Cellular Network Slice Testing Across Cloud and Production Environments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cellular network testing methods are inadequate for accurately simulating real-world conditions due to isolated lab environments, leading to delayed development and deployment of features and services, as well as increased re-development and re-testing when features fail in actual networks.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-based multi-environment testing system that allows for the creation of network slices corresponding to cellular network portions, enabling testing with real cellular network traffic and equipment, and facilitating rapid instantiation and takedown of testing environments on demand, ensuring alignment with production conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If isolated lab environments are used for testing, then testing can be conducted in controlled conditions, but the accuracy of simulating real-world conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A cloud-based testing system acts as an intermediary between isolated lab environments and production networks. The system provides virtualized network slices that replicate production conditions while maintaining isolation, allowing accurate simulation of real-world scenarios without direct exposure to live traffic.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates virtual copies of production network environments through network slicing. These virtual slices replicate the structure, behavior, and conditions of actual production networks, enabling realistic testing without requiring physical access to live systems.
2Productivity
If extensive testing is performed in isolated environments, then feature development can proceed systematically, but deployment time increases due to re-testing in production
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary testing in virtualized slices that accurately mirror production conditions. By conducting comprehensive tests before deployment in an environment that closely resembles the target system, the need for post-deployment re-testing is minimized, accelerating the overall development cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates temporary, disposable test slices that can be rapidly instantiated and destroyed. These short-lived virtual environments provide realistic testing conditions without the long-term commitment of permanent test labs, enabling fast iteration and reducing time losses.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple testing environments are maintained, then comprehensive coverage of different scenarios is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cloud-based testing system provides a universal platform that can create multiple virtualized network slices, each configured for different testing scenarios. A single multi-functional system replaces the need for multiple separate physical test environments, reducing overall complexity while maintaining comprehensive scenario coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the production network into virtual slices for testing purposes. This segmentation allows multiple isolated test environments to coexist within a single physical infrastructure, providing comprehensive scenario coverage without the complexity of managing separate physical systems for each scenario.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and non-transitory, machine-readable media may facilitate multi-environment cellular network slice testing. A cloud-based test environment may be created and may include multiple cellular network components executed on a cloud-based computing platform. One or more slice testing requests may be received from a service provider system. Responsive to the one or more slice testing requests, one or more network slices may be created, where the one or more network slices may correspond to one or more portions of a cellular network. Slice testing may be performed with the one or more network slices within the cloud-based test environment. Results of the slice testing using the one or more network slices may be obtained.