CN114007227A - Base station virtualization method, system and device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a virtualization method, a system and a device of a base station. Specifically disclosed is a base station virtualization method, which comprises the following steps: dividing a base station into a plurality of modules; judging whether each module is a high-stability module or a low-stability module; running one or more of the high stability modules, respectively, using one or more containers and running one or more of the low stability modules, respectively, using one or more secure containers on a virtualization platform.

Description

Base station virtualization method, system and device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of wireless network coverage, and more particularly, to a method and system for virtualizing a base station.

Background

With the continuous enhancement of software and hardware technologies and capabilities, various manufacturers and operators have also started to research wireless-side virtualization. In order to provide an application-oriented, open, flexible, low-cost and easy-to-maintain network, research on virtualization of a wireless access side network becomes a hotspot of research in the industry, and an existing telecommunication industry virtualization platform is mainly based on core network application and has a difference with the requirement of virtualization deployment of a Radio Access Network (RAN).

At present, the open source virtualization technology is more and more widely applied to the internet, and the container-based technology gradually becomes a trend, but the research and application of virtualization for RAN are still deficient, and a novel 5G extended base station can be realized based on a general server, so that a premise is provided for utilizing the open source virtualization technology.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to solve one or more of the above technical problems, the present invention provides a virtualization facility and a method for a 5G base station, which is a complete set of virtual deployment schemes for the 5G base station. The invention uses container technology, performs targeted operation and management for different 5G equipment function modules, and aims to provide a convenient and efficient virtualization framework for deploying relatively concentrated 5G coverage scenes for equipment.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a base station virtualization method is provided, including: dividing a base station into a plurality of modules; judging whether each module is a high-stability module or a low-stability module; running one or more of the high stability modules, respectively, using one or more containers and running one or more of the low stability modules, respectively, using one or more secure containers on a virtualization platform.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a base station virtualization system is provided, including: a memory storing computer-executable instructions; a processor configured to implement the method as described above when executing computer-executable instructions stored in the memory.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a base station virtualization apparatus is proposed, comprising means configured to perform the steps of the method as described above.

According to another aspect of the invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is presented storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, implement the method as described above.

Drawings

The present disclosure may be more clearly understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 illustrates a deployment of a radio access network according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a virtualization facility architecture according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of a method of base station virtualization according to one embodiment of the invention;

fig. 4 shows a schematic block diagram of a 5G base station according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

fig. 5 shows a flow diagram of a method for dynamically adjusting container usage during operation of a virtualized base station, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The relative arrangement of the components and steps, the numerical expressions, and numerical values set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure unless specifically stated otherwise.

The invention realizes the virtualization of the base station by deploying a general processor or a server with a certain scale to replace special base station hardware and virtualizing the hardware by utilizing a container technology.

A conventional base station is composed of an indoor baseband processing unit (BBU), a Radio Remote Unit (RRU), and an antenna. In a novel radio access network architecture, a plurality of BBUs of a plurality of base stations form a BBU hardware resource pool to control a plurality of distributed RRUs.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a certain-scale general-purpose processor or server is deployed to replace special BBU hardware, and a BBU hardware resource pool is virtualized by using a container technology, so that the cost is reduced. Fig. 1 illustrates a virtualized radio access network (vRAN) deployment in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. As shown in fig. 1, the BBU hardware pool is implemented as multiple vrans running on a virtualized platform and connected to distributed RRUs through hubs.

However, fig. 1 is merely an example. The method and the system can virtualize all parts of the base station which can be realized on a general-purpose processor, and are not limited to BBUs.

After a certain size of general-purpose processor or server is deployed, a virtualization platform is built thereon.

A virtualization platform according to one embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 illustrates a virtualization platform constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As shown, the virtualization platform mainly includes: an operating system; a container support structure; a safety container support structure; and a Kubernetes management platform. Thus, the virtualization platform of the present invention can support the operation of both containers and secure containers.

The operating system is preferably an open source operating system, including but not limited to a centOS.

The container may be any container known to those skilled in the art, such as a docker container. Containers can provide an isolated environment for applications at runtime as virtual machines, but differ from virtual machines in that containers share an operating system kernel. Thus, although the computing resources of a container are highly available, there is a gap in security, particularly isolation, compared to conventional virtual machines. In the case where a plurality of containers are running, when an application running in one container fails or is attacked, it is possible to affect applications running in other containers.

In consideration of the problems of the container, the virtualization platform provided by the invention can also support the operation of the safety container. The safety container may be any safety container known to those skilled in the art, such as kata-container. A secure container provides isolation, i.e., security, over a container by placing a virtual layer (vkernel) outside the container. Under the condition that the security container is running, if the running application program in the security container fails or is attacked, the application programs running in other containers or the security container are not affected; and if the application programs running in other containers fail or are attacked, the application programs running in the security container cannot be affected. However, secure containers are not as resource efficient as compared to containers. The extensive use of security containers will affect the efficiency of the entire network.

