2016 ASOCS Ltd. Confidential

Overcoming RAN Virtualization Challenges to Realize NFV and MEC at the Edge!Eran Bello, CMOThe 2nd Academia and Industry Research Event: Challenges in Network Functions Virtualization

March 3rd, 2016

2 Confidential

The Cellular Carriers Customers …are expanding into new verticals and use cases!

3 Confidential

New Requirements introduce New RAN ChallengesThe significance of a virtualized PHY/L1

4 Confidential

RAN Virtualization: Decoupling Hardware and Software Every layer, all functions

5 Confidential

Traditional dRAN: Distributed RAN

Backhaul TransportEPC to Baseband

SAME Appliances:

• Non-agile

• High CAPEX

Centralization:

• Improved scalability

• Improved OPEX

Distributed Base Station Baseband and RRH at Cell sites

Fronthaul Transport Baseband to RRH CPRIover Fiber

EPC

6 Confidential

Virtual EPC and Gi-LAN: One Platform, One MANO, All Network Functions

EPC

ETSI NFV Framework

* www.opnfv.org/software/technical-overview

EPC and Gi-LAN Virtualization Require

• Virtualization of many to all functions

• Competing vendor interoperability

• Problematic business case for virtual appliances

• One Infrastructure and MANO Platform for all

• Long evaluation process to choose the right one

• Challenge to switch to a different solution

7 Confidential

Moving to cRAN: Centralized RAN with ‘Base Station Hoteling’

SAME Appliances:

• Non-agile

• High CAPEX

Centralization:

• Improved scalability

• Improved OPEX

EPC

Backhaul Transport

Fronthaul Transport Baseband to RRH: CPRI over Fiber Centralized

Base Station Baseband inLocal/central office

The Centralization of Base Station Baseband

8 Confidential

RAN Virtualization: Starting with the End-Goal in Mind!

Air-interface agnostic

IT Type Gear

Centralization and Virtualization

Max agility

Max scalability

Low CAPEX

Low OPEXBackhaul Transport

Fronthaul Transport Baseband to RRH: CPRI over Fiber

Virtualized Baseband Pool

EPC

Complete RAN Virtualization: From Campus to Mega-scale

9 Confidential

Metro-vRAN: Overcoming Today and Tomorrow’s Fronthaul Challenges

Backhaul Transport

Fronthaul Transport Baseband to RRH: CPRI over Fiber

EPC

The end of the cell Moving to virtual cells

Virtualized Baseband Pool

Virtualized Baseband Pool

Air-interface agnostic

IT Type Gear

Centralization and Virtualization

Max agility

Max scalability

Low CAPEX

Low OPEX

10 Confidential

Mini-vRAN: Virtualizing In-Building/Campus Radio Access Networks

Backhaul Transport

EPC

Moving to Distributed Radio Antenna System (DRAS)

Virtualized Baseband PoolVirtualized

Baseband Pool

Neutral Host, wide Band

IT Type Gear

Air-interface agnostic

Centralization and Virtualization

Max agility

Max scalability

Low CAPEX

Low OPEX

Fronthaul Transport Baseband to RRH: CPRI over Fiber

11 Confidential

Realizing NFV and MEC at the Network Edge: One Island at a Time!

Direct interface between vBS and digital Distributed Antenna System (DAS)

Deploying vBS at the edge enables other NFV VNF to migrate from core to premise

(vEPC, vIMS, vCDN, vSecurity, vMonitoring, etc)

vCDNvBSvEPC vSEC

12 Confidential

Fully Virtualized RAN at the In-Building/Campus Network Edge

• All software layers are running in VMs on Intel® Xeon Processors in NFV architecture

• L1 VM is accelerated via a Modem Processing Unit (MPU) Hardware Acceleration (HWA)

