NRT RIC architecture supporting FCAPS and cloud orchestration

Abstract

A method executed by a non-real-time (NRT) radio access network (RAN) intelligent controller (RIC) within a service management and orchestration (SMO) framework of an Open RAN (O-RAN) network includes obtaining, by the NRT RIC, fault, configuration, accounting, performance, and security (FCAPS) related information from at least one network element (NE) in the O-RAN network via an O1 connection, and implementing, by the NRT RIC, for at least one NE, at least one first FCAPS related operation corresponding to the FCAPS related information via the O1 connection, wherein the O1 connection includes an interface between at least one NE and an O1 termination of the NRT RIC.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Cross - Reference to Related Applications] This application claims priority based on Indian Patent Application No. 202241058574 filed with the Indian Patent Office on October 13, 2022, and the entire disclosure thereof is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] [Technical Field] Apparatuses and methods consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure relate to implementing policies for network elements.

Background Art

[0003] 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 particular RAN was vendor - specific.

[0004] The emergence of Open RAN (O-RAN) technology has enabled multiple vendors to provide hardware and / or software for communication systems. To this end, O-RAN decomposes RAN functionality into Aggregation Units (CUs), Distributed Units (DUs), and Radio Units (RUs). CUs are logical nodes for hosting the RAN sublayers of Radio Resource Control (RRC), Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), and / or Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP). DUs are logical nodes for hosting the RAN sublayers of Radio Link Control (RLC), Media Access Control (MAC), and Physical (PHY). RUs are physical nodes that convert radio signals from antennas into digital signals that can be transmitted to the DUs on the fronthaul. Because these entities have open protocols and interfaces between them, they can be developed by different vendors.

[0005] Figure 1 is a diagram of the O-RAN architecture in the related technology, Figure 2 is a diagram of the SMO (Service Management and Orchestration) 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).

[0006] 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.).

[0007] 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 Function (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).

[0008] The SMO framework, in 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 in which it resides. Through the O2 interface, the SMO provides Infrastructure Management Services (IMS) and Deployment Management Services (DMS). [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] In related technologies, NRT RIC cannot be deployed independently without an SMO framework, and as shown in Figure 2, it can only support Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance, and Security (FCAPS) through an interface within the SMO. There is no O1 termination, or direct O1 connectivity from the NRT RIC framework to network elements (NEs) for FCAPS operations. Furthermore, in related technologies, NRT RIC cannot be deployed independently without an SMO framework, and as shown in Figure 2, it can only support O-Cloud management and orchestration through an interface within the SMO. There is no O2 termination, or direct O2 connectivity from the NRT RIC framework to the cloud infrastructure hosting the NEs. In many cases, this leads to unnecessary platform implementation complexity and performance overhead, creating a barrier to entry for new market players. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to the embodiment, a system and method are provided for implementing a policy for network elements (NEs).

[0011] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method performed by a non-real-time (NRT) radio access network (RAN) intelligent controller (RIC) within an open RAN (O-RAN) network service management and orchestration (SMO) framework may include the NRT RIC obtaining fault, configuration, accounting, performance, and security (FCAPS) related information from at least one NE in the O-RAN network via an O1 connection, and the NRT RIC implementing at least one first FCAPS related operation corresponding to the FCAPS related information for at least one NE via the O1 connection, wherein the O1 connection includes an interface between at least one NE and the O1 termination of the NRT RIC.

[0012] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a system implemented in a communication network may include a memory storing instructions and a processor configured to execute instructions such as: obtaining FCAPS-related information from at least one NE connected to the O-RAN network via an O1 connection by an NRT RIC in the SMO framework of the O-RAN network; and implementing at least one first FCAPS-related operation corresponding to the FCAPS-related information for at least one NE via the O1 connection by an NRT RIC, wherein the O1 connection includes an interface between at least one NE and the O1 termination of the NRT RIC.

[0013] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium may store instructions causing at least one processor to perform the following actions when executed by at least one processor: the NRT RIC in the SMO framework of the O-RAN network to retrieve FCAPS-related information from at least one NE connected to the O-RAN network via an O1 connection; and the NRT RIC to implement at least one first FCAPS-related operation corresponding to the FCAPS-related information for at least one NE via the O1 connection, wherein the O1 connection includes an interface between at least one NE and the O1 termination of the NRT RIC.

