Non-RT RIC

Summary

The Non-RealTime RIC (RAN Intelligent Controller) is an Orchestration and Automation function described by the O-RAN Alliance for non-real-time intelligent management of RAN (Radio Access Network) functions.

The primary goal of the Non-RealTime RIC is to support non-real-time radio resource management, higher layer procedure optimization, policy optimization in RAN, and providing guidance, parameters, policies and AI/ML models to support the operation of near-RealTime RIC functions in the RAN to achieve higher-level non-real-time objectives.

Non-RealTime RIC functions include service and policy management, RAN analytics and model-training for the near-RealTime RICs. The Non-RealTime RIC platform hosts and coordinates rApps (Non-RT RIC applications) to perform Non-RealTime RIC tasks. The Non-RealTime RIC also hosts the new R1 interface (between rApps and SMO/Non-RealTime-RIC services).

The O-RAN-SC (OSC) NONRTRIC project provides concepts, architecture and reference implementations as defined and described by the O-RAN Alliance architecture. The OSC NONRTRIC implementation communicates with near-RealTime RIC elements in the RAN via the A1 interface. Using the A1 interface the NONRTRIC will facilitate the provision of policies for individual UEs or groups of UEs; monitor and provide basic feedback on policy state from near-RealTime RICs; provide enrichment information as required by near-RealTime RICs; and facilitate ML model training, distribution and inference in cooperation with the near-RealTime RICs.

Find detailed description of the NONRTRIC project see the O-RAN SC NONRTRIC Project Wiki.

NONRTRIC components

These are the components that make up the Non-RT-RIC:

• Non-RT-RIC Control Panel. Documentation site.

• Information Coordinator Service. Documentation site.

• A1 Policy Management Service. Documentation site.

• A1 Policy Controller / Adapter.

• Near-RT RIC A1 Simulator. Documentation site.

• Non-RT-RIC (Spring Cloud) Service Gateway.

• Non-RT-RIC (Kong) Service Exposure Prototyping.

• DMaaP/Kafka Information Producer Adapters. Documentation site adapter. Documentation site mediator.

• Initial Non-RT-RIC App Catalogue. Documentation site.

• Initial K8S Helm Chart LCM Manager. Documentation site.

• Authentication Support. Documentation site.

• Service Management & Exposure (SME). Documentation site.

• Test Framework.

• Use Cases:

  • “Helloworld” O-RU Fronthaul Recovery use case. Documentation site.

  • “Helloworld” O-DU Slice Assurance use case. Documentation site.

Non-RT-RIC Control Panel / NONRTRIC Dashboard

Graphical user interface.

• View and Manage A1 policies in the RAN (near-RT-RICs)

• Graphical A1 policy creation/editing is model-driven, based on policy type’s JSON schema

• View and manage producers and jobs for the Information coordinator service

• Configure A1 Policy Management Service (e.g. add/remove near-rt-rics)

• Interacts with the A1-Policy Management Service & Information Coordination Service (REST NBIs) via Service Exposure gateway

Implementation:

• Frontend: Angular framework

• Repo: portal/nonrtric-controlpanel

• Wiki to set up in your local environment.

• Documentation at the NONRTRIC-Portal documentation site.

Information Coordination Service

The ICS is a data subscription service which decouples data producers from data consumers. A data consumer can create a data subscription (Information Job) without any knowledge of its data producers (one subscription may involve several data producers). A data producer has the ability to produce one or several types of data (Information Type). One type of data can be produced by zero to many producers.

A data consumer can have several active data subscriptions (Information Job). One Information Job consists of the type of data to produce and additional parameters, which may be different for different data types. These parameters are not defined or limited by this service.

Maintains a registry of: - Information Types / schemas - Information Producers - Information Consumers - Information Jobs

The service is not involved in data delivery and hence does not put restrictions on this.

Implementation:

• Implemented as a Java Spring Boot application.

• Repo: nonrtric/plt/informationcoordinatorservice.

• Documentation at the Information Coordination Service site.

A1 Policy Management Service (from ONAP CCSDK)

A1 Controller Service above A1 Controller/Adapter that provides:

• Unified REST & DMaaP NBI APIs for managing A1 Policies in all near-RT-RICs.

