Open vRAN Ecosystem

Overview and Current Activities

Bob Everson – Global Director, Mobility and 5G
Steve Mailey – Consulting Systems Engineer
Nic Martinez – Consulting Systems Engineer
20-Sept-2018
 1 Why Open vRAN?

What is the Open vRAN

2 Ecosystem?

Introduction to RAN and

Agenda 3 vRAN Architectures

Demos and Production

4 Ready Systems

5 Wrap-up, Q&A
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Software is Eating the World

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The Modern CSP has a Software Personality

L4-7 Services
• Disaggregation simplifies scaling of h/w
and s/w instances
• Rapidly deploy new capabilities and Edge Access RAN
services
• Infrastructure and location agnostic Mobile Core
• Easier to stich together complex service
chains
Transport
• Simpler to standardize ops tooling

Data Center
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Software Defined Mobile Network
From: To:
Monolithic, Proprietary Flexible, Agile Software-
Systems Based Solutions

Closed interfaces,
Open, modular solutions
limited options

Network defined by the

Network defined (and
services, and desired
constrained) by RAN
operational model
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Ecosystem Overview

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Open vRAN Ecosystem Overview

Technology Economics
Accelerate the viability
and adoption of open virtualized RAN
(vRAN) solutions and ensure their
extension into a broader software-
defined network architecture
Operations Consumption

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Open vRAN Ecosystem Overview
RU
Current Vendor Members
vRAN S/W

NFVI / Compute

Mobile Core

Transport

Automation

Services

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 Why Open vRAN End-to-End Solution?

Open Use Cases

• Densification
• Modular solutions • Reach
• Cloud infrastructure • Small Cell
flexibility • 5GNR
• IP transport • Private Mobile Networks

Multi-vendor Synergies
• Leading innovators • Better end-to end
• Ecosystem = Choice • Network Slicing
and Scale • MEC
• Automation /
Orchestration

Ready to Deploy
• Pre-validated Flexible
• Pre-integrated
Net Benefits • New and existing
environments
• Flexible architecture
• Adapts to business req’ts
• Agile service delivery environment
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• Lower TCO
RAN and vRAN Architecture
Overview

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Traditional Distributed RAN Architecture

MME

SGW
Backhaul Agg/Core
RRH
/RU

PGW

BBU Internet,
RRH = Remote Radio Head
Enterprise,
RU = Radio Unit etc
eNB BBU = Baseband Unit
eNB = Evolved Node B (LTE)

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Transition to C-RAN Architecture

MME

CPRI SGW
BBU Backhaul Agg/Core
RRH Fronthaul
/RU

PGW

BBU Internet,
Enterprise,
etc
eNodeB

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Centralized RAN Architecture
Remote BBU -
typically proprietary
closed platform
MME

CPRI SGW
BBU Backhaul Agg/Core
RRH Fronthaul
/RU

PGW

CPRI (Common Public Radio Interface) Fiber Fronthaul: Internet,

Constant Bit Rate – transmits even when no user traffic, no multiplexing Enterprise,
Highly inefficient – scales with number of antennas, not data rate etc
i.e. 150Mbps data = ~2.5Gbps CPRI traffic
Requires very low latency – 200µs
Optical transport; RAN vendor proprietary format
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 Virtualized/Cloud RAN Architecture

MME

Fronthaul SGW
vBBU Backhaul Agg/Core
RRH Options
/RU

PGW

Virtualized Baseband – Internet,

Fronthaul - CPRI or eCRPI (enhanced typically clusters running on Enterprise,
CPRI, moving to more open splits – i.e. COTS H/W etc
xRAN/ORAN

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Transition to Split Architecture

MME

SGW
Fronthaul vBBU Backhaul Agg/Core
RRH
/RU

PGW

Further disaggregate vBBU real- Internet,

time and non-real-time functions Enterprise,
into DU – Distributed Unit and etc
Front-haul DU Midhaul CU
CU – Centralized Unit

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Split vRAN Architecture

MME

Front- SGW
DU Midhaul CU Backhaul Agg/Core
RRH haul
/RU

PGW

Internet,
Fronthaul and Midhaul splits discussed more Enterprise,
etc
later. One key goal is driving away from vendor
proprietary solutions, towards open IP/Ethernet
based technologies.
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Split vRAN Architecture, cont.

DU
RRH
MME

Front- SGW
DU Midhaul CU Backhaul Agg/Core
RRH haul

PGW

Internet,
Split architecture flexibility: Enterprise,
DU etc
Each CU can support multiple DU’s
RRH Each DU can support multiple RRH’s

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Further Control Plane Split

CU-CP
MME

Front- SGW
DU Midhaul Backhaul Agg/Core
RRH haul
/RU
CU-UP
PGW

Some operators looking to split RAN control Internet,

plane and user plane to allow them to scale Enterprise,
independently and architect their network in etc
more granular manner

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Split Architecture – Where to Split?