[0014] 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]

[0015] 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.

[0016] Figure 1 is a diagram of the Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) architecture related to the relevant technology.

[0017] 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.

[0018] Figure 3 is a service-oriented diagram of the SMO framework with NRT RIC in the related technologies.

[0019] Figure 4 is a diagram of an O-RAN architecture according to one embodiment.

[0020] FIG. 5 is a diagram of an O-RAN architecture according to an embodiment.

[0021] FIG. 6 is a diagram of an O-RAN architecture according to an embodiment.

[0022] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of policy implementation with at least one network element (NE) according to an embodiment.

[0023] FIG. 8 is a diagram of an example of an environment in which the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented.

[0024] FIG. 9 is a diagram of an example of components of a device according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] The following detailed description of the embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in different figures may identify the same or similar elements.

[0026] The foregoing disclosure provides illustrations and descriptions, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit implementations to the exact forms disclosed. Changes and modifications are possible in light of the foregoing disclosure or may be obtained from practice of the implementations. Further, one or more features or components of one embodiment may be integrated with or combined with those of other embodiments (or one or more features of other embodiments). Additionally, 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 executed simultaneously (at least partially), and the order of one or more operations may be interchanged.

[0027] It will become apparent that the systems and / or methods described herein may be implemented in different forms of hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. The actual special control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods is not a limitation of the implementation. 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 description herein.

[0028] Even if a particular combination of features is recited 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 different ways than specifically recited in the claims and / or specifically 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 claim group.

[0029] Any element, act, or instruction used herein should not be construed 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.” The term “one” or similar terms are used when only one item is intended. Also, as used herein, the terms “has,” “have,” “having,” “include,” “including,” etc. are intended to be open-ended terms. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “at least in part, based on” unless explicitly stated otherwise. Further, 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.

[0030] The embodiment provides a system, method, network, and device that enables a non-real-time (NRT) radio access network (RAN) intelligent controller (RIC) to operate independently of service management and orchestration (SMO) operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) functions, and to support fault, configuration, accounting, performance, and security (FCAPS) operations via a direct O1 connection with network elements (NEs). This significantly reduces platform complexity and performance overhead while lowering or eliminating barriers to entry for new market players. According to the embodiment, operators are given the option to deploy a lightweight NRT RIC with no SMO infrastructure or with a lighter SMO implementation to reduce capital expenditures (CAPEX). SMO OAM functionality is provided with third-party rApps in the NRT RIC, with diverse vendor and solution choices and potentially advanced artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) technologies. Furthermore, smaller vendors or new market players can benefit by lowering or eliminating barriers to entry from the implementation costs of legacy SMO functionality. Integrating the NRT RIC framework into the existing SMO framework also significantly reduces the effort involved in application programming interface (API) implementation, integration, and interoperability testing, as it eliminates dependencies on existing SMO OAM and O1-related functionalities.

[0031] The embodiment provides a system, method, network, and device that enables NRT RIC to operate independently of SMO Open RAN (O-RAN) Cloud (O-Cloud) related functions and support O-Cloud management, orchestration, and workflow management functions via a direct O2 connection with the NE. This significantly reduces platform complexity and performance overhead while lowering or eliminating barriers to entry for new market players. According to the embodiment, operators are given the option to deploy a lightweight NRT RIC with no SMO infrastructure or with a lighter SMO implementation to reduce CAPEX. Traditional SMO O-Cloud management and orchestration functions are provided with third-party rApps in NRT RIC, with diverse vendor and solution choices and potentially advanced AI / ML technologies. Furthermore, smaller vendors or new market players can benefit from lowering or eliminating barriers to entry from the implementation costs of legacy SMO functions. Integrating the NRT RIC framework into the existing SMO framework also significantly reduces the effort involved in API implementation, integration, and interoperability testing, as it eliminates dependencies on the existing SMO cloud and O2-related functionalities.

