US-12627556-B2 - Handling DU state information and recovery using NETCONF operational data

US12627556B2US 12627556 B2US12627556 B2US 12627556B2US-12627556-B2

Abstract

In general, the current subject matter relates to storing persistent data using Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) operational data. In some implementations, storing persistent data using NETCONF operational data can include receiving, at a NETCONF server from at least one microservice of a distributed unit (DU), state information for the at least one microservice, storing, in persistent storage of the NETCONF server, the received state information, fetching, by the at least one microservice from the NETCONF server, the stored state information, and recovering the DU to operational state based on the fetching.

Inventors

Virendra REDDY
Bharat Akiwate

Assignees

RAKUTEN SYMPHONY, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230315

Claims (17)

1 . An apparatus, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one non-transitory storage media storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: receiving, at a Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) server from at least one microservice of a distributed unit (DU), state information for the at least one microservice, storing, in persistent storage of the NETCONF server, the received state information, fetching, by the at least one microservice from the NETCONF server, the received state information stored in the persistent storage of the NETCONF server; and recovering the DU to operational state based on the fetching, wherein the state information includes at least one of cell state information and baseband state information, wherein the cell state information specifies time synchronization information, and wherein the baseband state information specifies baseband sector and carrier signaling information, and wherein the received state information is received on a per-microservice basis, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, at the NETCONF server from the at least one microservice, at least one update to the state information for the at least one microservice, and storing, in persistent storage of the NETCONF server, the received updated state information, and wherein the at least one microservice fetches the state information most recently received by the NETCONF server for the purpose of recovering the DU to the operational state after a restart or a reboot.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one microservice fetches the state information following a restart or a reboot of the DU for the purpose of recovering the DU to the operational state.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the NETCONF server receives the state information via an application programming interface (API) layer.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise storing, in non-persistent storage of the DU, the state information for the at least one microservice.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the state information further includes centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) connection information.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a base station includes the NETCONF server and the DU; and the base station includes a gNodeB or an eNodeB.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a wireless communication system base station includes the at least one processor and the at least one non-transitory storage media.
8 . At least one non-transitory storage media storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: receiving, at a Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) server from at least one microservice of a distributed unit (DU), state information for the at least one microservice; storing, in persistent storage of the NETCONF server, the received state information; fetching, by the at least one microservice from the NETCONF server, the received state information stored in the persistent storage of the NETCONF server; and recovering the DU to operational state based on the fetching, wherein the state information includes at least one of cell state information and baseband state information, wherein the cell state information specifies time synchronization information, and wherein the baseband state information specifies baseband sector and carrier signaling information, and wherein the received state information is received on a per-microservice basis, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving, at the NETCONF server from the at least one microservice, at least one update to the state information for the at least one microservice, and storing, in persistent storage of the NETCONF server, the received updated state information, and wherein the at least one microservice fetches the state information most recently received by the NETCONF server for the purpose of recovering the DU to the operational state after a restart or a reboot.
9 . The at least one non-transitory storage media of claim 8 , wherein the at least one microservice fetches the state information following a restart or a reboot of the DU for the purpose of recovering the DU to the operational state.
10 . The at least one non-transitory storage media of claim 8 , wherein the NETCONF server receives the state information via an application programming interface (API) layer.
11 . The at least one non-transitory storage media of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise storing, in non-persistent storage of the DU, the state information for the at least one microservice.
12 . The at least one non-transitory storage media of claim 8 , wherein the state information further includes centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) connection information.
