THIS IS A DRAFT VERSION and has not been discussed yet in the project meeting (planned for Oct-8) nor in TOC (Planned for Oct-9).
The near-RT RIC Platform is a software based near‐real‐time micro‐service‐based platform for hosting micro-service-based applications - the xApps - that run on the near-RT RIC platform. xApps are not part of the RIC platform and developed in projects that are separate from the near-RT RIC platform project. The near-RT RIC platform is providing xApps the infrastructure for controlling a distributed collection of RAN base stations (eNB, gNB, CU, DU) in a region via the O-RAN alliance's E2 protocol ("southbound"). As part of this infrastructure it also provides "northbound" interfaces for operators: the A1 and O1 interfaces. Using the O-RAN alliance's A1 interface operators can express their intent for the network behavior and collect feedback on the implementation status of this intent. The RIC platform also is to implement the O-RAN alliance's O1 management interface primarily integrating FCAPS capabilities with ONAP. The near-RT-RIC platform provides mediation for both the E2, A1, and O1 interfaces between the xApps and the RAN elements (E2), and between the xApps and the operator (A1, O1), respectively. xApps use the services of the RIC platform.
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