Host-Level Performance Reporting Agent for Multi-NF RAN Statistics
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing approach for northbound performance reporting in RAN systems requires multiple IP addresses and duplicate stats reporting agents for each Network Function (NF), leading to increased network resource burden and management costs.
Innovation Solution
Implement a single statistics reporting microservice (SR MS) that handles statistics reporting for multiple NFs, reducing the need for redundant IP addresses and allowing independent reliability testing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate statistics reporting agent is deployed for each Network Function (NF), then each NF can independently report performance data to the Northbound Management System (NBMS), but the number of IP addresses and network resources increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple statistics reporting agents from different Network Functions are merged into a single shared reporting agent deployed at the host level. This single agent consolidates performance data from multiple NFs and reports to the NBMS through a single IP address, eliminating the need for each NF to have its own dedicated reporting agent and IP address.
Solution Approach 2:
The host-level statistics reporting agent is designed to serve multiple Network Functions simultaneously. It performs the universal function of collecting, processing, and reporting performance data for all NFs on the host, making the reporting capability multi-functional rather than dedicated to a single NF.
2Reliability
If duplicate statistics reporting agents are deployed for each NF, then each NF has dedicated reporting capability, but management complexity and configuration overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple duplicate reporting agents into a single consolidated agent at the host level. This eliminates the complexity of managing multiple identical agents across different NFs, reducing configuration overhead and simplifying maintenance while maintaining reporting capabilities for all NFs.
Solution Approach 2:
The host-level reporting agent acts as an intermediary between multiple NFs and the NBMS. It receives performance data from various NFs, standardizes the format, and forwards consolidated reports to the NBMS, simplifying the management architecture by introducing a single mediation point rather than multiple direct connections.
3Adaptability or versatility
If each NF has its own statistics reporting agent, then reporting can be performed independently, but network resource utilization increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple independent reporting operations into a single consolidated reporting mechanism. By merging the reporting functions at the host level, it reduces the total network traffic, bandwidth consumption, and processing resources required compared to having each NF independently report through separate agents.
Solution Approach 2:
The single host-level reporting agent performs multiple reporting functions for different NFs simultaneously, making efficient use of network resources. It handles performance data collection, processing, and transmission for multiple NFs through a unified mechanism, reducing overall network resource utilization compared to multiple dedicated agents.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a method and system for handling northbound statistics reporting for the PM MS. The method, which may be performed by at least one processor for reporting data to a northbound management system (NBMS), the method including: receiving, by a statistics reporting microservice (SR MS) from an Performance Management microservice (PM MS) of a first Radio Access Network (RAN) Network Function (NF), first data comprising performance data; and reporting, from the SR MS to the NBMS, the first data.