13 . A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving, at a Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) server from at least one microservice of a distributed unit (DU), state information for the at least one microservice; storing, in persistent storage of the NETCONF server, the received state information; fetching, by the at least one microservice from the NETCONF server, the received state information stored in the persistent storage of the NETCONF server; and recovering the DU to operational state based on the fetching, wherein the state information includes at least one of cell state information and baseband state information, wherein the cell state information specifies time synchronization information, and wherein the baseband state information specifies baseband sector and carrier signaling information, and wherein the received state information is received on a per-microservice basis, wherein the method further comprises: receiving, at the NETCONF server from the at least one microservice, at least one update to the state information for the at least one microservice, and storing, in persistent storage of the NETCONF server, the received updated state information, and wherein the at least one microservice fetches the state information most recently received by the NETCONF server for the purpose of recovering the DU to the operational state after a restart or a reboot.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one microservice fetches the state information following a restart or a reboot of the DU for the purpose of recovering the DU to the operational state.
15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the NETCONF server receives the state information via an application programming interface (API) layer.
16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising storing, in non-persistent storage of the DU, the state information for the at least one microservice.
17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the state information further includes centralized unit control plane (CU-CP) connection information.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims priority to and is the 35 U.S.C. 371 United States National Phase application based on International Patent Application No. PCT/US23/64441 filed on Mar. 15, 2023 entitled “HANDLING DU STATE INFORMATION AND RECOVERY USING NETCONF OPERATIONAL DATA,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD In some implementations, the current subject matter relates to telecommunications systems, and in particular, to handling distributed unit (DU) state information and recovery of an operational state of the DU using Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) operational data. BACKGROUND In today's world, cellular networks provide on-demand communications capabilities to individuals and business entities. Typically, a cellular network is a wireless network that can be distributed over land areas, which are called cells. Each such cell is served by at least one fixed-location transceiver, which is referred to as a cell site or a base station. Each cell can use a different set of frequencies than its neighbor cells in order to avoid interference and provide improved service within each cell. When cells are joined together, they provide radio coverage over a wide geographic area, which enables a large number of mobile telephones, and/or other wireless devices or portable transceivers to communicate with each other and with fixed transceivers and telephones anywhere in the network. Such communications are performed through base stations and are accomplished even if the mobile transceivers are moving through more than one cell during transmission. Major wireless communications providers have deployed such cell sites throughout the world, thereby allowing communications mobile phones and mobile computing devices to be connected to the public switched telephone network and public Internet. A mobile telephone is a portable telephone that is capable of receiving and/or making telephone and/or data calls through a cell site or a transmitting tower by using radio waves to transfer signals to and from the mobile telephone. In view of a large number of mobile telephone users, current mobile telephone networks provide a limited and shared resource. In that regard, cell sites and handsets can change frequency and use low power transmitters to allow simultaneous usage of the networks by many callers with less interference. Coverage by a cell site can depend on a particular geographical location and/or a number of users that can potentially use the network. For example, in a city, a cell site can have a range of up to approximately ½ mile; in rural areas, the range can be as much as 5 miles; and in some areas, a user can receive signals from a cell site 25 miles away. The following are examples of some of the digital cellular technologies that are in use by the communications providers: Global System for Mobile Communications (“GSM”), General Packet Radio Service (“GPRS”), cdmaOne, CDMA2000, Evolution-Data Optimized (“EV-DO”), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (“EDGE”), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (“UMTS”), Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (“DECT”), Digital AMPS (“IS-136/TDMA”), and Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (“iDEN”). The Long Term Evolution, or 4G LTE, which was developed by the Third Generation Partnership Project (“3GPP”) standards body, is a standard for a wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals. A 5G standard is currently being developed and deployed. 3GPP cellular technologies like LTE and 5G NR are evolutions of earlier generation 3GPP technologies like the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA digital cellular technologies and allows for increasing capacity and speed by using a different radio interface together with core network improvements. Cellular networks can be divided into radio access networks and core networks. The radio access network (RAN) can include network functions that can handle radio layer communications processing. The core network can include network functions that can handle higher layer communications, e.g., internet protocol (IP), transport layer and applications layer. In some cases, the RAN functions can be split into baseband unit functions and the radio unit functions, where a radio unit connected to a baseband unit via a fronthaul network, for example, can be responsible for lower layer processing of a radio physical layer while a baseband unit can be responsible for the higher layer radio protocols, e.g., MAC, RLC, etc. A base station for a cellular network can include a centralized unit (CU), one or more distributed units (DUs) communicatively coupled to the CU, and one or more radio units (RUs) each communicatively coupled to at least one of the one or more DUs and each configured to be communicatively coupled to one or more mobile telephones and/or other user equipments (UEs). Each of the one or more DUs can support one or more cells. Th