  • Query A1 Policy Types in near-RT-RICs.

  • Create/Query/Update/Delete A1 Policy Instances in near-RT-RICs.

  • Query Status for A1 Policy Instances.

Maintains (persistent) cache of RAN’s A1 Policy information.

• Support RAN-wide view of A1 Policy information.

• Streamline A1 traffic.

• Enable (optional) re-synchronization after inconsistencies / near-RT-RIC restarts.

• Supports a large number of near-RT-RICs (& multi-version support).

• Converged ONAP & O-RAN-SC A1 Adapter/Controller functions in ONAP SDNC/CCSDK (Optionally deploy without A1 Adapter to connect direct to near-RT-RICs).

• Support for different Southbound connectors per near-RT-RIC - e.g. different A1 versions, different near-RT-RIC version, different A1 adapter/controllers supports different or proprietary A1 controllers/EMSs.

Implementation:

• Implemented as a Java Spring Boot application.

• Wiki: A1 Policy Management Service in ONAP .

• Repo: nonrtric/plt/a1policymanagementservice.

• Documentation at the A1 Policy Management Service documentation site.

A1/SDNC Controller & A1 Adapter (Controller plugin)

Mediation point for A1 interface termination in SMO/NONRTRIC.

• Implemented as CCSDK OSGI Feature/Bundles.

• A1 REST southbound.

• RESTCONF Northbound.

• NETCONF YANG > RESTCONF adapter.

• SLI Mapping logic supported.

• Can be included in an any controller based on ONAP CCSDK.

Implementation:

• Repo: nonrtric/plt/sdnca1controller

• Wiki: A1 Adapter/Controller Functions in ONAP .

A1 Interface / Near-RT-RIC Simulator

Stateful A1 test stub.

• Used to create multiple stateful A1 providers (simulated near-rt-rics).

• Supports A1-Policy and A1-Enrichment Information.

• Swagger-based northbound interface, so easy to change the A1 profile exposed (e.g. A1 version, A1 Policy Types, A1-E1 consumers, etc).

• All A1-AP versions supported.

Implementation:

• Implemented as a Python application.

• Repo: sim/a1-interface.

• Documentation at the A1 Simulator documentation site.

Non-RT-RIC (Spring Cloud) Service Gateway

Support Apps to use A1 Services.

• Spring Cloud Gateway provides the library to build a basic API gateway.

• Exposes A1 Policy Management Service & Information Coordinator Service.

• Additional predicates can be added in code or preferably in the Gateway yaml configuration.

Implementation:

• Implemented as a Java Spring Cloud application.

• Repo: portal/nonrtric-controlpanel.

Non-RT-RIC (Kong) Service Exposure Prototyping

Support Apps to use NONRTRIC, SMO and other App interfaces. A building block for coming releases as the R1 Interface concept matures .

• Support dynamic registration and exposure of service interfaces to Non-RT-RIC applications (& NONRTRIC Control panel).

• Extends a static gateway function specifically for NONRTRIC Control panel (described above).

• Initial version based on Kong API Gateway function.

• Initial exposure candidates include A1 (NONRTRIC) services & O1 (OAM/SMO) services.

NONRTRIC Kubernetes deployment - including Kong configurations can be found in the OSC it/dep Gerrit repo.

DMaaP/Kafka Information Producer Adapters

Configurable mediators to take information from DMaaP and Kafka and present it as a coordinated Information Producer.

These mediators/adapters are generic information producers, which register themselves as information producers of defined information types in Information Coordination Service (ICS). The information types are defined in a configuration file. Information jobs defined using ICS then allow information consumers to retrieve data from DMaaP MR or Kafka topics (accessing the ICS API).

There are two alternative implementations to allow Information Consumers to consume DMaaP or Kafka events as coordinated Information Jobs.

Implementation:

• Implementation in Java Spring (DMaaP Adapter), repo: nonrtric/plt/dmaapadapter, see DMaaP Adapter documentation site.

• Implementation in Go (DMaaP Mediator Producer), repo: nonrtric/plt/dmaapmediatorproducer, see DMaaP Mediator Producer documentation site.

Initial Non-RT-RIC App Catalogue

Register for Non-RT-RIC Apps.

• Non-RT-RIC Apps can be registered / queried.