MME

Front- SGW
DU Midhaul CU Backhaul Agg/Core
RRH/RU haul

PGW

Internet,
Enterprise,
etc
RAN protocol stack splits are not
clear cut…how to determine what
goes where?
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There are a lot of Split Options
We’ll focus on 2 Initially

Fronthaul/ Midhaul/
CPRI
Lower Layer Split Higher Layer Split

Low High Low High Low High

RF PHY PHY MAC RLC
PDCP RRC
MAC RLC

Data

Option 8 Option 7 Option 6 Option 5 Option 4 Option 3 Option 2 Option 1

Greater bandwidth requirements

Higher Latency sensitivity

Increased radio co-ordination

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Split Architecture – Where to Split?

MME

Option 7-2x Option 2

Front- SGW
DU Midhaul CU Backhaul Agg/Core
RRH haul
/RU

PGW

Internet,
General thinking is option 7-2x for DU-RU, option 2 for CU-DU. Can Enterprise,
vary based on deployment model, service types i.e. Fixed Wireless etc
could do option 2 split to RU with integrated DU, etc. More work to
come here + deeper dive presentation on splits coming soon

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Open vRAN Ecosystem UPF CU DU
RU
MEC
Flexible Architecture
Options UPF CU
HLS
Option 2
DU
Packet
MIdhaul RU
NGC MEC

Agg/Core Backhaul
HLS LLS (7-2x)
Option 2 RU
EPC UPF CU DU
Packet RU
Midhaul
MEC Fronthaul RU

CU CP
CU-CP UPF CU-UP
CU UP DU
Packet
Midhaul RU
MEC

Automation and Orchestration

Security, Management, and Support
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Open vRAN Demos
Pre-5G: Let’s Deploy Now
5G: It’s Real

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Pre-5G Open vRAN End-to-End Solution
E2E Converged Multi-vendor Pre-5G
‘Network-in-a-box’ Efficiently Delivering High-Quality Video

• Pre-certified • CUPS-enabled MEC App  Edge Cache

• Pre-integrated • Network Slicing  Differentiated Services
• Ready to deploy

Cisco
NSO / ESC
Altiostar
vCU IMS
Cisco
Qwilt EPC
Altiostar Midhaul
RU / DU Option 2
Edge Cisco Backhaul Agg/Core
Cache UPF
Cisco
HSS
CPS
Cisco NFVI
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Pre-5G Open vRAN End-to-End Solution: Flows
MWC Americas – Cisco Meeting Room Tech M Redmond Lab

Edge Cisco NFVI

Compute
Altiostar Altiostar Cisco
RU / DU vCU
Internet CPF
HSS

Regular
User
Cisco Cisco Cisco
UPF2 UPF1 PCRF

Qwilt
Qwilt IMS
Edge
Cache
Cache
Premium
User

© 2017 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Confidential Qwilt CP /
Video Origin
5G Open vRAN End-to-End PoC
E2E Multi-vendor 5G SA PoC
• OTA 5G SA Data Call High-bandwidth OTA Video Streaming
• Cloud-native 5G SA Core
• 5G SA Core Deployable on • CUPS-enabled MEC App  Edge Cache
Any Platform • Automation  Google Cloud Deployment

Cisco
Automation
Orchestration

Cisco
Synamedia UPF Cisco
Phazr gNB Edge Cache
Backhaul Agg/Core 5G SA Core
RU / DU / CU

Cisco NFVI
Cloud Platform
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5G Open vRAN End-to-End PoC: Flows
MWC Americas – Cisco Meeting Room Cisco BXB Lab / GCP
AUSF/UDM PATS

Edge Cisco Container Platform

Phazr Phazr
Compute
UE gNB
Internet Prometheus
/Grafana
AMF PCF

UPF
NSSF NRF

SMF
Edge Pod Network
Cache (Contiv VPP)

Tiller Kubernetes Docker

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Dev Hub Helm Charts/
Repo Docker images
 Enabling New Services

Connected Car / Network Slicing Smart City Augmented / Virtual

RC Drones e.g. Public Sector Enablement Reality Delivery
Private Networks
• Vehicle updates, telematics, • Police, fire, hospitals with • Smart-sensor enabled • Augmented, virtual, and
and infotainment strict SLAs and security • Waste and recycling, parking, mixed reality for learning,
• Warehouse logistics, smart grid, homes gaming, 4K/8K
automated delivery services

Enhanced Mobile Broadband Ultra Reliable Low Latency Massive Machine-type

1000x BW, 10-100x Communication Communications
End User Speed ~1ms Latency 1000x Density

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Open vRAN Ecosystem – Wrap Up

Accelerating to a truly software-defined mobile network

Enabling open, flexible architectures

Technology + Business + Operational + Consumption

Real solutions are possible now

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Questions?

Contact us: openvraninterest@cisco.com

https://blogs.cisco.com/sp/open-vran-ecosystem-enabling-a-better-mobile-architecture
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