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EP-4738780-A1 - A METHOD OF MANAGING HARDWARE RESOURCES IN AN OPEN RAN CLOUD PLATFORM, A CLOUD PLATFORM, AN OPEN RAN APPLICATION AND A COMPUTER PROGRAM

EP4738780A1EP 4738780 A1EP4738780 A1EP 4738780A1EP-4738780-A1

Abstract

A method of managing hardware resources in an Open Radio Access Network, Open RAN, cloud platform is provided. The cloud platform is configured to host an Open RAN application at a radio site. The Open RAN application comprises one or more application processes. The method comprises communicating, from a manager of the cloud platform to the Open RAN application, hardware resource status data.

Inventors

  • Lu, Zhanhong

Assignees

  • Vodafone Group Services Limited

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20251103

Claims (15)

  1. A method of managing hardware resources in an Open Radio Access Network, Open RAN, cloud platform, wherein the cloud platform is configured to host an Open RAN application at a radio site, wherein the Open RAN application comprises one or more application processes, the method comprising: communicating, from a master node of the cloud platform at the radio site to the Open RAN application, hardware resource status data.
  2. The method of claim 1, wherein the Open RAN application is one of a plurality of Open RAN applications hosted by the cloud platform at the radio site.
  3. The method of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the hardware resource status data is communicated via a representational state transfer application programming interface, REST API.
  4. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the hardware resource status data comprises log data and/or hardware resource utilisation statistics; and optionally, wherein the hardware resource utilisation statistics comprise a hardware resource utilisation associated with each of the application processes.
  5. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the hardware resource status data comprises an alarm indicating that a hardware resource utilisation associated with the Open RAN application is above a threshold.
  6. The method of claim 5, further comprising: communicating, from the Open RAN application to the master node of the cloud platform, an indication that the Open RAN application has received the alarm and is taking action to reduce the hardware resource utilisation associated with the Open RAN application.
  7. The method of claim 6, wherein the master node is a first master node in active mode and wherein the cloud platform further comprises a second master node in standby mode, wherein the cloud platform is configured to perform a master node switchover action on detection of a cloud platform performance condition, unless the master node switchover action is suppressed, wherein the master node switchover action comprises switching the first master node to standby mode and switching the second master node to active mode, the method further comprising: identifying the cloud platform performance condition; and suppressing the master node switchover action, based on the indication that the Open RAN application has received the alarm and is taking action to reduce the hardware resource utilisation associated with the Open RAN application; optionally, wherein the cloud platform performance condition comprises a loss of synchronisation of a heartbeat signal between the first master node in active mode and the second master node in standby mode.
  8. The method of any of claims 4 to 7, further comprising: measuring a hardware resource utilisation associated with each of the application processes, wherein the hardware resource utilisation statistics and/or log data comprise the hardware resource utilisation associated with each of the application processes, and/or wherein the hardware resource utilisation associated with the Open RAN application is calculated based on the hardware resource utilisation associated with each of the application processes.
  9. The method of claim 8, wherein the cloud platform comprises a plurality of processor cores, wherein each application process is allocated zero or more cores, wherein the hardware resource utilisation associated with each of the application processes is determined based on a central processing unit, CPU, usage of the zero or more cores allocated to the respective application process.
  10. The method of claim 9, wherein one or more of the plurality of processor cores are dedicated cores allocated to the cloud platform; optionally, wherein each of the plurality of processor cores that are not the one or more dedicated cores form a resource pool, wherein dynamically allocating zero or more processor cores of the plurality of processor cores to each of the plurality of application processes comprises dynamically allocating the zero or more processor cores from the resource pool to each of the plurality of application processes.
  11. The method of claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the cloud platform comprises one or more servers, wherein the plurality of processor cores comprises a respective plurality of processor cores from each server.
  12. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the cloud platform is a containerised cloud platform and wherein each of the application processes is hosted via a respective pod managed by the containerised cloud platform.
  13. The method of claim 5 or claim 6, further comprising: reducing processing requirements of the Open RAN application to reduce the hardware resource utilisation associated with the Open RAN application, based on the alarm; optionally, wherein reducing processing requirements of the Open RAN application comprises reducing a frequency of a probe for collection of network performance metrics associated with the Open RAN application.
  14. A cloud platform configured to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 12.
  15. A computer program comprising instructions that, when executed on a processor of a cloud platform, cause the cloud platform to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 12.

