O-Cloud node shutdown scenario for energy saving

Abstract

A method for power and traffic management in an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) network may include obtaining at least one parameter indicating the traffic performance of a first O-RAN cloud (O-Cloud) node, determining whether the at least one parameter meets a predetermined shutdown condition for the first O-Cloud node, and deactivating the first O-Cloud node based on determining that the at least one parameter meets the predetermined shutdown condition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Devices and methods consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure relate to power and traffic management in an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN).

Background Art

[0002] A Radio Access Network (RAN) is an important component in a communication system that connects end-user devices (or user equipment) to other parts of the network. The RAN includes a combination of various network elements (NEs) that connect end-user devices to the core network. Conventionally, the hardware and / or software of a specific RAN was vendor-specific.

[0003] The emergence of Open RAN (O-RAN) technology has enabled multiple vendors to provide hardware and / or software to a communication system. For this purpose, O-RAN decomposes RAN functions into a Centralized Unit (CU), a Distributed Unit (DU), and a Radio Unit (RU). The CU is a logical node for hosting RAN sub-layers of Radio Resource Control (RRC), Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), and / or Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP). The DU is a logical node for hosting RAN sub-layers of Radio Link Control (RLC), Media Access Control (MAC), and Physical (PHY). The RU is a physical node that converts radio signals from an antenna into digital signals that can be transmitted to the DU over the fronthaul. Since these entities have open protocols and interfaces between them, they can be developed by different vendors.

[0004] Figure 1 is a diagram of the O-RAN architecture in the related technology, Figure 2 is a diagram of the Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) framework with a non-real-time (NRT) RAN intelligent controller (RIC) architecture in the related technology from a functional perspective, and Figure 3 is a diagram of the SMO framework with an NRT RIC in the related technology from a service perspective. Referring to Figures 1-3, the RAN functions in the O-RAN architecture are controlled and optimized by the RIC. The RIC is a software-defined component that implements modular applications to achieve the multi-vendor operability required in the O-RAN system and to automate and optimize RAN operations. RICs are divided into two types: NRT RICs and near-real-time RICs (nRT RICs).

[0005] The NRT RIC is the control point of the non-real-time control loop and operates within the SMO framework on timescales longer than one second. Its functions are implemented through modular applications called rApps (rApp 1, ..., rApp N in Figures 1-3), and include providing policy-based guidance and enrichment across the A1 interface, which is the interface enabling communication between the NRT RIC and the nRT RIC; performing data analytics; artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) training and inference for RAN optimization; and / or recommending configuration management actions on the O1 interface, which is the interface connecting the SMO to RAN management elements (e.g., nRT RIC, O-RAN aggregation unit (O-CU), O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU), etc.).

[0006] The nRT RIC operates on timescales between 10 milliseconds and 1 second and connects to the O-DU, O-CU (which is broken down into the O-CU Control Plane (O-CU-CP) and O-CU User Plane (O-CU-UP)), and open evolved NodeB (O-eNB) via the E2 interface. The nRT RIC uses the E2 interface to control the underlying RAN elements (E2 Node / Network Functions (NF)) on a near real-time control loop. The nRT RIC monitors, suspends / stops, overrides, and controls the E2 nodes (O-CU, O-DU, and O-eNB) via policies. For example, nRT sets policy parameters on the functions to be activated on the E2 node. Furthermore, the nRT RIC hosts xApps to implement functions such as Quality of Service (QoS) optimization, mobility optimization, slicing optimization, interference mitigation, load balancing, and security. The two types of RICs work together to optimize the O-RAN. For example, the NRT RIC provides the policies, data, and artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) models enabled and used by the nRT RIC for RAN optimization via the A1 interface, and the nRT returns policy feedback (i.e., how the policies set by the NRT RIC are working).

[0007] The SMO framework on which the NRT RIC resides manages and coordinates RAN elements. Specifically, the SMO manages and coordinates what is referred to as the O-RAN Cloud (O-Cloud). The O-Cloud is a collection of RICs, O-CUs, and O-DUs, supporting software components (e.g., operating systems and runtime environments), and the physical RAN nodes that host the SMO itself. In other words, the SMO manages the O-Cloud from within. The O2 interface is the interface between the SMO and the O-Cloud on which it resides. Through the O2 interface, the SMO provides Infrastructure Management Services (IMS) and Deployment Management Services (DMS). [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] In related technologies, even if the amount of traffic generated on a node does not guarantee high power consumption, O-Cloud nodes may operate in high-power mode, which can lead to unnecessary and inefficient power consumption and traffic distribution. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to the embodiments, a system and method for power and traffic management in an open radio access network (O-RAN) are provided.

[0010] According to one aspect of the disclosure, a method for managing power and traffic in an O-RAN network may include obtaining at least one parameter indicating the traffic performance of a first O-RAN cloud (O-Cloud) node, determining whether at least one parameter satisfies a predetermined shutdown condition for the first O-Cloud node, and disabling the first O-Cloud node based on the determination that at least one parameter satisfies the predetermined shutdown condition.

[0011] According to one aspect of the disclosure, a system for power and traffic management in an O-RAN network may include at least one memory for storing instructions, and at least one processor configured to execute instructions to take: obtain at least one parameter indicating the traffic performance of a first O-Cloud node; determine whether at least one parameter satisfies a predetermined shutdown condition for the first O-Cloud node; and disable the first O-Cloud node based on the determination that at least one parameter satisfies a predetermined shutdown condition.

