Workflow Management for Zero-Touch O-RAN Provisioning

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Implementing zero or low touch provisioning for Open RAN environments is challenging due to the need for accurate and readily available data, which is often inconsistent or incomplete, hindering the automation of network setup and maintenance processes.

Innovation Solution

A workflow management system is employed to validate data attributes at different stages of zero or low touch provisioning, notifying owners of any issues to rectify the data, and utilizing a method to collect and store cell site, operator, and device data in an inventory system for retrieval and validation during zero-touch operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If manual configuration is used for network devices, then configuration accuracy can be ensured through human review, but deployment time and labor costs increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconfiguration accuracyVSAvoiddeployment speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service through automated configuration validation where the provisioning system automatically checks data attributes, validates configuration integrity, and notifies relevant parties of issues without requiring manual human review at each step, thus maintaining accuracy while enabling rapid deployment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by automatically validating configuration data and sending notifications to data owners or support personnel when validation fails, allowing for rapid correction of configuration errors while maintaining deployment speed through automated error detection and reporting

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If automated zero-touch provisioning is implemented, then deployment speed and scalability improve, but data accuracy and consistency become problematic due to lack of human verification

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeployment speedVSAvoidconfiguration accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary validation actions by checking data attributes and validating configuration data before provisioning is executed, ensuring that potential errors are detected and corrected in advance while maintaining automated deployment speed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements automated feedback loops where validation results are immediately communicated back to the provisioning process, and notifications are sent to data owners or support personnel when issues are detected, enabling rapid automated correction while maintaining deployment speed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Stability of the object's composition

If comprehensive data validation is performed at all stages, then configuration consistency is ensured, but system complexity and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconfiguration consistencyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the validation process into distinct stages corresponding to different provisioning phases (planning, procurement, installation, commissioning, etc.), with specific data attributes validated at each stage, thereby ensuring configuration consistency without requiring all validation checks to be performed simultaneously, thus managing system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Adaptability or versatility

If multiple data sources from different vendors are integrated, then system versatility and interoperability improve, but data consistency and reliability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevendor interoperabilityVSAvoiddata consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements universal validation rules and data attribute standards that can be applied across multiple vendors and device types, allowing the same validation framework to handle diverse data sources while ensuring data consistency and reliability through standardized checking mechanisms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system manages data consistency from multiple vendors by validating and standardizing data attributes according to O-RAN Alliance specifications, transforming vendor-specific data formats into a unified standard that ensures reliability while maintaining the ability to integrate diverse vendor equipment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20250106101A1Data collection for zero-touch in o-ran

Publication Date: 2025.03.27 DISH WIRELESS LLC

AI summary

Various embodiments provide various attributes of data that should be ready to carry out zero or low touch provisioning in the O-RAN at different stages. In various embodiment, a workflow management system is employed to check for data attributes at different timeframes during execution of zero or low touch provisioning. In those embodiments, the workflow management system is configured to validate the data collected at a specific timeframe and determine if the data collected is ready for the zero or low touch provisioning to be carried out at that timeframe. In various embodiments, when the workflow management system determines that the data collected is not ready, the workflow management system is configured to interface with an incident system so that the owner(s) of the data is notified to rectify the data.