Abstract
The upcoming Fifth Generation (5G) mobile network aims to support a wide variety of services. In addition to the four standardized service use cases, network operators are also looking for the ability to deploy newer services in shorter timescales to quickly monetize the 5G network. This has resulted in the emergence of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) as key technologies for designing the 5G networks. In this paper, we provide a survey of some of the promising SDN/NFV-based architectures for the Radio Access Network (RAN) and highlight how these architectures can be utilized to support features like network virtualization and slicing. We also identify the gaps which need to be addressed by these proposals to be able to support the 5G network capabilities and list a few considerations for slicing the 5G RAN. Finally, we propose Virtualized RAN (VirtRAN), a recursive SDN/NFV-based architectural framework for RAN, which addresses some of these gaps and can be used to support features like network slicing and user mobility management in 5G networks in an efficient manner.
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Abbreviations
- 3G:
-
Third Generation
- 3GPP:
-
Third-Generation Partnership Project
- 4G:
-
Fourth Generation
- 5G:
-
Fifth Generation
- AMF:
-
Access and Mobility Function
- AP:
-
Access Point
- API:
-
Application Programming Interface
- ARPU:
-
Average Revenue Per User
- AUSF:
-
Authentication Server Function
- CAPEX:
-
CApital Expenditures
- CAPWAP:
-
Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points
- CU:
-
Centralized Unit
- DU:
-
Distributed Unit
- E1AP:
-
E1 Application Protocol
- eICIC:
-
enhanced Inter-Cell Interference Coordination (eICIC)
- eMBB:
-
enhanced Mobile Broadband
- eNB:
-
eNodeB
- ETSI:
-
European Telecommunications Standards Institute
- F1AP:
-
F1 Application Protocol
- GBR:
-
Guaranteed Bit Rate
- gNB:
-
gNodeB
- gNB-CU:
-
gNB-Centralized Unit
- gNB-CU-CP:
-
gNB-CU Control Plane
- gNB-CU-DP:
-
gNB-CU Data Plane
- gNB-DUs:
-
gNB-Distributed Units
- GPRS:
-
General Packet Radio Service
- IBM:
-
International Business Machines Corporation
- IETF:
-
Internet Engineering Task Force
- IP:
-
Internet Protocol Marc
- LTE:
-
Long-Term Evolution
- LVAP:
-
Lightweight Virtual Access Point
- m-NBI:
-
middleware-North Bound Interface
- m-SBI:
-
middleware-South Bound Interface
- MAC:
-
Medium Access Control
- mMTC:
-
massive Machine Type Communications
- multi-RAT:
-
multiple-Radio Access Technology
- N3IWF:
-
Non 3GPP Interworking Function
- NFV:
-
Network Function Virtualization
- NR:
-
New Radio
- ns-3:
-
Network Simulator -3
- NSSAI:
-
Network Slice Selection Assistance Information
- ONF:
-
Open Networking Foundation
- PDCP:
-
Packet Data Convergence Protocol
- PGW:
-
Packet Gateway
- PGW-c:
-
Packet Gateway-control plane
- PGW-u:
-
Packet Gateway-user plane
- PRB:
-
Physical Resource Block
- QoE:
-
Quality of Experience
- QoS:
-
Quality of Service
- RAN:
-
Radio Access Network
- RB:
-
Resource Block
- REST:
-
Representational State Transfer
- RIC:
-
Radio Interface Controller
- RLC:
-
Radio Link Control
- RRC:
-
Radio Resource Control
- RRM:
-
Radio Resource Management
- RT:
-
Real Time
- SD-RAN:
-
Software-Defined-RAN
- SDAP:
-
Service Data Adaptation Protocol
- SDN:
-
Software-Defined Networking
- SDOs:
-
Standard Development Organizations
- SGW:
-
Serving Gateway
- SGW-c:
-
Serving Gateway-control plane
- SGW-u:
-
Serving Gateway-user plane
- SMF:
-
Session Management Function
- SNMP:
-
Simple Network Management Protocol
- SON:
-
Self Organizing Network
- SSID:
-
Service Set IDentifier
- UE:
-
User Equipment
- UPF:
-
User Plane Function
- URLLC:
-
Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications
- V2X:
-
Vehicle to Everything
- vBS:
-
virtual Base Station
- VirtRAN:
-
Virtualized RAN
- VL:
-
Virtualization Layer
- VM:
-
Virtual Machine
- VRB:
-
Virtual Resource Block
- VRG:
-
Virtual Resource Group
- VSF:
-
Virtual Subsystem Function
- WiMAX:
-
Worldwide interoperability for Microwave Access
- WLAN:
-
Wireless Local Area Network
- WRAN:
-
Wireless Regional Area Network
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Acknowledgements
This work has been supported by the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Government of India as part of the indigenous 5G Test Bed project.
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Nayak Manjeshwar, A., Jha, P., Karandikar, A. et al. VirtRAN: An SDN/NFV-Based Framework for 5G RAN Slicing. J Indian Inst Sci 100, 409–434 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41745-020-00160-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41745-020-00160-x