[0012] According to one aspect of the disclosure, a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium may store instructions that cause at least one processor to execute, when executed by at least one processor, the following: to obtain at least one parameter indicating the traffic performance of the first O-Cloud node; to determine whether at least one parameter satisfies a predetermined shutdown condition for the first O-Cloud node; and to disable the first O-Cloud node based on the determination that at least one parameter satisfies the predetermined shutdown condition.

[0013] Additional aspects may be partially presented in the following description, partially revealed from the description, or realized by the implementation of the embodiments presented in the disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] Features, advantages, and importance of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, where similar reference numerals represent similar elements.

[0015] Figure 1 is a diagram of the Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) architecture related to the relevant technology.

[0016] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the functional perspective of an SMO (Service Management and Orchestration) framework with a non-real-time (NRT) RAN intelligent controller (RIC) architecture related to the relevant technologies.

[0017] Figure 3 is a service-oriented diagram of the SMO framework with NRT RIC in the related technologies.

[0018] Figure 4A is a diagram of an O-RAN architecture according to one embodiment.

[0019] Figure 4B is a diagram of a graph showing capacity utilization and O-RAN cloud (O-Cloud) node power according to an embodiment.

[0020] Figure 4C is a diagram of an O-RAN architecture according to an embodiment.

[0021] Figure 5 is a diagram of a process for O-Cloud node deactivation in a single-node scenario according to an embodiment.

[0022] Figure 6A is a diagram of a process for O-Cloud node deactivation in a Kubernetes cluster node scenario according to an embodiment.

[0023] Figure 6B is a diagram of a process for O-Cloud node deactivation in a Kubernetes cluster node scenario according to an embodiment.

[0024] Figure 7A is a diagram of a process for O-Cloud node deactivation in a virtual machine (VM) node scenario according to an embodiment.

[0025] Figure 7B is a diagram of a process for O-Cloud node deactivation in a VM node scenario according to an embodiment.

[0026] Figure 8 is a flowchart of a method for power and traffic management in O-RAN according to an embodiment.

[0027] Figure 9 is a diagram of an example environment in which the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented.

[0028] Figure 10 is a diagram of an example of components of a device according to an embodiment.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0029] The following detailed descriptions of embodiments refer to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.

[0030] The prior disclosures provide examples and descriptions, but are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit implementations to the exact forms disclosed. Modifications and alterations are possible in light of the prior disclosures or may be obtained from the implementation. Furthermore, one or more features or components of one embodiment may be integrated with or combined with other embodiments (or one or more features of other embodiments). In addition, in the flowcharts and operation descriptions provided below, one or more operations may be omitted, one or more operations may be added, one or more operations may be performed simultaneously (at least partially), and the order of one or more operations may be changed.

[0031] It will become clear that the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented in different forms of hardware, firmware, or combinations of hardware and software. The actual specific control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not an implementation limitation. For this reason, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code. It is understood that software and hardware may be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based on the descriptions herein.

[0032] Even if certain combinations of features are described in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of possible implementations. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways different from those specifically described in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification. Each of the dependent claims listed below may depend directly on only one claim, but the disclosure of possible implementations includes each dependent claim in combination with all other claims in the group of claims.

[0033] None of the elements, actions, or commands used herein should be interpreted as important or essential unless explicitly stated otherwise. Also, as used herein, the articles "a" and "an" are intended to include one or more items and may be used interchangeably with "one or more." When only one item is intended, the term "one" or similar is used. Also, as used herein, the terms "has," "have," "having," "include," "including," etc., are intended to be open-ended terms. Furthermore, the phrase "based on" means "at least partially based on" unless explicitly stated otherwise. Furthermore, expressions such as "at least one of A and B" or "at least one of A or B" are understood to include only A, only B, or both A and B.

[0034] The embodiment provides a system (and methods, devices, networks, etc.) for power and traffic management in an open radio access network (O-RAN). In particular, the system may monitor the O-RAN by obtaining parameters indicating the traffic performance of O-RAN cloud (O-Cloud) nodes. Parameters indicating traffic performance may include the central processing unit (CPU) usage of the O-Cloud nodes, the memory usage of the O-Cloud nodes, the disk throughput of the O-Cloud nodes, etc. The system may obtain parameters from the O-Cloud server. Based on the obtained parameters, the system may determine whether at least one of the parameters indicating the traffic performance of the O-Cloud nodes satisfies a predetermined shutdown condition. The predetermined shutdown condition may include the CPU usage of the O-Cloud node being below a CPU usage percentage threshold, the memory usage of the O-Cloud node being below a memory usage percentage threshold, the disk throughput of the O-Cloud node being below a disk throughput usage percentage threshold, and / or conditions based on a combination of such shutdown conditions. The system may disable an O-Cloud node based on the determination that at least one parameter of the traffic performance parameters satisfies a predetermined shutdown condition.

[0035] The system may include a Federated O-Cloud Orchestration and Management (FOCOM) controller of the Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) framework, and the system may determine that at least one parameter satisfies a shutdown condition based on a predetermined shutdown policy configured for the FOCOM controller. The system may, in addition or alternatively, include a non-real-time (NRT) RAN intelligent controller (RIC) for the SMO, and the NRT RIC may be configured to perform the operations described above.