[0032] The O1 interface may represent an interface connecting the SMO to RAN managed elements (e.g., near real-time (nRT) RICs, O-RAN aggregation units (O-CUs), O-RAN distributed units (O-DUs), etc.) or to an NE outside the SMO. The O2 interface may represent an interface between the SMO and the O-Cloud in which it resides, or an interface between the SMO and the external O-Cloud infrastructure. Through the O2 interface, the SMO provides Infrastructure Management Services (IMS) and Deployment Management Services (DMS).

[0033] Thus, a system and method are provided that includes operations that may be performed by the NRT RIC within the SMO framework of the O-RAN network. The operations may include the NRT RIC obtaining at least one FCAPS-related data / information corresponding to an FCAPS operation for at least one NE connected to the O-RAN network, and the NRT RIC implementing at least one first FCAPS-related operation corresponding to an OAM function via an O1 connection for at least one NE. The O1 connection may include an interface between at least one NE and an O1 termination of the NRT RIC. The O1 termination may be within the NRT RIC framework. The operations may further include the NRT RIC obtaining at least one second data / information corresponding to an O-Cloud function, and the NRT RIC implementing at least one second cloud orchestration and management operation corresponding to an O-Cloud function via an O2 connection. The O2 connection may include an interface between the O-Cloud infrastructure and an O2 termination of the NRT RIC. O2 termination may reside within the NRT RIC framework of the NRT RIC. The NRT RIC may include a policy manager configured to implement at least one first policy. The NRT RIC may include an NRT RIC framework separated from the policy manager.

[0034] Figure 4 shows an O-RAN architecture 400 according to one embodiment. The O-RAN architecture 400 may include an SMO 402, external data access 404, an O-cloud NE 406, other NEs 407, an element management system (EMS) / observability framework (OBF) module 408, and an accounting module 410. The SMO 402 may include an NRT RIC 412 containing multiple rApps 414 (e.g., rApp1, ..., rAppN), an R1 interface 415, and an NRT RIC framework 416, a fault management (FM) / performance management (PM) module 418, a cloud management as a service (CMaaS) module 420, and other SMO functions 422 as understood by those skilled in the art from the herein disclosure. NRT RIC 412 may be configured to access external data access 404, including a core network 430, an inventory database 432, a geolocation database 434, an external AI / ML / autonomous network (AN) engine 436, and a planning database 438. The NRT RIC framework 416 may also include a policy manager 440, resource policies 442, R1 termination 444, OAM components 446, O1 termination 448, a cloud orchestration module 450, and O2 termination 452.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4, NRT RIC412 may implement OAM functionality 446 and O1 termination 448 for FCAPS operations with NE. In one embodiment, the OAM functionality and O1 termination 448 in SMO402 may be implemented within NRT RIC framework 416 to support FCAPS operations. NRT RIC412 may be deployed independently without the SMO infrastructure 402. The OAM and FCAPS functionality may be supported by the OAM component 446 in NRT RIC framework 416, or provided by rApp 414 with a third-party implementation. In one embodiment, SMO402 and NRT RIC412 may be deployed together to coordinately support FCAPS operations with NE.

[0036] In one embodiment, the OAM functionality may be implemented as a native implementation in the NRT RIC framework 416, where NRT RIC 412 provides support for O-RAN network functions FCAPS via O1 termination 448. Examples of FCAPS functions across the O1 interface, as defined in the O1 specification, include: PM, FM, Configuration Management (CM), File Management, Communication Surveillance (e.g., heartbeat), Trace, Physical Network Function (PNF) Discovery, PNF Software Management, etc. The OAM component 446 may operate independently to support full FCAPS operations without support from or interaction with third-party rApps. The OAM component 446 may operate in cooperation with rApp 414 to deliver the same or different FCAPS services.

[0037] rApp414 may provide the O-RAN network functionality FCAPS independently or partially via the O1 termination 448. The R1 interface 415 may include a set of services, hereafter referred to as R1 services, that facilitate interaction between rApp414 and the NRT RIC framework 416. rApp414 may support FCAPS operations through the O1-related services provided by the R1 interface 415. If rApp414 provides full support for FCAPS functionality, a native FCAPS implementation in the NRT RIC framework 416 may be omitted.

