Primary Goals for Non-RealTime RAN Intelligent Controller (Non-RT-RIC)

• The primary goal of Non-RT RIC is to support intelligent RAN optimization by providing policy-based guidance, ML model management and enrichment information to the near-RT RIC function so that the RAN can optimize, e.g., RRM under certain conditions.
• It can also perform intelligent radio resource management function in non-real-time interval (i.e., greater than 1 second).
• Non-RT RIC can use data analytics and AI/ML training/inference to determine the RAN optimization actions for which it can leverage SMO services such as data collection and provisioning services of the O-RAN nodes.
• Non-RT-RIC will define and coordinate rApps (Non-RT-RIC applications) to perform Non-RT-RIC tasks.
• Non-RT-RIC will host the A1 interface (between NONRTRIC & near-RT RICs )
• Non-RT-RIC will also host the new R1 interface (between rApps and SMO/NONRTRIC services)

Overall objective for the F Release

In the F Release we focus mainly on prototyping building blocks to support Non-RT-RIC Apps ("rApps") and R1 interface concepts from O-RAN. For the R1 interface we will focus on enabling Service Management & Exposure (R1-SME), and demonstrating Data Management & Exposure (R1-DME).
 

F Release Priorities

• Study & prototype Coordinated Service Exposure (SE)

  • Continue SE contribution building on the manual approaches already studied/completed.
  • Create/apply K8S configurations to isolate platform services and rApp microservices, then configure controlled secure access between service
  • Prototype CAPIF compliant API for Service/rApp registration/discovery, and service provider/consumer registration/configuration

• Data Management & Exposure (DME):

  • Pre-spec O1 PM via pre-spec R1 DME demo
  • Configure & connect to PM data - collected by SMO (ONAP)
  • Collect, Filter & Coordinate Delivery of PM data from DMaaP/Kafka to rApps over R1 (ICS)

• General activities

  • Continue to provide spec-compliant implementation of A1-Policy & A1-EI functions
  • NONRTRIC source-code repository re-organization
  • Continue to integrate and deploy SMO/NONRTRIC platform/rApps in OSC integration environment.
  • Continue to expand NONRTRIC test platform & testsets
  • Show various versions rApps implemented/deployed as holistic “Automation Compositions” (ref ONAP ACM)
  • Continue to provide & integrate strawman rApps to comply with OSC RSAC integration usecases.

F Release Feature Scope

• NONRTRIC Functions:
  
  • OSC Information Coordinator (controller – Data Management & Exposure & A1 Enrichment Information (A1-EI) Job management)
  • OSC Non-RT-RIC Control Panel (GUI – for A1-P & A1-EI Job management)
  • OSC A1 Simulator (a stateful test stub to simulate near-RT-RIC end of A1 interface – A1-P & A1-EI)
  • Initial OSC APP catalog (for registering/querying APPs)
  • K8S Helm Chart LCM Manager - for APP µServices etc. (ONAP & OSC)
  • Exposure Gateway Functions
  • Coordinated service exposure for R1 interface
  • DMaaP/Kafka → Information Producer Mediator
  • Integrated A1 Adapter from ONAP (A1 Policy (A1-P) controller – mediation)
  • Integrated A1 Policy Management Service from ONAP (A1 Policy (A1-P) controller)
  • Manager for rApps / Automation Composition Manager (ONAP & OSC)