

[0111] In some implementations, a wireless communication system base station can include at least one processor and at least one non-transitory storage medium.

[0112] The systems and methods disclosed herein may be embodied in various forms. For example, the systems and methods disclosed herein may be embodied in a data processor, such as a computer. The data processor may include a database, digital electronic circuitry, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the above-described features, as well as other aspects and principles of the implementations of the present disclosure, may be implemented in various environments. Such environments and associated applications may be specially constructed to perform the various processes and operations in accordance with the disclosed implementations, or they may include general-purpose computers or computing platforms selectively activated or reconfigured by code to provide the required functionality. The processes disclosed herein are not inherently related to any particular computer, network, architecture, environment, or other apparatus, but may be implemented by any suitable combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. For example, various general-purpose machines may be used with programs written in accordance with the teachings of the disclosed implementations, or it may be more convenient to construct specialized apparatus or systems to perform the required methods and techniques.

[0113] The systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented as a computer program product, i.e., a computer program tangibly embodied in an information carrier, e.g., a machine-readable storage device or a propagated signal, for execution by or control the operation of a data processing apparatus, e.g., a programmable processor, computer, or multiple computers. The computer program may be written in any type of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and may be deployed in any form, such as as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. The computer program may be deployed to be executed on one computer, or on multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communications network.

[0114] As used herein, the term "user" may refer to any entity, including a person or a computer.

[0115] Although ordinal numbers such as first, second, etc. may relate to order in some circumstances, as used in this document, ordinal numbers do not necessarily imply order. For example, ordinal numbers may be used simply to distinguish one item from another. For example, distinguishing a first event from a second event need not imply any chronological order or fixed frame of reference (the first event in one paragraph of description may be different from the first event in another paragraph of description).

[0116] The foregoing description is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims. Other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.

[0117] These computer programs, which may also be referred to as programs, software, software applications, applications, components, or code, include machine instructions for a programmable processor and may be implemented in a high-level procedural and / or object-oriented programming language and / or in assembly / machine language. As used herein, the term “machine-readable medium” refers to any computer program product, apparatus, and / or device used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, such as, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a memory, and a programmable logic device (PLD), including a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term “machine-readable signal” refers to any signal used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor. A machine-readable medium may non-transitory store such machine instructions, such as, for example, a non-transitory solid-state memory or a magnetic hard drive or any equivalent storage medium. Alternatively or additionally, a machine-readable medium may temporarily store such machine instructions, such as, for example, a processor cache or other random access memory associated with one or more physical processor cores.

[0118] To provide for user interaction, the subject matter of the present disclosure described herein may be implemented on a computer having a display device, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor, for displaying information to the user, and a keyboard and pointing device, such as a mouse or trackball, by which the user can provide input to the computer. Other types of devices may also be used to provide for user interaction. For example, feedback provided to the user may be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback, and input from the user may be received in any form, including, but not limited to, acoustic, speech, or tactile input.

[0119] The subject matter of the present disclosure described herein may be implemented in a computing system that includes back-end components, such as, for example, one or more data servers, or includes middleware components, such as, for example, one or more application servers, or includes front-end components, such as, for example, one or more client computers having a graphical user interface or web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the subject matter of the present disclosure described herein, or any combination of such back-end, middleware, or front-end components. The components of the system may be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication, such as, for example, a communications network. Examples of communications networks include, but are not limited to, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and the Internet.

[0120] A computing system may include clients and servers. Clients and servers are generally, but not exclusively, remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

[0121] The implementations described in the foregoing description do not represent all implementations consistent with the subject matter of the present disclosure as described herein. Rather, they are merely some examples consistent with aspects relating to the subject matter of the present disclosure as described herein. While several variations have been described in detail above, other modifications or additions are possible. In particular, additional features and / or variations may be provided in addition to those described herein. For example, the implementations described above may be directed to various combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed features and / or combinations and subcombinations of certain additional features disclosed above. Additionally, the logic flow illustrated in the accompanying figures and / or described herein does not necessarily require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. Other implementations may be within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. at least one processor; at least one non-transitory storage medium that stores instructions, The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform an action; The operation is receiving, at a Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) server, from at least one microservice of a distributed unit (DU), state information of the at least one microservice; storing the received state information in persistent storage of the NETCONF server; The at least one microservice fetches the stored state information of the DU from the NETCONF server; and restoring the DU to an operational state based on the fetch. Device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one microservice fetches the state information after a restart or reboot of the DU for the purpose of restoring the DU to the operational state.

3. The operation is receiving, at the NETCONF server, from the at least one microservice, at least one update to the state information of the at least one microservice; storing the received updated state information in persistent storage of the NETCONF server; The at least one microservice fetches the state information last received by the NETCONF server for the purpose of restoring the DU to the operational state after a restart or reboot.

10. The apparatus of claim 1.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the NETCONF server receives the state information via an application programming interface (API) layer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the operations further include storing the state information of the at least one microservice in non-persistent storage of the DU.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the state information includes at least one of cell state information, baseband state information, and centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) connection information.

7. a base station including the NETCONF server and the DU; The base station includes a gNodeB or an eNodeB.

10. The apparatus of claim 1.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a wireless communication system base station comprises the at least one processor and the at least one non-transitory storage medium.

9. at least one non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform an operation; The operation is receiving, at a Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) server, from at least one microservice of a distributed unit (DU), state information of the at least one microservice; storing the received state information in persistent storage of the NETCONF server; the at least one microservice fetching the stored state information from the NETCONF server; and restoring the DU to an operational state based on the fetch. At least one non-transitory storage medium.

10. 10. The at least one non-transitory storage medium of claim 9, wherein the at least one microservice fetches the state information after a restart or reboot of the DU for the purpose of restoring the DU to the operational state.

11. The operation is receiving, at the NETCONF server, from the at least one microservice, at least one update to the state information of the at least one microservice; storing the received updated state information in persistent storage of the NETCONF server; The at least one microservice fetches the state information last received by the NETCONF server for the purpose of restoring the DU to the operational state after a restart or reboot. At least one non-transitory storage medium according to claim 9.

12. 10. The at least one non-transitory storage medium of claim 9, wherein the NETCONF server receives the state information via an application programming interface (API) layer.

13. 10. The at least one non-transitory storage medium of claim 9, wherein the operations further include storing the state information of the at least one microservice in non-persistent storage of the DU.

14. 10. The at least one non-transitory storage medium of claim 9, wherein the state information includes at least one of cell state information, baseband state information, and centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) connection information.

15. 1. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, at a Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) server, from at least one microservice of a distributed unit (DU), state information of the at least one microservice; storing the received state information in persistent storage of the NETCONF server; the at least one microservice fetching the stored state information from the NETCONF server; restoring the DU to an operational state based on the fetch; 11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one microservice fetches the state information after a restart or reboot of the DU for the purpose of restoring the DU to the operational state.

17. receiving, at the NETCONF server, from the at least one microservice, at least one update to the state information of the at least one microservice; storing the received updated state information in persistent storage of the NETCONF server; The at least one microservice fetches the state information last received by the NETCONF server for the purpose of restoring the DU to the operational state after a restart or reboot.

16. The method of claim 15.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the NETCONF server receives the state information via an application programming interface (API) layer.

19. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising storing the state information of the at least one microservice in non-persistent storage of the DU.

20. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the state information includes at least one of cell state information, baseband state information, and centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) connection information.

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