[0038] The native OAM implementation in rApp414 and NRT RIC Framework 416 may work together to provide a single FCAPS service via O1 Termination 448. In this case, functions and responsibilities may be separated and negotiated between rApp414 and the native OAM at the service registration stage. rApp414 may support or improve native OAM operations by providing policy guidance, or rApp414 may directly perform FCAPS operations in parallel with the native OAM. NRT RIC412 may provide conflict management services to resolve potential configuration and control conflicts between rApp414 and the native OAM functions of NRT RIC412.

[0039] Figure 5 shows an O-RAN architecture 500 according to one embodiment. The architecture 500 in Figure 5 is similar to the architecture 400 in Figure 4, except that NRT RIC 502 includes an NRT RIC framework 504 that implements a solution automation studio configured to automate actions toward southbound interfaces (e.g., O1 / O2) by using a cross-link interface (CLI) or a simple script. The framework 504 may prepare a default response in architecture 500 based on received FCAPS information. NRT RIC 502 may utilize this framework 504 to automate and provide faster responses toward southbound interfaces (i.e., interfaces that go south or down in NRT RIC). The default policy of the framework 504 may be updated by NRT RIC 502 based on an AI / ML learning process or by direct configuration by rApp 414.

[0040] In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the NRT RIC framework 504 functions, including OAM / FCAPS functionality and O1 termination, may be implemented and integrated in the automation studio and orchestrator 506, which provides support for the O-RAN network function FCAPS via the O1 interface. The R1 interface 415 may include a set of services, hereafter referred to as R1 services, which facilitate interaction between rApp 414 and the automation studio and orchestrator 506. For service coordination between rApp 414 and the platform's native OAM implementation, service / responsibility negotiation and conflict management functions may be provided by the automation studio and orchestrator 506.

[0041] Figure 6 is a diagram of an O-RAN architecture 600 according to one embodiment. The architecture 600 in Figure 6 is similar to the architecture 500 in Figure 5, and the NRT RIC 602 further includes a separate policy manager 604 and a communications manager 606. The R1 interface 415 is configured to provide interaction between the rApp 414 and the communications manager 606. The policy manager 604 may provide more default policies, which may run on the automation studio and orchestrator 506. The communications manager 606 may be configured to manage communication between different modules. The R1 interface 415 may include a set of R1 services that facilitate interaction between the rApp 414 and the policy manager 604. For service coordination between the rApp 414 and the platform's native OAM implementation, service / responsibility negotiation and conflict management functions may be provided by the policy manager 604.

[0042] In embodiments illustrated in Figures 4-6, rApp414 may access data from the network interface to the core network through newly defined core-related services provided by the R1 interface 415. If rApp414 provides support for core control functions, functions and responsibilities may be separated and negotiated between rApp414 and native control functions in the core network. rApp414 may support or improve native core control operations by providing policy guidance, or rApp414 may directly configure or control the core network in parallel with native control functions. Conflict management to resolve potential configuration and control conflicts between rApp and native control functions may be implemented in NRT RIC412, 502, and 602. Priorities and privileges may be assigned by the operator or vendor to guide the conflict management process, assigning priority to configuration and control commands from different resources.

[0043] Returning to Figure 4, NRT RIC412 may implement the cloud orchestration functionality of the cloud orchestration module 450 and O2 termination for O-Cloud management, orchestration, and workflow management. The cloud orchestration functionality of the cloud orchestration module 450 and O2 termination 452 may be implemented within the NRT RIC framework 416. NRT RIC412 may be deployed independently without the traditional SMO infrastructure. The cloud orchestration functionality of the cloud orchestration module 450 may be supported in the NRT RIC framework 416 or provided by rApp 414 with a third-party implementation. In one embodiment, SMO 402 and NRT RIC412 may be deployed together and may coordinately support the cloud orchestration functionality together. Furthermore, if the orchestration functionality resides outside of NRT RIC412, NRT RIC412 may provide policies for configuring the orchestration.

[0044] The cloud orchestration functionality of the cloud orchestration module 450 may be implemented by the NRT RIC platform vendor as a native function in the NRT RIC framework 416, which may operate independently without support from or interaction with third-party rApps, or it may operate in cooperation with rApps to deliver the same or different O-Cloud management and orchestration services.

