Private 5G Network Slice Selection for Industrial OT Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing industrial devices in private 5G networks face challenges in expressing network service requirements and configuring the network to accommodate these needs, as OT customers are often not networking or 5G experts, leading to difficulties in automating network service requirement determination and configuration.
Innovation Solution
An automated or semi-automated method for determining network service requirements and configuring a private mobile network by selecting network slices with affinity rankings and assigning appropriate service parameters based on device profiles and application flows, utilizing a computing device with processors and memory elements to execute instructions for network configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual network configuration is used for industrial devices in private 5G networks, then network service requirements can be accurately expressed, but the complexity and difficulty of configuration increases significantly due to networking and 5G expertise requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic self-configuration of network slices for industrial devices without requiring manual intervention from OT customers. The automated solution determines network service requirements and configures network parameters based on device profiles and application flows, eliminating the need for users to manually configure complex networking settings while maintaining accurate service requirement expression.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary automation layer between the industrial devices and the network configuration system. This intermediary component automatically translates device profiles and application flows into appropriate network slice selections and configuration parameters, shielding users from the complexity of direct network configuration while ensuring accurate service requirement fulfillment.
2Ease of operation
If automated network configuration is implemented, then configuration simplicity improves, but the ability to express precise network service requirements may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the automated configuration process continuously monitors and adjusts network slice assignments based on actual device profiles and application flow requirements. This feedback loop ensures that automated configuration maintains high accuracy in expressing network service requirements by validating and refining configurations based on observed traffic patterns and device needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary analysis of device profiles and application flows before automatic configuration occurs. By pre-processing and understanding the requirements in advance, the system can accurately determine appropriate network slices and parameters, ensuring that automation does not compromise requirement accuracy but rather maintains it through informed automated decision-making.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple network slices are provided for different industrial devices, then service differentiation and performance optimization improve, but network complexity and slice management difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the network into multiple slices, each optimized for specific industrial device types or application flows. This segmentation enables service differentiation and performance optimization for different device categories while the automated configuration system manages the complexity of slice assignment and resource allocation, allowing flexible service differentiation without proportionally increasing management complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts network slice parameters based on device profiles and application flow characteristics. By automatically modifying parameters such as bandwidth, latency requirements, and resource allocation according to detected traffic patterns and device needs, the system achieves adaptability and service differentiation while reducing manual slice management complexity through automated parameter tuning.
Data Source
AI summary
In one illustrative example, a controller for use in a private mobile network may determine network service requirements for an industrial device. The controller may select, from a set of network slices, a subset of network slices having network service requirement configurations that most closely support the network service requirements. Each network slice of the set may be associated with an affinity ranking value that is indicative of a service performance of the network slice for industrial device operation in a cell or a zone associated with a zone or security level value assigned to the industrial device. The controller may identify, from the subset of network slices, a selected network slice associated with a best affinity ranking value for the zone or security level value assigned to the industrial device. The controller may assign the selected network slice and associated service parameters for the communications of the industrial device.