[0036] Based on the determination that at least one parameter satisfies a predetermined shutdown condition, and before disabling the O-Cloud node, the system may notify the O-Cloud node that it has been decided to disabling it. In such a case, the O-Cloud node may be disabling after a predetermined grace period that begins around the time the O-Cloud node is notified. Alternatively, the system may perform a "non-graceful" disabling of the O-Cloud node without providing notification that it has been decided to disabling it. Furthermore, the system may terminate at least one application running on the O-Cloud node before disabling it. Furthermore, based on the determination that at least one parameter satisfies a predetermined shutdown condition, and before disabling the O-Cloud node, the system may move the workload associated with the O-Cloud node to another O-Cloud node in O-RAN.

[0037] Thus, by monitoring the O-RAN as disclosed herein, power consumption may be reduced by disabling (limiting or not using) O-Cloud nodes, and traffic may be better distributed across the O-RAN.

[0038] Figure 4A is a diagram of an O-RAN architecture 400 according to one embodiment. The O-RAN architecture 400 may include an SMO framework 402, which includes an NRT RIC 404 and a FOCOM controller 406. The O-RAN architecture 400 may also include a near real-time (nRT) RIC 408, an O-RAN aggregation unit (O-CU) control plane (O-CU-CP) 410, an O-CU user plane (O-CU-UP) 412, an O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU) 414, an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU) 416, and an O-RAN cloud (O-Cloud) server 418. The O-Cloud server 418 may include an Infrastructure Management Services (IMS) module 420 and a Deployment Management Services (DMS) module 422. As shown in Figure 4A, the FOCOM controller 406 may be configured to obtain parameters indicating the traffic performance of the O-Cloud nodes from the O-Cloud server 418. In other words, the NRT RIC404 may push a predetermined shutdown policy to the FOCOM controller 406. One example of a predetermined shutdown policy is shown in Table 1. [Table 1]

[0039] As shown in Table 1, the shutdown policy may include an option for “graceful” node shutdown. A “graceful” node shutdown may provide a grace period between the time it is decided that an O-Cloud node will be disabled and the time the O-Cloud node is disabled. In the policy in Table 1, the “graceful” node shutdown option is active (i.e., “Y”). The shutdown policy in Table 1 may also include parameters indicating traffic performance and shutdown conditions associated with those parameters. For example, the shutdown policy may include CPU usage, memory usage, and disk throughput parameters, and the shutdown conditions may include CPU usage being less than a CPU usage percentage threshold (set to 5%), memory usage being less than a memory usage percentage threshold (set to 10%), and disk throughput being less than a disk throughput percentage threshold (set to 10%). As can be understood by those skilled in the art from the herein disclosure, various percentage thresholds may be set to different values ​​to increase or decrease the disabling. Additional shutdown parameters may be used, such as parameters based on the number of nodes in O-RAN, node configuration, topology, node status, etc. Furthermore, while the policies in Table 1 require all three shutdown conditions to be met in order to determine that an O-Cloud node should be disabled, this is illustrative and not restrictive, and any number of shutdown conditions may be used to determine that an O-Cloud node should be disabled. In the policies in Table 1, "Tshutdown" corresponds to the amount of time the O-Cloud node is shut down after it has been disabled. As described above, the FOCOM controller 406 may obtain parameters from the O-Cloud server 418 and determine whether the parameters satisfy the shutdown conditions configured for the policy.

[0040] Figure 4B is a graph showing capacity utilization and O-Cloud node power according to one embodiment. In particular, Figure 4B shows graph 450 of RAN mobility and traffic percentage capacity utilization over time, and graph 452 of percentage O-Cloud node power over time. As shown in graph 450, based on the policy shutdown conditions in Table 1, at time 460, the FOCOM controller 406 may determine that the O-Cloud node should be disabled in response to approximately 20% percentage capacity utilization. The policy shutdown conditions may be configured to trigger the disablement based on a desired percentage threshold for percentage capacity utilization. Since graph 450 shows a "graceful" node shutdown, the grace period 462 may begin at time 464 after it has been decided that the O-Cloud node will be disabled. Time 464 may occur at any time between the time it is decided to disable the O-Cloud node and the time the O-Cloud node is disabled. During the grace period 462, node draining may be performed. That is, an O-Cloud node may be notified of a scheduled O-Cloud node deactivation, and the O-Cloud node may move the operation / application to another O-Cloud node in O-RAN and / or appropriately terminate the operation / application on the O-Cloud node (i.e., to avoid a sudden, unexpected termination of the operation / application). In embodiments in which a "non-graceful" termination is performed, a limited grace period may be provided, or no grace period may be provided at all.

[0041] At time 466, when the grace period 462 ends, the O-Cloud node may be disabled. The O-Cloud node may be disabled for the duration of the shutdown period 468. As shown in graph 452, the O-Cloud node may have two power modes (high power mode and low power mode). Notably, as shown in graph 450, even if the percentage capacity utilization is significantly reduced, the same or substantially the same amount of power is consumed while the O-Cloud node is in high power mode. Therefore, when the O-Cloud node is disabled at time 466, it may enter low power mode to conserve power for a predetermined shutdown period.