[0045] In some embodiments, rApp414 may independently or partially provide O-Cloud management and orchestration capabilities through O2-related services provided by the R1 interface 415. If rApp414 provides full support for the O-Cloud management and orchestration capabilities of the cloud orchestration module 450, the native cloud orchestration module 450 implementation in the NRT RIC framework 416 may be excluded.

[0046] In some embodiments, rApp414 and the cloud orchestration module 450 in the NRT RIC framework 416 may work together to provide a single O-Cloud management and orchestration service via O2 termination 452. In this case, functions and responsibilities may be separated and negotiated between rApp414 and the cloud orchestration module 450 at the service registration stage. rApp414 may support or improve the operation of the cloud orchestration module 450 by providing policy guidance, or rApp414 may directly configure and control the O-Cloud infrastructure in parallel with the cloud orchestration module 450. Conflict management may be required in NRT RIC412 to resolve potential configuration and control conflicts between rApp414 and the cloud orchestration module 450. Priorities and privileges may be assigned by the operator or vendor to guide the conflict management process, assigning priorities to configuration and control commands from different resources.

[0047] Returning to Figure 5, the NRT RIC framework 504 may implement an automation studio and orchestrator 506 that automates actions on southbound interfaces (e.g., O1 / O2) by using a CLI or simple scripts. The automation studio and orchestrator 506 may prepare default responses based on received FCAPS information. NRT RIC 502 may utilize this framework to automate and provide faster responses on southbound interfaces. The default policy for this interface may be updated by NRT RIC 502 based on AI / ML learning or by direct configuration by rApp 414. rApp 414 may support O-Cloud management and orchestration operations (in whole or in part) through O2-related services provided by the R1 interface 415. For service coordination, service / responsibility negotiation and conflict management functions may be provided by the automation studio and orchestrator 506.

[0048] Returning to Figure 6, NRT RIC602 may use Policy Manager 604. Policy Manager 604 may provide more default policies, which may run on top of Automation Studio. Communication Manager 606 may manage communication between different modules. NRT RIC framework functions, including O-Cloud management and orchestration functions and O2 termination, may be implemented and integrated in Policy Manager 604. rApp414 may support O-Cloud management and orchestration operations (in whole or in part) through O2-related services provided by R1 interface 415. Service / responsibility negotiation and conflict management functions may be provided by Policy Manager.

[0049] Figure 7 is a flowchart of a policy implementation with at least one NE according to one embodiment. In operation 702, the system may obtain FCAPS-related information from at least one network element (NE) in the O-RAN network via an O1 connection using the NRT RIC. In operation 704, the system may implement at least one first FCAPS-related operation corresponding to the FCAPS-related information for at least one NE via an O1 connection using the NRT RIC. The O1 connection may include an interface between at least one NE and the O1 termination of the NRT RIC.

[0050] Figure 8 is a diagram of an example environment 800 in which the system and / or method described herein may be implemented. As shown in Figure 8, the environment 800 may include a user device 810, a platform 820, and a network 830. The devices in environment 800 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, etc., may be performed by any combination of the elements illustrated in Figure 8.

[0051] User device 810 includes one or more devices capable of receiving, generating, storing, processing, and / or providing information related to platform 820. For example, user device 810 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 810 may receive information from and / or transmit information to platform 820.

[0052] Platform 820 includes one or more devices capable of receiving, generating, storing, processing, and / or providing information. In some implementations, Platform 820 may include a cloud server or a group of cloud servers. In some implementations, Platform 820 may be designed to be modular so that certain software components can be swapped (in or out) depending on specific needs. Thus, Platform 820 may be easily and / or quickly reconfigured for different applications.

[0053] In some implementations, as shown, platform 820 may be hosted in a cloud computing environment 822. Although the implementations described herein describe platform 820 as being hosted in a cloud computing environment 822, in some implementations, platform 820 may not be cloud-based (i.e., it may be implemented outside a cloud computing environment) or may be partially cloud-based.