One container and one safety container are shown in fig. 2, which is merely an example. In practice, multiple containers and multiple security containers may be run simultaneously on the platform.

Next, a method of implementing virtualization of a base station on a virtualization platform is described with reference to fig. 3.

First, in step 301, a base station is divided into a plurality of different modules.

The division can be done in a number of ways. For example, the partitioning may be by protocol layer. In a preferred embodiment, the division may also be in terms of functions.

In a preferred embodiment, only the BBUs of the base stations are virtualized, so that only the BBUs need to be divided.

In the case of a 5G base station, the BBUs have been reconstructed as Central Units (CUs) and Distribution Units (DUs). In this case, the CU and DU may be further divided into: central unit-user plane (CU-UP) module, central unit-control plane (CU-CP) module, distribution unit module 1(DU1) and distribution unit module 2(DU 2). DU1 and DU2 are partitioned by Distribution Units (DUs), where DU1 contains no codec part and DU2 contains only codec part. An example of such a modular division is shown in fig. 4.

However, the illustration in fig. 4 is only an example, and the base stations may be divided in other manners.

Next, in step 302, the stability of each module is determined.

In one embodiment, each module is determined to be a high stability module or a low stability module based on whether the module is prone to failure during operation. When the probability of a module failing in operation is high, the stability of the module is considered to be low. On the contrary, when the probability of a module failing in operation is low, the stability of the module is considered to be high.

There may be a plurality of criteria for determining whether a module is susceptible to failure, the plurality of criteria including: whether updates are needed often, whether stateful services are provided, etc.

For example, a module may be determined to be a high stability module or a low stability module by determining how often it needs to be updated. In one embodiment, an update frequency threshold may be set (e.g., once per week) to determine whether the module is updated frequently. For example, a module with a higher update frequency than once per week may be considered a module that needs to be updated frequently and thus may be judged to be a low stability module, while a module with a lower update frequency than once per week may be considered a module that does not need to be updated frequently and thus may be judged to be a high stability module.

Furthermore, when a module is provided with a stateful service, the stability of the module may also be considered low. Stateful services are a concept as opposed to stateless services. Stateful services refer to services that store data information that is context-dependent for requests, which may be related in sequence. While stateless services do not rely on other requests for the processing of a single request by a client. Stateful services are more prone to failure than stateless services because they rely on other requests.

Whether each module is a high stability module or a low stability module can be judged according to the functions of each module by combining the judgment standards.

For example, in the partitioning example shown in fig. 4, a central unit-user plane (CU-UP) module involves transmission of application data of a user, provides a stateful service, and thus judges as a low stability module; while the central unit-control plane (CU-CP) module is involved in the transmission of signaling, providing stateless services and therefore being judged as a high stability module. Furthermore, the method is simple. The distribution unit module 1(DU1) does not include a codec part, relates to the operation of the MAC layer, provides a stateful service, and thus determines as a low stability module; and the distribution unit module 2(DU2) includes a codec part, provides a stateless service, and thus is determined to be a high stability module.

The same conclusion will be reached according to whether frequent updating is required. For example, both central unit-user plane (CU-UP) module and distributed unit module 1(DU1) update more frequently than once a week and are therefore low stability modules. Whereas central unit-control plane (CU-CP) modules and distributed unit module 2(DU2) often need to be updated only once a few weeks and are therefore high stability modules.

The two criteria of frequency of updates and whether or not a stateful service is provided may be used separately or in combination.

Preferably, the threshold for determining high stability and low stability may be set according to actual needs. For example, if computing resources are in short supply, the threshold may be set high so that only a small number of modules are determined to be low stability modules. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4, the threshold may be adjusted UP so that only the central unit-user plane (CU-UP) module is determined to be a low stability module, while the remaining three modules are all considered high stability modules.

Then, in step 303, one or more high stability modules are run in the one or more containers, respectively, and one or more low stability modules are run in the one or more safety containers, respectively. By combining the advantages of the container and the safety container, the safety of the module operation can be ensured, and the utilization efficiency of the computing resources can be optimized.

In order to further optimize resource utilization and improve safety, the invention also provides a method for monitoring the operation state in the operation process of the virtualization base station and dynamically adjusting the use of the container and the safety container according to the monitored operation state.

Fig. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a method for dynamically adjusting container usage during operation of a virtualized base station.

First, in step 501, one or more high stability modules operating in one or more vessels are simultaneously monitored.

In step 502, if a failure is detected in the operation of a module in a container, then the process proceeds to step 504, the failure is troubleshot, and the module is operated with the secure container instead, even though the module is a high stability module.

If no fault is detected, then a determination is made as to whether monitoring has been for the length of a threshold period of time, e.g., 24 hours, at step 503. If the threshold time period is not reached, monitoring continues. If the threshold period of time has been reached, monitoring is ended.