[0042] Figure 4C is a diagram of an O-RAN architecture 490 according to one embodiment. The O-RAN architecture 490 is similar to the O-RAN architecture 400, except that the NRT RIC 404 is configured to push node draining and shutdown actions. Furthermore, the O-RAN architecture 490 includes a fronthaul (FH) M plane 492 including O-CU 494 and O-DU 496, and an O-RU 498 connected to the FH M plane 492. In such an embodiment, the NRT RIC 404 may directly obtain parameters indicating the traffic performance of the O-Cloud nodes from the O-Cloud server 418 and may be configured to decide whether to disable the O-Cloud nodes based on these parameters. The NRT RIC 404 may be configured to decide whether to disable the O-Cloud nodes without implementing any policies, such as policies implemented with the FOCOM controller 406. The NRT RIC 404 may be configured to push node draining and shutdown operations to the IMS module 420.

[0043] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the process of disabling an O-Cloud node in a single-node scenario according to one embodiment. The system in the single-node scenario may include an SMO including an NRT RIC502, an O-CU and an nRT RIC504, a cloud platform 506, a first O-DU508 operating on the first O-Cloud node 510, a second O-DU512 operating on the second O-Cloud node 514, an open fronthaul gateway (FH GW) 516, a first O-RU518, a second O-RU520, a third O-RU522, and a fourth RU524.

[0044] In Operation 550, NRT RIC 502 (and in some embodiments, nRT RIC 504 as well) may analyze the traffic patterns of O-RU 518-524 and determine that the first O-RU 518 and the second O-RU 520 have limited traffic or no traffic at all. That is, traffic originating from the first O-RU 518 and the second O-RU 520 may pass through the first O-DU 508 and the first O-Cloud node 510. NRT RIC 502 may be configured to disable the first O-RU 518 and the second O-RU 520.

[0045] As shown in Operation 552, after the first O-RU 518 and second O-RU 520 have been disabled, NRT RIC 502 may remove the first O-DU 508 from the first O-Cloud node 510 as part of the node draining procedure. In Operation 554, NRT RIC 502 may disable the first O-Cloud node 510 after the node draining procedure is complete. The first O-RU 518 and second O-RU 520 may be mapped to the second O-Cloud node 514 after the first O-Cloud node 510 has been disabled. The remapping of the first O-RU 518 and second O-RU 520 may be achieved through pooling of shared O-RUs and baseband units (BBUs).

[0046] Figure 6A is a diagram illustrating the process of disabling O-Cloud nodes in a Kubernetes cluster node scenario according to one embodiment. The system in the Kubernetes cluster scenario may include an SMO 602 including an NRT RIC 604 and a FOCOM controller 606, a cloud platform 608, a first cluster 610 including a first O-Cloud node 612, a second O-Cloud node 614, a third O-Cloud node 616, and a fourth O-Cloud node 618, and a second cluster 620 including multiple nodes. Each node may include a corresponding workload (e.g., operations, applications, etc.).

[0047] In Operation 650, SMO602 may determine (by NRT RIC604 or FOCOM controller 606) that the first O-Cloud node 612 should be disabled. In Operation 652, SMO602 may initiate the node draining procedure in the “graceful” termination procedure, or terminate the workload corresponding to the first O-Cloud node 612 so that the workload is removed from the first O-Cloud node 612. In Operation 654, the first O-Cloud node 612 may be disabled when SMO602 determines that the first O-Cloud node 612 is idle. Once the disabling is complete, SMO602 may receive inventory update information regarding the node and cluster formation for further operations (e.g., available nodes).

[0048] Figure 6B is a diagram illustrating the process of disabling O-Cloud nodes in a Kubernetes cluster node scenario according to one embodiment. The system in Figure 6B is similar to the system in Figure 6A, except that the cloud platform 610 includes IMS module 622 and DMS module 624. As shown in Operation 660, the first O-Cloud node 612 contains a partial workload that does not consume all of the processing power of the first O-Cloud node 612, and the second O-Cloud node 614 contains a partial workload that does not consume all of the processing power of the second O-Cloud node 614. As shown in Operation 662, as part of the node draining procedure, the partial workload of the first O-Cloud node 612 may be transferred / transported to available space on the second O-Cloud node 614 that is available for the partial workload. The IMS module 622 may be configured to transfer / transport workloads based on internal criteria such as available space. As shown in Operation 664, after the workload has been moved and the first O-Cloud node 612 has become idle, SMO602 may disable the first O-Cloud node 612.

[0049] Figure 7A is a diagram illustrating the process of disabling an O-Cloud node in a virtual machine (VM) node scenario according to one embodiment. The system in the VM node scenario may include an SMO 702 including an NRT RIC 704 and a FOCOM controller 706, a cloud platform 708, a first cluster 710 including a first O-Cloud node 712, a second O-Cloud node 714, a third O-Cloud node 716, and a fourth O-Cloud node 718, and a second cluster 720 including multiple nodes. Each node may include a corresponding virtual network function (VNF) that runs on the node via a guest operating system (OS).

