and configurations. The SMO framework needs this to enable intelligent decisions about resource allocation and associated orchestration to improve efficiency and First, register each O-Cloud environment to identify the O-Cloud capabilities, resources, and location. Second, initialize the O-Cloud’s services, allowing the O-Cloud to prepare itself for serving RAN functions and applications, such as loading software, configuring hardware, and starting specific services. Finally, use the O-RAN O2 interface to initiate communication between the RAN and the SMO.

As resources, capabilities, and operational states change, the O-RAN O-Cloud inventory update function communicates changes in its inventory to make sure that the SMO always has the latest information. By understanding the real-time state and configuration of the O-Cloud resources, the SMO can intelligently manage and optimize network performance, as well as identify potential problems such as resource failures, configuration errors, or performance bottlenecks.

The O-Cloud registration and initialization function and the O-Cloud inventory update play a crucial role in unlocking the full potential of Open RAN. By enabling multi-cloud application orchestration across diverse O-Cloud environments, MNOs can empower seamless onboarding, efficient resource management, increased flexibility, and a more open and innovative RAN ecosystem. Together, these benefits translate to improved fault management, network performance, cost optimization, and ultimately a better user experience for mobile network subscribers.

Home in on QoE

As 5G adoption continues to grow rapidly, the stakes could not be higher for service providers worldwide, driving the need for innovative new ways to improve service quality. With the combination of the O-Cloud registration and initialization function and inventory updates, operators can ensure that up-to-date O-Cloud information is available to the orchestrator prior to resource allocation. This accuracy helps MNOs perform a type of mobile network orchestration called application homing.

This capability allows the SMO to select the O-Cloud with the most appropriate latency, throughput, and cost performance for a specific application. Application homing can automatically improve quality of experience (QoE) for subscribers and deliver improved application performance. That improvement may even contribute to reducing the battery consumption of end-user devices. MNOs also can use application homing to increase network efficiency, enhance service differentiation, and reduce network congestion.

For example, during the 2023 global O-RAN Plugfest organized by the O-RAN ALLIANCE, application homing was demonstrated across interoperable, Open RAN solutions using the defined O-RAN O2 interface specification. This O-Cloud orchestration test used two Wind River O-Cloud platforms — one supporting a low-latency operating system (OS) and the other supporting a standard OS.

During the test, the SMO successfully deployed an application requiring a low-latency OS on the O-Cloud meeting the latency requirements, while an application with no specific OS requirements was automatically deployed on the O-Cloud with a standard OS.

Both tests successfully demonstrated resource orchestration between clouds, proving the potential for SMO and standards-based infrastructure management and inventory retrieval and updates. In addition, the tests demonstrated multi-vendor RAN interoperability using the defined O-RAN O2 specifications.

As a result of this demonstration, the O-RAN Plugfest team made several observations about best practices for enhanced RAN interoperability and standardization in the O-RAN ecosystem. The team suggested that developers expose standard capabilities to the Open RAN SMO and assign separate attributes to certificates and tokens in REST messages. These recommendations help advance standardized capabilities, allowing for easier integration and understanding of security measures across different systems.

Tame Network Complexity

Advanced network automation is no longer a ”nice-to-have” feature. Rather, it’s imperative for today’s mobile networks to keep pace with evolving infrastructure, escalating service demands and fierce competition. As the RAN becomes increasingly cloudified, the network is infused with ever greater agility, intelligence, and performance. The O-RAN O-Cloud is a key component in this evolution toward more flexible, programmable, and interoperable radio access networks.

With an accurate understanding of managed O-Cloud instances and their infrastructure inventory and associated capabilities, MNOs can leverage intelligent multi-cloud application orchestration across diverse O-Cloud environments to ensure the most appropriate use of compute, storage, and networking capabilities in each environment. This not only optimizes application resource allocation and orchestration across O-Clouds, but also enables advanced automated network operations and optimization in cloud-native 5G networks, reducing complexity, enhancing RAN resilience and scalability, and significantly improving performance and efficiency.