CU-UP Pool Management for Open RAN Subscriber Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing hundreds to thousands of Centralized Unit (CU)-User Plane (UP) components in Open RAN architectures becomes tedious due to the need for separate control and user plane separation, requiring an efficient and intelligent method for selecting appropriate CU-UPs based on subscriber characteristics and network conditions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a CU-UP Pool solution within the CU-Control Plane, where a pool of CU-UPs with similar characteristics is configured and associated with specific subscriber types, allowing for intelligent selection based on factors like location, load capacity, and redundancy, enabling efficient traffic distribution and network slicing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate control and user plane separation is implemented in Open RAN, then network flexibility and functionality are improved, but management complexity increases due to the need to manage hundreds to thousands of CU-UP components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple CU-UP components into a pooled structure where individual CU-UP instances are aggregated and managed as a collective resource. This pooling approach maintains the flexibility and adaptability benefits of control-user plane separation while reducing management complexity by treating the CU-UPs as a unified pool rather than individual components that require separate management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal management framework that can handle multiple subscriber types and traffic patterns through a single pool of CU-UPs. The system uses selection criteria and policies that allow any CU-UP in the pool to serve multiple functions and subscriber types, eliminating the need for separate dedicated management for each subscriber category.
2Reliability
If intelligent selection of CU-UPs based on subscriber characteristics is implemented, then network performance is optimized, but selection process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-establishes selection criteria, policies, and mapping rules before actual traffic occurs. Subscriber characteristics and traffic patterns are analyzed in advance, and CU-UP selection policies are predetermined based on these analyses. This preliminary configuration enables intelligent selection without adding operational complexity during actual traffic handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor network performance, traffic patterns, and CU-UP status. This feedback information is used to refine and update selection policies dynamically, allowing the system to optimize network performance automatically while maintaining simple selection processes through learned patterns rather than complex manual configuration.
3Productivity
If location-based and capability-based CU-UP selection is implemented, then traffic distribution is optimized, but management overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the CU-UP pool to perform self-selection and self-optimization based on predefined criteria and real-time conditions. The system automatically determines which CU-UP instances should handle which traffic based on location, capability, and load without requiring manual intervention or complex management overhead. Each CU-UP instance self-identifies its capabilities and the system self-adjusts traffic distribution accordingly.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, system and computer readable media are presented for managing Centralized Unit (CU)-User Plane (UP) in CU-Control Plane (CP). In one embodiment a method includes configuring a pool of CU-UPs; associating a CU-UP of the pool of CU-UPs with a type of subscriber; and selecting a CU-UP of the pool of CU-UPs pool based on characteristics associated with the CU-UP.