• Limited functionality/integration for now.

• More work required in coming releases as the rApp concept matures.

Implementation:

• Implemented as a Java Spring Boot application.

• Repo: nonrtric/plt/rappcatalogue

• Documentation at the rApp Catalogue documentation site.

Initial K8S Helm Chart LCM Manager

Onboard, start, stop, and modify Non-RT-RIC App µServices as Helm Charts. A building block for coming releases as the R-APP concept matures.

• Interfaces that accepts Non-RT-RIC App µServices Helm Charts.

• Support basic LCM operations.

• Onboard, Start, Stop, Modify, Monitor.

• Initial version co-developed with v. similar functions in ONAP.

• Limited functionality/integration for now.

Implementation:

• Implemented as a Java Spring Boot application.

• Repo: nonrtric/plt/helmmanager

• Documentation at the Helm Manager documentation site.

Service Management and Exposure

An initial implementation of the CAPIF Core service. It implements the following CAPIF APIs:

• API Provider Management

• Publish Service

• Discover Service

• API Invoker Management

• Security

• Events

Implementation:

• Implemented in Go

• Repo: nonrtric/plt/sme

• Documentation at the Service Management & Exposure (SME) documentation site.

Authentication Support

The auth-token-fetch provides support for authentication. It is intended to be used as a sidecar and does the authentication procedure, gets and saves the access token in the local file system. This includes refresh of the token before it expires. This means that the service only needs to read the token from a file.

It is tested using Keycloak as authentication provider.

So, a service just needs to read the token file and for instance insert it in the authorization header when using HTTP. The file needs to be re-read if it has been updated.

The auth-token-fetch is configured by the following environment variables.

• CERT_PATH - the file path of the cert to use for TSL, example: security/tls.crt

• CERT_KEY_PATH - the file path of the private key file for the cert, example: “security/tls.key”

• ROOT_CA_CERTS_PATH - the file path of the trust store.

• CREDS_GRANT_TYPE - the grant_type used for authentication, example: client_credentials

• CREDS_CLIENT_SECRET - the secret/private shared key used for authentication

• CREDS_CLIENT_ID - the client id used for authentication

• OUTPUT_FILE - the path where the fetched authorization token is stored, example: “/tmp/authToken.txt”

• AUTH_SERVICE_URL - the URL to the authentication service (Keycloak)

• REFRESH_MARGIN_SECONDS - how long in advance before the authorization token expires it is refreshed

Test Framework

A full test environment with extensive test cases/scripts can be found in the test directory in the nonrtric source code.

Non-RT-RIC Use Cases

“Helloworld” O-RU Fronthaul Recovery use case

A very simplified closed-loop rApp use case to re-establish front-haul connections between O-DUs and O-RUs if they fail. Not intended to to be ‘real-world’.

Implementation:

• One version implemented in Python, one in Go as an Information Coordination Service Consumer, and one as an apex policy.

• Repo: nonrtric/rapp/orufhrecovery

• Documentation at the O-RU Fronthaul Recovery documentation site.

“Helloworld” O-DU Slice Assurance use case

A very simplified closed-loop rApp use case to re-prioritize a RAN slice’s radio resource allocation priority if sufficient throughput cannot be maintained. Not intended to to be ‘real-world’.

Implementation:

• One version implemented in Go as a micro service, one in Go as an Information Coordination Service Consumer.

• Repo: nonrtric/rapp/ransliceassurance

• Documentation at the O-DU Slice Assurance documentation site.

Developer Guide

This document provides a quickstart for developers of the Non-RT RIC parts.

Additional developer guides are available on the O-RAN SC NONRTRIC Developer wiki.

Kubernetes deployment

Non-RT RIC can be also deployed in a Kubernetes cluster, it/dep repository. hosts deployment and integration artifacts. Instructions and helm charts to deploy the Non-RT-RIC functions in the OSC NONRTRIC integrated test environment can be found in the ./nonrtric directory.

For more information on installation of NonRT-RIC in Kubernetes, see Deploy NONRTRIC in Kubernetes.

For more information see Integration and Testing documentation in the O-RAN-SC.

API-Docs

Descriptions of the APIs to the Non-RT RIC functions can be found in the repos for the functions.

