Towards a programmable and virtualized mobile radio access network architecture
View/ Open
Date
02/07/2018Author
Foukas, Xenofon
Metadata
Abstract
Emerging 5G mobile networks are envisioned to become multi-service environments,
enabling the dynamic deployment of services with a diverse set of performance requirements,
accommodating the needs of mobile network operators, verticals and over-the-top service providers. The Radio Access Network (RAN) part of mobile networks
is expected to play a very significant role towards this evolution. Unfortunately, such
a vision cannot be efficiently supported by the conventional RAN architecture, which
adopts a fixed and rigid design. For the network to evolve, flexibility in the creation,
management and control of the RAN components is of paramount importance. The key
elements that can allow us to attain this flexibility are the programmability and the virtualization
of the network functions. While in the case of the mobile core, these issues
have been extensively studied due to the advent of technologies like Software-Defined
Networking (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and the similarities
that the core shares with other wired networks like data centers, research in the domain
of the RAN is still in its infancy.
The contributions made in this thesis significantly advance the state of the art in
the domain of RAN programmability and virtualization in three dimensions. First, we
design and implement a software-defined RAN (SD-RAN) platform called FlexRAN,
that provides a flexible control plane designed with support for real-time RAN control
applications, flexibility to realize various degrees of coordination among RAN infrastructure
entities, and programmability to adapt control over time and easier evolution
to the future following SDN/NFV principles. Second, we leverage the capabilities of
the FlexRAN platform to design and implement Orion, which is a novel RAN slicing
system that enables the dynamic on-the-fly virtualization of base stations, the flexible
customization of slices to meet their respective service needs and which can be used in
an end-to-end network slicing setting. Third, we focus on the use case of multi-tenancy
in a neutral-host indoors small-cell environment, where we design Iris, a system that
builds on the capabilities of FlexRAN and Orion and introduces a dynamic pricing
mechanism for the efficient and flexible allocation of shared spectrum to the tenants.
A number of additional use cases that highlight the benefits of the developed systems
are also presented. The lessons learned through this research are summarized and a
discussion is made on interesting topics for future work in this domain. The prototype
systems presented in this thesis have been made publicly available and are being used
by various research groups worldwide in the context of 5G research.
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Reliability assessment of distribution networks incorporating regulator requirements, generic network equivalents and smart grid functionalities
Muhammad Ridzuan, Mohd Ikhwan Bin (The University of Edinburgh, 2017-07-10)Over the past decades, the concepts and methods for reliability assessment have evolved from analysing the ability of individual components to operate without faults and as intended during their lifetime, into the ... -
Resource management in future mobile networks: from millimetre-wave backhauls to airborne access networks
Li, Rui (The University of Edinburgh, 2019-07-01)The next generation of mobile networks will connect vast numbers of devices and support services with diverse requirements. Enabling technologies such as millimetre-wave (mm-wave) backhauling and network slicing allow ... -
Automated distribution network planning with active network management
Conner, Steven (The University of Edinburgh, 2017-11-30)Renewable energy generation is becoming a major part of energy supply, often in the form of distributed generation (DG) connected to distribution networks. While growth has been rapid, there is awareness that limitations ...