[0050] In Operation 750, SMO702 may determine (by NRT RIC704 or FOCOM controller 706) that the first O-Cloud node 712 should be disabled. In Operation 752, SMO702 may initiate the node draining procedure in the “graceful” termination procedure, or terminate the VNF corresponding to the first O-Cloud node 712 so that the VNF corresponding to the first O-Cloud node 712 is terminated. After the VNF corresponding to the first O-Cloud node 712 has been terminated, SMO702 may initiate the shutdown of the guest OS corresponding to the first O-Cloud node 712. In Operation 754, the first O-Cloud node 712 may be disabled when SMO702 determines that the first O-Cloud node 712 is idle and the guest OS is shut down. Once the disabling is complete, SMO702 may receive inventory update information regarding the node and cluster formation (e.g., available nodes) for further operations.

[0051] Figure 7B is a diagram of the O-Cloud node deactivation process in a VM node scenario according to one embodiment. The system in Figure 7B is similar to the system in Figure 7A, except that the cloud platform 710 includes IMS module 722 and DMS module 724. As shown in Operation 760, the first O-Cloud node 712 includes VNFs and guest OSs that utilize a portion of the processing power of the first O-Cloud node 712, and the second O-Cloud node 714 includes VNFs and guest OSs that utilize a portion of the processing power of the second O-Cloud node 714. As shown in Operation 762, as part of the node draining procedure, the VNFs and guest OSs of the first O-Cloud node 712 may be transferred / transported to available space on the second O-Cloud node 714 that is available on the second O-Cloud node 714. The IMS module 722 may be configured to transfer / transport VNFs and guest OSs based on internal criteria such as available space. As shown in Operation 764, after the VNF and guest OS have been moved and the first O-Cloud node 712 has become idle, SMO702 may disable the first O-Cloud node 712.

[0052] Figure 8 is a flowchart of a method for managing power and traffic in an O-RAN according to one embodiment. In operation 802, the system may obtain at least one parameter indicating the traffic performance of the first O-Cloud node. In operation 804, the system may determine whether at least one parameter satisfies a predetermined shutdown condition for the first O-Cloud node. In operation 806, the system may disable the first O-Cloud node based on the determination that at least one parameter satisfies a predetermined shutdown condition.

[0053] Figure 9 is a diagram of an example environment 900 in which the system and / or method described herein may be implemented. As shown in Figure 9, the environment 900 may include a user device 910, a platform 920, and a network 930. The devices in environment 900 may be interconnected via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections. In embodiments, any functions and operations described above with reference to Figure 1 may be performed by any combination of the elements illustrated in Figure 9.

[0054] User device 910 includes one or more devices capable of receiving, generating, storing, processing, and / or providing information related to platform 920. For example, user device 910 may include computing devices (e.g., desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, handheld computers, smart speakers, servers, etc.), mobile phones (e.g., smartphones, wireless phones, etc.), wearable devices (e.g., smart glasses or smartwatches), or similar devices. In some implementations, user device 910 may receive information from and / or transmit information to platform 920.

[0055] Platform 920 includes one or more devices capable of receiving, generating, storing, processing, and / or providing information. In some implementations, Platform 920 may include a cloud server or a group of cloud servers. In some implementations, Platform 920 may be designed to be modular so that certain software components can be swapped (in or out) depending on specific needs. Thus, Platform 920 may be easily and / or quickly reconfigured for different applications.

[0056] In some implementations, as shown, platform 920 may be hosted in a cloud computing environment 922. Although the implementations described herein describe platform 920 as being hosted in a cloud computing environment 922, in some implementations, platform 920 may not be cloud-based (i.e., it may be implemented outside a cloud computing environment) or may be partially cloud-based.

[0057] The cloud computing environment 922 includes an environment that hosts platform 920. The cloud computing environment 922 may provide services that do not require end-user (e.g., user device 910) knowledge of the physical location and configuration of the systems and / or devices that host platform 920, such as computation, software, data access, and storage. As shown, the cloud computing environment 922 may also include a group of computing resources 924 (collectively referred to as “computing resources 924” and individually as “computing resources 924”).

[0058] Computing resource 924 includes one or more personal computers, a cluster of computing devices, a workstation computer, a server device, or other types of computation and / or communication devices. In some implementations, computing resource 924 may host platform 920. Cloud resources may include compute instances running in computing resource 924, storage devices provided in computing resource 924, data transfer devices provided by computing resource 924, etc. In some implementations, computing resource 924 may communicate with other computing resources 924 via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections.

[0059] As further shown in Figure 9, the computing resource 924 includes a group of cloud resources such as one or more applications ("APP") 924-1, one or more virtual machines ("VM") 924-2, virtualized storage ("VS") 924-3, and one or more hypervisors ("HYP") 924-4.

[0060] Application 924-1 includes one or more software applications that may be provided to or accessed by the user device 910. Application 924-1 may eliminate the need to install and run software applications on the user device 910. For example, Application 924-1 may include any other software that can be provided via the platform 920 and its associated software and / or the cloud computing environment 922. In some implementations, one application 924-1 may send and receive information with one or more other applications 924-1 via a virtual machine 924-2.

[0061] The virtual machine 924-2 includes a software implementation of a device (e.g., a computer) that runs programs like a physical device. Depending on the degree to which the virtual machine 924-2 is used and its correspondence to any real-world device, the virtual machine 924-2 may be a system virtual machine or a process virtual machine. A system virtual machine may provide a complete system platform that supports the execution of a complete operating system ("OS"). A process virtual machine may run a single program or support a single process. In some implementations, the virtual machine 924-2 may run on behalf of a user (e.g., a user device 910) and manage the infrastructure of a cloud computing environment 922, such as data management, synchronization, or long-duration data transfer.