Description

Field of the invention The present invention relates to management of hardware resources in an Open Radio Access Network cloud platform. In particular, the invention relates to methods of sharing hardware resource status data between the cloud platform and the OpenRAN application. Glossary RAN - Radio Access NetworkMNO - Mobile Network OperatorO-RAN - Open RAN AllianceO-DU - Open Distributed UnitO-CU - Open Central UnitO-RU - Open Radio UnitOS - Operating SystemGPU - Graphics Processing UnitAPI - Application Programming InterfaceSMO - Service Management and OrchestrationDMS - Deployment Management ServicesNF - Network FunctionIMS - Infrastructure Management ServicesCOTS - Commercial Off-The-ShelfCaaS - Containers as a ServiceCPU - Central Processing UnitUE - User EquipmentBS - Base StationABS - Advanced Base StationBTS - Base Transceiver StationBSS - Basic Service SetESS - Extended Service SetAP - Access PointNB - Node B (Radio Base Station Receiver)eNB - Evolved Node BgNB - Next-Generation Node BTRP - Transmission and Reception PointPS - Processing ServerTE - Terminal EquipmentMS - Mobile StationMT - Mobile TerminalUT - User TerminalSS - Subscriber StationPDA - Personal Digital AssistantCDMA - Code Division Multiple AccessFDMA - Frequency Division Multiple AccessTDMA - Time Division Multiple AccessOFDMA - Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple AccessSC-FDMA - Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple AccessMC-FDMA - Multicarrier Frequency Division Multiple AccessUTRA - Universal Terrestrial Radio AccessGSM - Global System for Mobile CommunicationsGPRS - General Packet Radio ServiceEDGE - Enhanced Data Rates for GSM EvolutionIEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics EngineersE-UTRA - Evolved UTRAUMTS - Universal Mobile Telecommunications SystemE-UMTS - Evolved UMTS3GPP - 3rd Generation Partnership ProjectDL - DownlinkUL - UplinkLTE - Long Term Evolution (4G)LTE-A - LTE-AdvancedNR - New Radio (5G)FDD - Frequency Division DuplexTDD - Time Division DuplexCRS - Cell-specific Reference SignalCSI-RS - Channel State Information Reference SignalFPGA - Field-Programmable-Gate-ArrayASIC - Application-Specific-Integrated-CircuitDSP - Digital-Signal-ProcessorCD-ROM - Compact Disc Read-Only MemoryDVD-ROM - Digital Versatile Disc Read-Only MemoryROM - Read-Only MemoryRAM - Random-Access MemoryEEPROM - Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only MemoryEPROM - Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory Background Open RAN is a technology architecture concept directed to decoupling the hardware and software components of a Radio Access Network (RAN). It is a RAN that includes open interoperable interfaces and virtualization. In prior art (Non-Open) RANs, the hardware and software components are typically proprietary. Non-Open RAN equipment is generally obtained from a single vendor to ensure seamless functionality, security, and efficiency. In contrast, Open RAN introduces open standards for both hardware and software, enabling interoperability among various network elements. For Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Open RAN holds strategic importance as it promotes vendor diversity, allowing the integration of new suppliers and enhancing supply chain resilience. It also brings energy efficiency gains by enabling targeted improvements in specific areas of the RAN. Furthermore, Open RAN facilitates innovation and competition by providing a more dynamic and efficient network environment. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for collaboration with specialist suppliers and facilitates resource optimization by allowing upgrades to software, without necessitating hardware replacements. Open RAN is important in the long-term network innovation strategy of MNOs, offering energy efficiency, supply chain diversification, resilience enhancement, and facilitating innovation and competition. Fig. 1 illustrates some of the elements of an example Open RAN system 100, which is implemented as a cloud computing platform (O-Cloud). The system 100 may be described with reference to different hardware and software layers of the platform. At the O-Cloud Node layer 110, the system comprises one or more physical infrastructure nodes 120A, 120N that meet O-RAN requirements. Each physical infrastructure node 120A comprises computing 121, networking 122, GPU 123, and storage 124 components, alongside acceleration technologies 125 for RAN operations (such as forward error correction and other computationally intensive operations that are offloaded to dedicated hardware). Each physical infrastructure node 120A, 120N is configured to host the relevant O-RAN network functions 150, 160, which are implemented at the Open RAN application layer 140. The network functions 150, 160 implemented at the Open RAN application layer 140 may include O-CU 160, O-DU 150, and O-RU. At the O-Cloud hypervisor or containers / OS layer 130, there exists a collection of cloud functions to enable the Open RAN applications 150, 160 to run on the one or more O-Cloud hardware