VIAVI on the Spring 2024 O-RAN PlugFest

Collaborating in its eighth consecutive O-RAN Alliance World PlugFest, VIAVI as soon as once more contributed its complete Open RAN testing suite and experience to validate new merchandise, specs and use circumstances at 9 labs throughout six nations.

These PlugFests symbolize necessary, sensible steps in creating the constructing blocks that may rework the community’s future. Radio testing is extra vital than ever – as demonstrated by the Nationwide Telecommunications and Data Administration (NTIA) Public Wi-fi Provide Chain Innovation Fund (PWSCIF) Second Discover of Funding Alternative (NOFO 2) – and VIAVI performs a key position in O-RU testing with options that cowl all the product lifecycle. Safety additionally takes heart stage as threats to networks and unhealthy actors proceed to develop.

This yr, VIAVI helps operators, OTICs and educational and analysis establishments ship achievements throughout 5 themes, which we have now outlined on this weblog.

O-RAN Power Consumption, Effectivity and Financial savings Testing

VIAVI participated in testing at 4 labs which efficiently accomplished O-RAN power financial savings use circumstances in several community situations, serving to to optimize RAN Whole Price of Possession (TCO) and contributing to sustainability targets.

As a result of O-RAN Radio Items (O-RU) eat the vast majority of energy in 5G RAN, NEMs and repair suppliers are prioritizing O-RU power effectivity with out sacrificing efficiency. VIAVI’s joint O-RU conformance check options with Rohde and Schwarz examined power effectivity use circumstances for ActionTec and LiteON O-RUs on the Auray OTIC and Safety Lab in Taiwan utilizing PRB 273/180/90 visitors eventualities.

At Nakao Lab in Tokyo College, VIAVI’s TeraVM RIC Take a look at was used to validate the conformance, interoperability and power financial savings of Rakuten Cellular and Rakuten Symphony’s Close to-RT RIC, Non-RT RIC, xApp, rApp and AI/ML Platform. VIAVI additionally validated the profitable integration of the Singapore College of Know-how and Design (SUTD) rApp with VMWare RIC, which demonstrated that clever visitors steering may assist cut back power consumption with out compromising consumer expertise. As well as, VIAVI validated a non-RT RIC which demonstrated power financial savings use case by way of O1 interface at a PlugFest hosted by LGU+.

Open Fronthaul Transport Testing with A number of O-RUs

The O-RU check resolution, a collaborative effort between VIAVI and Rohde and Schwarz, showcased uniform testing outcomes throughout a number of impartial laboratories, guaranteeing the reliability of exams throughout numerous labs and geographical areas. We now have successfully elevated the depend of interoperable configurations from a number of distributors below various setups and circumstances, increasing the vary of O-RAN options out there to cell operators.

Constant and Repeatable Open Fronthaul Testing in A number of Labs

 

Finish-to-end (E2E) testing of Open Air Interface O-DU and O-CU utilizing the VIAVI TM500 demonstrated repeatable outcomes throughout two OTIC labs: the College of New Hampshire Interoperability Lab (UNH-IOL) and Iowa State College North American OTIC in Central Iowa (ISU-ARA). Built-in DU / CU software program was efficiently put in and configured in each labs.

O-RAN System Testing with Layer 1 Acceleration

At CableLabs, VIAVI’s TM500 delivered E2E testing that verified its readiness to routinely deploy and configure Layer 1 accelerators. Individuals gained precious expertise on system integration of multi-vendor vDUs with look-aside L1 acceleration, in addition to vCU and 5G Core integration on 1U edge servers primarily based on AMD EPYC CPUs, AMD T2 Telco accelerator card and Pink Hat OpenShift Container Platform.

O-RAN E2E Deployment Templates, DevOps and Take a look at Automation

Quite a few use circumstances had been examined at Digital Catapult’s SONIC Labs: 7 E2E purposeful and efficiency testing, 6 E2E testing with emulated delay and 22 cybersecurity guide and automatic testing. Automated cybersecurity is a brand new sub-scenario that was not examined within the earlier PlugFest. Quite a few VIAVI options together with TM500, TeraVM Core Emulator, XhaulAdvisor and Open RAN Safety Take a look at server had been used.

Extra safety check was executed at CableLabs, which demonstrated:

• Excessive SCAS Automation Protection: The PlugFest check automation achieved 78% protection of gNB SCAS check circumstances associated to 3GPP features, showcasing a big development in automating gNB safety testing.
• Environment friendly Automation Execution: With 14 out of 18 gNB SCAS 3GPP purposeful check circumstances efficiently automated, execution demonstrated a 100% PASS price, indicating a dependable and efficient testing framework.
• Optimized Execution Time: The automation course of streamlined testing procedures with an approximate execution time of ~quarter-hour, highlighting the effectivity beneficial properties and potential for expedited testing cycles in future implementations.
• Take a look at Infrastructure Stability: The check infrastructure exhibited robustness with zero unplanned downtime, underscoring the reliability and resilience of the automated testing atmosphere.

As well as, VIAVI participated in a number of different PlugFests with exams starting from RIC conformance and interoperability, O-RU conformance, Close to-RT RIC battle mitigation and O-CU testing. For a full listing of VIAVI’s participation, go to our web site.

Since 2019, VIAVI has participated in additional than 100 World O-RAN PlugFest demos in 16 areas with 60 O-RAN distributors.