[0062] Virtualized storage 924-3 includes one or more storage systems and / or one or more devices or computing resources 924 that use virtualization technology within the storage systems. In some implementations, within the context of the storage system, the types of virtualization may include block virtualization and file virtualization. Block virtualization may represent an abstraction (or isolation) of logical storage from physical storage so that the storage system may be accessed without considering physical storage or heterogeneous structures. Isolation can provide administrators of the storage system with flexibility in managing storage for end users. File virtualization may remove the dependency between data accessed at the file level and the location where the files are physically stored. This may enable optimized storage usage, server consolidation, and / or performance of non-destructive file migration.

[0063] The hypervisor 924-4 may provide hardware virtualization technology that enables multiple operating systems (e.g., "guest operating systems") to run simultaneously on a host computer such as computing resource 924. The hypervisor 924-4 may present a virtual operating platform to the guest operating systems and may manage the execution of the guest operating systems. Multiple instances of various operating systems may share virtualized hardware resources.

[0064] Network 930 includes one or more wired and / or wireless networks. For example, Network 930 may include cellular networks (e.g., 5G networks, LTE (long-term evolution) networks, 3G networks, CDMA (code division multiple access) networks, etc.), PLMN (public land mobile network), local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), MAN (metropolitan area networks), telephone networks (e.g., PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network), private networks, ad hoc networks, intranets, the Internet, fiber optic networks, etc.), and / or combinations of these or other types of networks.

[0065] The number and arrangement of devices and networks shown in Figure 9 are provided as an example. In practice, there may be additional devices and / or networks, fewer devices and / or networks, different devices and / or networks, or devices and / or networks in different arrangements than those shown in Figure 9. Furthermore, two or more devices shown in Figure 9 may be implemented within a single device, and a single device shown in Figure 9 may be implemented as multiple distributed devices. In addition or alternatively, a set of devices in environment 900 (e.g., one or more devices) may perform one or more functions that are described as being performed by other sets of devices in environment 900.

[0066] Figure 10 shows an example of the components of device 1000. Device 1000 may correspond to user device 910 and / or platform 920. As shown in Figure 10, device 1000 may include a bus 1010, a processor 1020, memory 1030, a storage component 1040, an input component 1050, an output component 1060, and a communication interface 1070.

[0067] Bus 1010 includes components that enable communication between components of device 1000. Processor 1020 may be implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. Processor 1020 may be a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), acceleration unit (APU), microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), FPGA (field-programmable gate array), ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), or other types of processing components. In some implementations, processor 1020 includes one or more processors that are programmable to perform functions. Memory 1030 includes random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and / or other types of dynamic or static storage devices (e.g., flash memory, magnetic memory, and / or optical memory) that store information and / or instructions for use by processor 1020.

[0068] The storage component 1040 stores information and / or software related to the operation and use of device 1000. For example, the storage component 1040 may include, along with a corresponding drive, a hard disk (e.g., magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, and / or solid-state disk), a compact disk (CD), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a floppy disk, a cartridge, magnetic tape, and / or other types of non-temporary computer-readable media. The input component 1050 includes components that enable device 1000 to receive information via user input (e.g., a touchscreen display, keyboard, keypad, mouse, buttons, switches, and / or a microphone). In addition or alternatively, the input component 1050 may include sensors for measuring information (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) component, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and / or actuators). The output component 1060 includes components that provide output information from device 1000 (e.g., a display, a speaker, and / or one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs)).

[0069] The communication interface 1070 includes transceiver-like components (e.g., a transceiver and / or separate receiver and transmitter) that enable device 1000 to communicate with other devices via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections. The communication interface 1070 enables device 1000 to receive information from and / or provide information to other devices. For example, the communication interface 1070 may include an Ethernet interface, an optical interface, a coaxial interface, an infrared interface, a radio frequency (RF) interface, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a Wi-Fi interface, a cellular network interface, and the like.

[0070] Device 1000 may execute one or more processes described herein. Device 1000 may execute these processes depending on a processor 1020 that executes software instructions stored in a non-temporary computer-readable medium such as memory 1030 and / or storage component 1040. The computer-readable medium is defined herein as a non-temporary memory device. A memory device includes a memory space within a single physical storage device or a memory space distributed across multiple physical storage devices.

[0071] Software instructions may be read into memory 1030 and / or storage component 1040 from other computer-readable media or other devices via the communication interface 1070. When executed, the software instructions stored in memory 1030 and / or storage component 1040 may cause the processor 1020 to execute one or more processes described herein.

[0072] In addition, or instead of, wired circuits may be used to execute one or more of the processes described herein, either in place of or in combination with software instructions. Thus, the implementations described herein are not limited to any particular combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0073] The number and arrangement of components shown in Figure 10 are provided as an example. In practice, device 1000 may include additional components, fewer components, different components, or components in different arrangements than those shown in Figure 10. In addition or alternatively, a set of components of device 1000 (e.g., one or more components) may perform one or more functions that are described as being performed by other sets of components of device 1000.

[0074] In the embodiments, any operation or process in Figures 4-5 may be implemented by or using any elements illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. Other embodiments are understood to be, but are not limited thereto, and may be implemented in various different architectures (e.g., bare metal architecture, any cloud-based architecture, or deployment architectures such as Kubernetes, Docker, OpenStack, etc.).