Preferably, the module that is instead run using the secure container is continuously monitored in step 504, and if no failure occurs again within the monitoring threshold period, the module may be run using the container instead.

This embodiment solves the following problems: although a priori judgment is made as to the stability of the module, the actual situation may not be in accordance with the judgment, resulting in improper use of the container or secure container for some modules. In this case, by adjusting the use of the container or the safety container according to the failure condition of the module in actual operation, it is possible to ensure that an appropriate container is used for each module, thereby ensuring the safety of operation.

In one embodiment, the vessel is monitored only during the period of initial operation of the vessel (e.g., within 24 hours of initial operation). Preferably, the module which is re-run after troubleshooting and the module which is just finished updating can be processed like the module which is initially run and monitored in a certain time period. Containers that have been safely operated for a certain length of time since their initial operation are no longer monitored. This is because the fault usually occurs at the initial running stage of the program, and the running of the program is monitored in a specific time period, so that unnecessary consumption of excessive resources can be avoided compared with the constant monitoring.

However, this is merely an example and the monitoring may be planned in other ways. For example, regularly on a weekly or monthly basis.

The use of the safety container may also be dynamically adjusted during monitoring.

In one embodiment, applications running with the secure container may all be run with the container when monitored during periods when the current entry is idle (e.g., at night). When the monitoring of the idle period ends or the busy period begins, the modules are changed back to operate using the safety container. This is because the traffic of the user is small at idle, and the operation of the program is not likely to fail, so that it is not necessary to use a secure container for the program at idle. This may avoid wasting computing resources.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a base station virtualization system comprising: a memory storing computer-executable instructions; a processor configured to implement the method as described above when executing computer-executable instructions stored in the memory.

Furthermore, according to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a base station virtualization apparatus including means configured to perform the steps of the method as described above. It should be understood that the components herein are merely logical blocks divided according to the specific functions implemented thereby, and are not intended to limit the specific implementation. In actual implementation, the devices may be implemented as separate physical entities, or may also be implemented by a single entity, e.g., a processor (CPU or DSP, etc.), an integrated circuit, etc.

Furthermore, according to yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, perform the method as described above. The computer readable storage medium may be any type of storage medium such as an optical storage device (e.g., compact disc, digital versatile disc, blu-ray disc, etc.) or a tape storage device (e.g., hard disk drive).

Compared with the prior art, the invention has the following technical effects:

1. at present, no scheme for realizing the virtualization platform for the wireless access network equipment is provided in the prior art, and the invention provides a set of complete virtualization platform design and use method for the wireless access network equipment.

2. The virtualization scheme of the invention adopts different implementation modes for different functional modules, monitors the state during operation and performs replacement by regular judgment according to strategies. Therefore, higher safety is realized, and the use efficiency of computing resources is considered.

By the aid of the system, the deployment period and capacity expansion requirements of the system can be effectively reduced, and 5G network coverage with different requirements can be realized.

The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims (13)

1. A base station virtualization method, comprising:

dividing a base station into a plurality of modules;

judging whether each module is a high-stability module or a low-stability module; and

running one or more of the high stability modules, respectively, using one or more containers and running one or more of the low stability modules, respectively, using one or more secure containers on a virtualization platform.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each module is determined to be a high stability module or a low stability module based on whether the module is susceptible to failure during operation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein,

when the module needs to be updated frequently and/or the module provides state service, judging that the module is a low-stability module; and

when a module does not need to be updated frequently and/or the module provides stateless services, the module is determined to be a high stability module.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: the operating conditions of one or more high stability modules are monitored and the use of the container and safety container is dynamically adjusted based on the monitored operating conditions.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

if the operation of the high-stability module is monitored to be in fault, operating the high-stability module by using a safety container instead; and/or

If during the monitored idle time period, the container is used instead to run the one or more low stability modules.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the base station is divided into a plurality of modules according to differences in function and/or protocol layers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein only an indoor baseband processing unit (BBU) of a base station is partitioned into a plurality of modules.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the base station is a 5G base station, and the plurality of modules comprises a central unit-user plane (CU-UP) module, a central unit-control plane (CU-CP) module, a distribution unit without codec module (DU1), and a distribution unit with codec module (DU 2).

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a central unit-user plane (CU-UP) module and a distribution unit module without codec (DU1) operate using containers, respectively, and a central unit-control plane (CU-CP) module and a distribution unit module with codec (DU2) operate using security containers, respectively.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtualization platform is pre-built and supports the execution of both containers and secure containers, the virtualization platform executing in a general purpose server.

11. A base station virtualization system comprising:

a memory storing computer-executable instructions;

a processor configured to implement the method of any one of claims 1-10 when executing computer-executable instructions stored in a memory.

12. A base station virtualization apparatus comprising means configured to perform the steps of the method of any of claims 1-10.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, implement the method of any one of claims 1-10.

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