• DMaaP Mediator Producer API Docs.

• Helm Manager API Docs.

• A1 Policy Management Service API Docs.

• Information Coordinator Service API Docs.

• rApp Catalogue API Docs.

Use Cases

To support the use cases defined for the Non-RT RIC, there are implementations provided in the Non RT-RIC project.

Health Check

The Health Check use case for the Non-RT RIC is a python script that regularly creates, reads, updates, and deletes a policy in all Near-RT RICs that support the type used by the script. A self refreshing web page provides a view of statistics for these regular checks.

For more information about it, see the README file in repo.

O-RU Front-Haul Recovery

This use case is a non-real-world closed-loop use case to demonstrate automated recovery when the front-haul connection between an O-DU and O-RU is reset. An application in the NONRTRIC senses the fault from the O-RU (O1-FM) and initiates a NETCONF reset operation (O1-CM) using the OAM controller. More details about the use case can be found on the O-RAN SC wiki: RSAC and OAM.

Non-RT RIC provides multiple implementation versions of the recovery part of the use case. One in the form of a python script, one utilizing the ONAP Policy Framework, and one Go version that utilizes Information Coordination Service (ICS).

The code is available in the use case repo

Standalone Script Solution

The script version consists of a python script that performs the tasks needed for the use case. There are also two simulators. One message generator that generates alarm messages, and one SDN-R simulator that receives the config change messages sent from the script and responds with alarm cleared messages to MR.

All parts are Dockerized and can be started as individual containers, in the same network, in Docker.

ONAP Policy Solution

There is also another solution for performing the front-haul recovery that is based on ONAP Policy Framework. A TOSCA Policy has been created that listens to DMaaP Message Router, makes a decision on an appropriate remedy and then signals the decision as a configuration change message via REST call to the OAM controller.

There is a docker-compose available in the nonrtric repo for bringing up the complete standalone version of ONAP Policy Framework.

The detailed instructions for deploying and running this policy are provided in the wiki.

ICS Consumer Solution

The ICS Consumer solution is implemented in Go and instead of polling MR itself, it registers as a consumer of the “STD_Fault_Messages” job in ICS.

O-DU Slice Assurance

A very simplified closed-loop rApp use case to re-prioritize a RAN slice’s radio resource allocation priority if sufficient throughput cannot be maintained. Not intended to to be ‘real-world’.

The Go implementation of the solution can be found in this link.

Requirements for the Non-RT RIC project

Find detailed description of what Non-RT RIC is on this page.

The NONRTRIC project (and the O-RAN Non-RealTime RIC function) can be considered from a number of different viewpoints. This page presents some of these views:

Scope 1: A1 Controller (Mediator, Endpoint)

• Southbound: Provide termination point for A1 interface(s) - REST endpoint for messages to/from Near-RealTime RIC

• Northbound: Provide a more generic interface for A1 operations - provide interface to rApps, without the need for A1 message generation, addressing, coordination, mediation, etc.

• O1 interfaces do not terminate in NONRTRIC function (but may terminate in same controller host/instance)

Scope 2: Coordinate/Host A1 Policy Management Services

• Map high level RAN goal/intent directives to finely-scoped A1 Policies towards individual Near-RT RIC instances

• Informed by observed RAN context (provided over O1 via OAM functions), and other external context (via other SMO functions)

• Dynamically coordinate life cycles of A1 Policies in individual Near-RT RICs as contexts change

Scope 3: Coordinate ML/AI Models - In RAN (“E2 nodes” & Near-RT RICs) and NONRTRIC (future)

• Acts as model-training host

• May act as model-inference host (others: Near-RT RICs, “E2 nodes”)

• Dynamically coordinate ML/AI model lifecycle management (e.g. re-train, re-deploy, etc)

• Models are (always?) deployed over O1 interface

Scope 4: Enrichment Data Coordinator

• Additional context that is unavailable to Near-RT RICs (e.g. RAN data, SMO context, External context)

• Dynamically coordinate access and pass data to appropriate Near-RT RICs (e.g. for use in ML/AI model inference)

Scope 5: rApp Host & rApp Coordinator

• rApps may act as, or form part of, NONRTRIC- or SMO-level applications

• rApps, via rApp host function, may consume many other services - some from the NONRTRIC platform, some from the SMO platform, and some from other rApps

• Dynamically coordinate rApp lifecycle management

Scope 6: Provide R1 interface for rApps

• rApps may only consume services over the R1 interface (from NONRTRIC platform, or from SMO platform, or from other rApps)

• Platform services and services optionally provided by rApps must be exposed over the R1 Interface

• These services may be “standardized” R1 services or R1 extensions (some may be proprietary)

Installation Guide

Abstract

This document describes how to install the Non-RT RIC components, their dependencies and required system resources.