[0075] The foregoing disclosures are illustrative and descriptive, but are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit implementations to the exact forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the foregoing disclosures or may be derived from the execution of implementations.

[0076] Some embodiments may also relate to systems, methods, and / or computer-readable media at a technical level of any possible integration. Furthermore, one or more of the above components may be implemented as instructions that are stored on a computer-readable medium and are executable by at least one processor (and / or may include at least one processor). The computer-readable medium may include a computer-readable non-temporary storage medium (or medium) that stores computer-readable program instructions for causing a processor to perform an operation.

[0077] A computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device capable of holding and storing instructions for use by an instruction execution device. A computer-readable storage medium may, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of computer-readable storage media includes: portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital multipurpose disks (DVDs), memory sticks, floppy disks, mechanically encoded devices such as punch cards or grooves on which instructions are recorded, and any suitable combination thereof. The computer-readable storage medium used herein is not to be interpreted as a transient signal itself, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through waveguides or other transmitting media (e.g., light pulses passing through fiber optic cables), or electrical signals transmitted through wires.

[0078] The computer-readable program instructions described herein may be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to each computing / processing device, or downloaded to an external computer or external storage device via a network such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network. The network may include copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmissions, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and transfers them to storage in the computer-readable storage medium within each computing / processing device.

[0079] The computer-readable program code / instructions for performing the operation may be assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, configuration data for integrated circuits, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk and C++, and procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" programming language, or similar programming languages. The computer-readable program instructions may be executed as a standalone software package, either entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), and the connection may be to an external computer (for example, via the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, for example, an electronic circuit including a programmable logic circuit, an FPGA (field-programmable gate array), or a programmable logic array (PLA) may execute computer-readable program instructions by utilizing state information of computer-readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuit in order to perform a side or operation.

[0080] These computer-readable program instructions may be provided to a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, or a processor of another programmable data processing device to generate a device such that instructions executed via the processor of a computer or other programmable data processing device generate means for implementing functions / actions described in flowcharts and / or block diagrams (one or more blocks). These computer-readable program instructions may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium on which the instructions are stored, which can be instructed to make a computer, a programmable data processing device, and / or other device function in a particular manner such that the storage medium containing the instructions has a creation containing instructions that implement aspects of functions / actions described in flowcharts and / or block diagrams (one or more blocks).

[0081] Computer-readable program instructions may be loaded onto a computer, another programmable device, or another device so that a series of operational steps are executed on the computer, another programmable device, or other device to generate a computer-implemented process in which instructions executed on the computer, another programmable device, or other device implement a function / action described in a flowchart and / or block diagram (one or more blocks).

[0082] The illustrated flowcharts and block diagrams illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer-readable media according to various embodiments. Here, each block in the flowchart or block diagram may represent a microservice, module, segment, or portion of instructions comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing a particular logical function. The methods, computer systems, and computer-readable media may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or different arrangements of blocks than those shown in the diagrams. In some alternative implementations, the functions shown in the blocks may occur outside the order shown in the diagrams. For example, two blocks shown consecutively may actually be executed concurrently or substantially concurrently, depending on the functions involved, or the blocks may be executed in reverse order. Each block in the illustrated block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the illustrated block diagrams and / or flowcharts, may be implemented by a system based on dedicated hardware that performs a particular function or action, or by executing a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0083] It is evident that the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented in different forms of hardware, firmware, or combinations of hardware and software. The actual dedicated control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not limited to the implementation. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code. It is understood that software and hardware may be designed to implement the systems and / or methods based on the descriptions herein.

Claims

1. A method for managing power and traffic in an open radio access network (O-RAN), Obtain at least one parameter indicating the traffic performance of the first O-RAN cloud (O-Cloud) node, The determination of whether at least one of the parameters satisfies a predetermined shutdown condition for the first O-Cloud node, Based on the determination that at least one of the parameters satisfies the predetermined shutdown conditions, the first O-Cloud node is disabled, Equipped with, The aforementioned method is performed by a FOCOM (Federated O-Cloud Orchestration and Management) controller, which is a computer-based SMO (Service Management and Orchestration) framework. Determining whether at least one of the parameters satisfies the predetermined shutdown conditions is performed based on a predetermined shutdown policy configured for the FOCOM controller. A method performed by a computer.

2. A method for managing power and traffic in an open radio access network (O-RAN), Obtain at least one parameter indicating the traffic performance of the first O-RAN cloud (O-Cloud) node, The determination of whether at least one of the parameters satisfies a predetermined shutdown condition for the first O-Cloud node, Based on the determination that at least one of the parameters satisfies the predetermined shutdown conditions, the first O-Cloud node is disabled, Equipped with, Based on the determination that at least one of the parameters satisfies the predetermined shutdown conditions, and further comprising notifying the first O-Cloud node that it has been determined to be disabled before disabling the first O-Cloud node, The disabling of the aforementioned first O-Cloud node will be performed after a predetermined grace period. The predetermined grace period is the period that begins when the first O-Cloud node is notified that it has been decided that the first O-Cloud node will be disabled. A method performed by a computer.