[0054] The cloud computing environment 822 includes an environment that hosts platform 820. The cloud computing environment 822 may provide services that do not require end-user (e.g., user device 810) knowledge of the physical location and configuration of the systems and / or devices that host platform 820, such as computation, software, data access, and storage. As shown, the cloud computing environment 822 may also include a group of computing resources 824 (collectively referred to as “computing resources 824” and individually as “computing resources 824”).

[0055] Computing resource 824 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 824 may host platform 820. Cloud resources may include compute instances running in computing resource 824, storage devices provided in computing resource 824, data transfer devices provided by computing resource 824, etc. In some implementations, computing resource 824 may communicate with other computing resources 824 via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections.

[0056] As further shown in Figure 8, the computing resource 824 includes a group of cloud resources such as one or more applications ("APP") 824-1, one or more virtual machines ("VM") 824-2, virtualized storage ("VS") 824-3, and one or more hypervisors ("HYP") 824-4.

[0057] Application 824-1 includes one or more software applications that may be provided to or accessed by the user device 810. Application 824-1 may eliminate the need to install and run software applications on the user device 810. For example, Application 824-1 may include any other software that can be provided via the platform 820 and its associated software and / or the cloud computing environment 822. In some implementations, one application 824-1 may send and receive information with one or more other applications 824-1 via a virtual machine 824-2.

[0058] The virtual machine 824-2 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 824-2 is used and its correspondence to any real-world device, the virtual machine 824-2 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 824-2 may run on behalf of a user (e.g., a user device 810) and manage the infrastructure of a cloud computing environment 822, such as data management, synchronization, or long-duration data transfer.

[0059] Virtualized storage 824-3 includes one or more storage systems and / or devices of one or more devices or computing resources 824 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 the physical storage or heterogeneous structure. 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.

[0060] The hypervisor 824-4 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 824. The hypervisor 824-4 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.

[0061] Network 830 includes one or more wired and / or wireless networks. For example, Network 830 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.

[0062] The number and arrangement of devices and networks shown in Figure 8 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 8. Furthermore, two or more devices shown in Figure 8 may be implemented within a single device, and a single device shown in Figure 8 may be implemented as multiple distributed devices. In addition or alternatively, a set of devices in environment 800 (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 800.

[0063] Figure 9 shows an example of the components of device 900. Device 900 may correspond to user device 810 and / or platform 820. As shown in Figure 9, device 900 may include a bus 910, a processor 920, memory 930, a storage component 940, an input component 950, an output component 960, and a communication interface 970.

[0064] Bus 910 includes components that enable communication between components of device 900. Processor 920 may be implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. Processor 920 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 920 includes one or more processors that are programmable to perform functions. Memory 930 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 920.

[0065] The storage component 940 stores information and / or software related to the operation and use of device 900. For example, the storage component 940 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 950 includes components that enable device 900 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 950 may include sensors for measuring information (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) component, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and / or an actuator). The output component 960 includes components that provide output information from device 900 (e.g., a display, a speaker, and / or one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs)).

[0066] The communication interface 970 includes transceiver-like components (e.g., a transceiver and / or separate receiver and transmitter) that enable device 900 to communicate with other devices via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections. The communication interface 970 enables device 900 to receive information from and / or provide information to other devices. For example, the communication interface 970 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.

[0067] Device 900 may execute one or more processes described herein. Device 900 may execute these processes depending on a processor 920 that executes software instructions stored in a non-temporary computer-readable medium such as memory 930 and / or storage component 940. 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.

[0068] Software instructions may be read into memory 930 and / or storage component 940 from other computer-readable media or other devices via the communication interface 970. When executed, the software instructions stored in memory 930 and / or storage component 940 may cause the processor 920 to execute one or more processes described herein.

[0069] 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.

[0070] The number and arrangement of components shown in Figure 9 are provided as an example. In practice, device 900 may include additional components, fewer components, different components, or components in different arrangements than those shown in Figure 9. In addition or alternatively, a set of components of device 900 (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 900.

[0071] In the embodiments, any operation or process shown in Figures 4-7 may be implemented by or using any elements illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. Other embodiments are understood to be, but are not limited thereto, and may be implemented in a variety of different architectures (e.g., bare metal architecture, any cloud-based architecture, or deployment architectures such as Kubernetes, Docker, OpenStack, etc.).