• Digital interface between virtual Base Station (vBS) and digital DAS

13 Confidential

ASOCS L1 HWA: Hardware Accelerator Connectivity

• Server Attached HWA Topology

• HWA is plugged into the server PCIe slot over PCIe bus

• Dedicated resource serving a specific server

• Network Attached HWA Architecture

• HWA is connected to the server through ETH interface

• Shared resource serving a cluster of standard servers

CPRI/ETHRRU

L1 ACC

vNFC

vNFC

VM on x86

L1

vNFC

VFs on HWA VMs on CPU

PCIe

ETH

14 Confidential

Network Attached HWA in SDN Network

• Shared resource serving a cluster of standard servers

• Leverage SDN to set priority and latency requirements

10/40/100Gbps

vRAN Front-haul Switchwith L1 ACC

Rack 1

L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 L1CPRI to ETH

None Blocking Switch

CPRI/ETH

10/40/100Gbps

vRAN Front-haul Switchwith L1 ACC

Rack n

L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 L1 L1CPRI to ETH

None Blocking Switch

CPRI/ETH

10x10Gbps 10x10Gbps

10x10Gbps 10x10Gbps

Fat-tree SDN Switch Network

ToR

Aggregation

RRU

VM VM

L1

L1L1

L2/L3L2/L3L2/L3

VFs on HWA

VM VM

RRU

VFs on HWA

L1L1L1L2/L3

L2/L3L2/L3

15 Confidential

ETSI ISG NFV Compute Domain: Disaggregation Model

• Definition: CPU blades / chassis are separated from the NIC / Accelerator blades / chassis and Storage blades / chassis

• Sharing accelerator resources across many computing blades

• Providing improved amortization of traditionally expensive components

• Resource can be upgraded or scaled independently

• Increases lifespan for each resource

• Enables IT managers to replace specific resource

• Thermal efficiency opportunities

• Allowing more optimal component placement within a rack

16 Confidential

L1/PHY Virtualization via Network Attached Hardware Acceleration (HWA)

• Ability to aggregate and disaggregate resources on the fly and on demand based on needs/scenario at the PHY level!

• vBS Compute and HWA resources orchestrated through NFV MANO system

• VMs and PEs are allocated per vBS needs

• Independent Virtual MPUs

• Total Isolation of each vBS to otherFEC PEs

Host Interface

Memory Bank

CPRI IF CPRI IF

vBS0

Host Interface

L1 Control

L2

L3

FAPI

FAPI

MPL Driver

VM

VM

VM

vBSN-1

Host Interface

L1 Control

L2

L3

FAPI

FAPI

MPL Driver

VM

VM

VM

vBSn

Host Interface

L1 Control

L2

L3

FAPI

FAPI

MPL Driver

VM

VM

VM

i/Q

CPRI IF

i/Qi/Q

Re-Arrange FFT PEs DFT PEs Arithmetic PEs Logic PEs

vBS0vBSN-1 vBSn

MPU

17 Confidential

Modem Processing Unit: The “Bottom of Rack” Hardware Acceleration Device

The Ability to create vBS per need “detached” from resource limitations creates degrees of freedom to address:

1. Resource Pooling Gain2. Enhanced Performance3. Frontal Range/Latency4. Guaranteed Upgradability

18 Confidential

RAN Virtualization: Latency Challenges

• Requires meeting an end to end latency: Worst case matter!

• Every 5u sec means 1Km transport: Distance matter!

• Transforming IT to deterministic, high performance, low latency machine made possible!

19 Confidential

Utilizing SR-IOV and DPDK to enable Real-time on COTS (ROC)

• Data Plane Development Kit (DPDK) is a set of data plane libraries and network interface controller drivers for fast packet processing

• SR-IOV allows a device, such as a network adapter, to separate access to its resources among various PCIe hardware functions

• “Performance for SR-IOV in VM nearly identical to bare-metal performance in host OS”

* HP @ DPDK Summit, August 2015

20 Confidential

RAN Virtualization: Enhanced Spectrum Efficiency in addition to all NFV Benefits!

• CoMP: Coordinated Multi-Point transmission/reception

• Improves coverage, cell-edge throughput and spectral efficiency

• Enables ~30% increase in spectrum efficiency

• Requires high throughput, low latency mesh network

• Virtual RAN is a native platform for CoMP

Select U.S. Spectrum Valuation Precedents ($ / MHz-POP) Cell-Average Spectral Efficiency

CMRI C-RAN WP v3.0

21 Confidential

The Benefits of a Fully virtualized RANFrom 4G to 5G and beyond…

One platform fits all

Resource pooling gain

Enhanced performance

Future proof network

22 Confidential

Virtual RAN at the Metro & EdgeRealizing NFV at Scale!

Complete RAN Virtualization: Every Layer, all functions, any RRU

www.asocsnetworks.com

Thank You!