3. A method for managing power and traffic in an open radio access network (O-RAN), Obtain at least one parameter indicating the traffic performance of the first O-RAN cloud (O-Cloud) node, The determination of whether at least one of the parameters satisfies a predetermined shutdown condition for the first O-Cloud node, Based on the determination that at least one of the parameters satisfies the predetermined shutdown conditions, the first O-Cloud node is disabled, Equipped with, The at least one parameter comprises at least one of the central processing unit (CPU) usage of the first O-Cloud node, the memory usage of the first O-Cloud node, and the disk throughput of the first O-Cloud node. A method performed by a computer.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least one parameter is obtained from the O-Cloud server.

5. The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the method is performed by a non-real-time (NRT) RAN intelligent controller (RIC) of the SMO (Service Management and Orchestration) framework as a computer.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising determining that at least one parameter satisfies the predetermined shutdown condition, and terminating at least one application running on the first O-Cloud node before disabling the first O-Cloud node.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising terminating at least one virtual machine (VM) guest operating system (OS) associated with the first O-Cloud node after terminating the at least one application and before disabling the first O-Cloud node.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising determining that at least one of the parameters satisfies the predetermined shutdown condition, and transferring the workload associated with the first O-Cloud node to the second O-Cloud node before disabling the first O-Cloud node.

9. A power and traffic management system in an open radio access network (O-RAN), At least one memory to store instructions, Obtain at least one parameter indicating the traffic performance of the first O-RAN cloud (O-Cloud) node, The determination of whether at least one of the parameters satisfies a predetermined shutdown condition for the first O-Cloud node, Based on the determination that at least one of the parameters satisfies the predetermined shutdown conditions, the first O-Cloud node is disabled, At least one processor configured to execute the instructions to perform, Equipped with, The aforementioned at least one processor includes a FOCOM (Federated O-Cloud Orchestration and Management) controller of the SMO (Service Management and Orchestration) framework, The at least one processor is configured to execute the instruction to determine whether the at least one parameter satisfies the predetermined shutdown condition, based on a predetermined shutdown policy configured for the FOCOM controller. system.

10. A power and traffic management system in an open radio access network (O-RAN), At least one memory to store instructions, Obtain at least one parameter indicating the traffic performance of the first O-RAN cloud (O-Cloud) node, The determination of whether at least one of the parameters satisfies a predetermined shutdown condition for the first O-Cloud node, Based on the determination that at least one of the parameters satisfies the predetermined shutdown conditions, the first O-Cloud node is disabled, At least one processor configured to execute the instructions to perform, Equipped with, The at least one processor is configured to execute the instruction based on determining that the at least one parameter satisfies the predetermined shutdown condition, and to further notify the first O-Cloud node that it has been determined that the first O-Cloud node will be disabled, before disabling the first O-Cloud node. The disabling of the aforementioned first O-Cloud node will be performed after a predetermined grace period. The predetermined grace period is the period that begins when the first O-Cloud node is notified that it has been decided that the first O-Cloud node will be disabled. system.

11. The system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the at least one parameter is obtained from an O-Cloud server.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the at least one processor comprises a non-real-time (NRT) RAN intelligent controller (RIC) of an SMO (Service Management and Orchestration) framework.

13. The system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instruction to further terminate at least one application running on the first O-Cloud node, based on the determination that the at least one parameter satisfies the predetermined shutdown condition, and before disabling the first O-Cloud node.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instruction to further terminate at least one virtual machine (VM) guest operating system (OS) associated with the first O-Cloud node after terminating the at least one application and before disabling the first O-Cloud node.

15. The system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instruction to further transfer the workload associated with the first O-Cloud node to the second O-Cloud node based on the determination that the at least one parameter satisfies the predetermined shutdown condition, and before disabling the first O-Cloud node.

16. When executed by at least one processor, Obtain at least one parameter indicating the traffic performance of the first Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) Cloud (O-Cloud) node, The determination of whether at least one of the parameters satisfies a predetermined shutdown condition for the first O-Cloud node, Based on the determination that at least one of the parameters satisfies the predetermined shutdown conditions, the first O-Cloud node is disabled, It stores instructions that cause at least one of the processors to execute, The aforementioned at least one processor includes a FOCOM (Federated O-Cloud Orchestration and Management) controller of the SMO (Service Management and Orchestration) framework, The at least one processor is configured to execute the instruction to determine whether the at least one parameter satisfies the predetermined shutdown condition, based on a predetermined shutdown policy configured for the FOCOM controller. Non-temporary computer-readable storage medium.

17. When executed by at least one processor, Obtain at least one parameter indicating the traffic performance of the first Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) Cloud (O-Cloud) node, The determination of whether at least one of the parameters satisfies a predetermined shutdown condition for the first O-Cloud node, Based on the determination that at least one of the parameters satisfies the predetermined shutdown conditions, the first O-Cloud node is disabled, It stores instructions that cause at least one of the processors to execute, The at least one processor is configured to execute the instruction based on determining that the at least one parameter satisfies the predetermined shutdown condition, and to further notify the first O-Cloud node that it has been determined that the first O-Cloud node will be disabled, before disabling the first O-Cloud node. The disabling of the aforementioned first O-Cloud node will be performed after a predetermined grace period. The predetermined grace period is the period that begins when the first O-Cloud node is notified that it has been decided that the first O-Cloud node will be disabled. Non-temporary computer-readable storage medium.

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