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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.

[0075] 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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).

[0078] 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).

[0079] 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.

[0080] 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 performed by a non-real-time (NRT) radio access network (RAN) intelligent controller (RIC) within an open RAN (O-RAN) network service management and orchestration (SMO) framework, The NRT RIC obtains fault, configuration, accounting, performance, and security (FCAPS) related information directly from at least one network element (NE) in the O-RAN network via the O1 connection, The NRT RIC implements, for at least one NE, at least one first FCAPS-related operation corresponding to the FCAPS-related information directly via the O1 connection, Equipped with, The O1 connection is a method comprising an interface between the at least one NE and the O1 termination of the NRT RIC.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the O1 termination is located within the NRT RIC framework of the NRT RIC.

3. The aforementioned NRT RIC acquires at least one second FCAPS-related data corresponding to the O-RAN cloud (O-Cloud) function, The NRT RIC implements at least one second FCAPS-related operation corresponding to the O-Cloud function via the O2 connection, Furthermore, The method according to claim 1, wherein the O2 connection comprises an interface between the O-Cloud infrastructure and the O2 termination of the NRT RIC.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the O2 termination is located within the NRT RIC framework of the NRT RIC.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the NRT RIC comprises a policy manager configured to implement the at least one first FCAPS-related operation.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the NRT RIC comprises an NRT RIC framework separated from the policy manager.

7. A system implemented in a communication network, The memory that stores the instructions, A non-real-time (NRT) radio access network (RAN) intelligent controller (RIC) within the service management and orchestration (SMO) framework of an open RAN (O-RAN) network obtains fault, configuration, accounting, performance, and security (FCAPS) related information directly from at least one network element (NE) connected to the O-RAN network via an O1 connection, The NRT RIC implements, for at least one NE, at least one first FCAPS-related operation corresponding to the FCAPS-related information directly via the O1 connection, A processor configured to execute the instructions to perform, Equipped with, The O1 connection is a system comprising an interface between the O1 termination of at least one NE and the NRT RIC.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the O1 termination is located within the NRT RIC framework of the NRT RIC.

9. The aforementioned processor, The aforementioned NRT RIC acquires at least one second FCAPS-related data corresponding to the O-RAN cloud (O-Cloud) function, The NRT RIC implements at least one second FCAPS-related operation corresponding to the O-Cloud function via the O2 connection, It is further configured to execute the aforementioned instructions in order to perform the following: The system according to claim 7, wherein the O2 connection comprises an interface between the O-Cloud infrastructure and the O2 termination of the NRT RIC.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the O2 termination is located within the NRT RIC framework of the NRT RIC.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the NRT RIC comprises a policy manager configured to implement the at least one first FCAPS-related operation.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the NRT RIC comprises an NRT RIC framework separated from the policy manager.

13. When executed by at least one processor, A non-real-time (NRT) radio access network (RAN) intelligent controller (RIC) within an Open RAN (O-RAN) network service management and orchestration (SMO) framework obtains at least one first fault, configuration, accounting, performance, and security (FCAPS) related operation directly from at least one network element (NE) in the O-RAN network via an O1 connection, The NRT RIC implements, for at least one NE, at least one first FCAPS-related operation corresponding to the FCAPS-related information directly via the O1 connection, It stores instructions that cause at least one of the processors to execute, The O1 connection is a non-transient computer-readable storage medium having an interface between the O1 termination of at least one NE and the NRT RIC.

14. The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the O1 termination is located within the NRT RIC framework of the NRT RIC.

15. When the aforementioned instruction is executed, The aforementioned NRT RIC acquires at least one second FCAPS-related data corresponding to the O-RAN cloud (O-Cloud) function, The NRT RIC implements at least one second FCAPS-related operation corresponding to the O-Cloud function via the O2 connection, The process is further executed by at least one of the processors, The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the O2 connection comprises an interface between the O-Cloud infrastructure and the O2 termination of the NRT RIC.

16. The storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the O2 termination is located within the NRT RIC framework of the NRT RIC.

17. The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the NRT RIC comprises a policy manager configured to implement the at least one first FCAPS-related operation.

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