Software Installation and Deployment

Install with Docker

Docker compose files are provided, in the “docker-compose” folder, to install the components. Run the following command to start the components:

docker-compose -f docker-compose.yaml
  -f policy-service/docker-compose.yaml
  -f ics/docker-compose.yaml

The example above is just an example to start some of the components. For more information on running and configuring the functions can be found in the README file in the “docker-compose” folder, and on the wiki page

Install with Helm

Helm charts and an example recipe are provided in the it/dep repo, under “nonrtric”. By modifying the variables named “installXXX” in the beginning of the example recipe file, which components that will be installed can be controlled. Then the components can be installed and started by running the following command:

bin/deploy-nonrtric -f nonrtric/RECIPE_EXAMPLE/example_recipe.yaml

Release-Notes

This document provides the release notes for the release of the different parts of the Non-RT RIC.

Since release F the products has been moved to separate repos. The release notes for the products can now be found:

• Non-RT-RIC Control Panel.

• Information Coordinator Service.

• A1 Policy Management Service.

• Near-RT RIC A1 Simulator.

• DMaaP/Kafka Information Producer Adapters. DMaaPAdapter. DMaaP Mediator Producer.

• Non-RT-RIC App Catalogue.

• K8S Helm Chart LCM Manager.

• Auth Token Fetch.

• Service Management & Exposure (SME).

• Use Cases:

  • “Helloworld” O-RU Fronthaul Recovery use case.

  • “Helloworld” O-DU Slice Assurance use case.

Bronze

Project	Non-RT RIC
Repo/commit-ID	nonrtric/2466f9d370214b578efedd1d3e38b1de17e6ca1c
Release designation	Bronze
Release date	2020-06-18
Purpose of the delivery	Improved stability

Bronze Maintenance

Project	Non-RT RIC
Repo/commit-ID	nonrtric/5d4f252a530a0d9abbf2a363354c5e56e8f2f33e
Release designation	Bronze
Release date	2020-07-29
Purpose of the delivery	Introduce configuration of certificates

Cherry

Project	Non-RT RIC
Repo/commit-ID	nonrtric/90ce16238dd6970153e1c0fbddb15e32c68c504f
Release designation	Cherry
Release date	2020-12-03
Purpose of the delivery	Introduction of Enrichment Service Coordinator and rAPP Catalogue

D

Project	Non-RT RIC
Repo/commit-ID	nonrtric/dd3ebfd784e96919a00ddd745826f8a8e074c66f
Release designation	D
Release date	2021-06-23
Purpose of the delivery	Improvements Introduction of initial version of Helm Manager

D Maintenance

Project	Non-RT RIC
Repo/commit-ID	nonrtric/973ae56894fb29a929fba9e344cae42e7607087b
Release designation	D
Release date	2021-08-10
Purpose of the delivery	Minor bug fixes

E Release

Project	Non-RT RIC
Repo/commit-ID	nonrtric/b472c167413a55a42fc7bfa08d2138f967a204fb
Release designation	E
Release date	2021-12-13
Purpose of the delivery	Improvements and renaming. Introduction of more usecase implementations.

E Maintenance Release

Project	Non-RT RIC
Repo/commit-ID	nonrtric/4df1f9ca4cd1ebc21e0c5ea57bcb0b7ef096d067
Release designation	E
Release date	2022-02-09
Purpose of the delivery	Improvements and bug fixes

F Release

Project	Non-RT RIC
Repo/commit-ID	nonrtric/3db8626c0900dc391b8e810541de9761c78043d8
Release designation	F
Release date	2022-08-18
Purpose of the delivery	First version of nonrtric-plt-auth-token-fetch