WO2019127482A1

WO2019127482A1 - Apparatuses and methods for fronthaul network verification in cloud radio access network

Info

Publication number: WO2019127482A1
Application number: PCT/CN2017/120195
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jiaping Yang; Hongjun Liu; Zijing WANG
Original assignee: Nokia Shanghai Bell Co., Ltd.; Nokia Solutions And Networks Oy
Priority date: 2017-12-29
Filing date: 2017-12-29
Publication date: 2019-07-04
Also published as: CN111699658B; CN111699658A

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods, apparatuses and devices for fronthaul network verification in a cloud radio access network (RAN). In example embodiments, at an application running on a cloud server in the RAN, a first message for a type of traffic is generated based on traffic profile. The traffic profile is predefined for the RAN and associated with the type of traffic. The first message indicates a message format for a second message to be received from a RAP in the RAN. The first message is caused to be transmitted to the RAP. Further, transport characteristics of the type of traffic in the RAN are determined based on detection of the second message from the RAP. In this way, the fronthaul network between the cloud server and the RAP may be verified effectively and efficiently.

Description

APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR FRONTHAUL NETWORK VERIFICATION IN CLOUD RADIO ACCESS NETWORK

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of communications, and in particular, to methods, apparatuses and devices for fronthaul network verification in a cloud radio access network (RAN) .

BACKGROUND

A cloud RAN is cloud-based access network architecture in a cellular network. In the cloud RAN, network device functions are implemented in a cloud server and a radio access point (RAP) (also called as a baseband unit) . The cloud server is typically located at a data center, and the RAP may be deployed in a distance of many kilometers. The network transport between the cloud server and RAP may involve many different types of routing devices such as switches, routers, and the like. These routing devices constitute a fronthaul network between the cloud server and RAP.

The transport limitations in the fronthaul network may become a bottleneck of a whole performance of the cloud RAN. For example, these limitations may degrade performance or capacity of the cloud RAN. Therefore, there is a need to test or verify the performauce (or state) of the fronthaul network and in particular the impact of the performance of the fronthaul network on the whole system performance before the cloud RAN is practically deployed.

Many network testing tools have been developed for testing network performance such as availability, response time, utilization, throughput, bandwidth capacity, and the like. However, few tools are designed for the cloud RAN. In particular, there is no tool which can simulate the transport in the fronthaul network between the cloud server and RAP. Due to lack of effective verification before the deployment, the limitations of the fronthual network may be exposed in actual operations of the cloud RAN. However, the investigation of the limitations is very difficult, and thus the limitations may degrade the whole system performance.

SUMMARY

In general, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, apparatuses and devices for fronthaul network verification in a cloud RAN.

In a first aspect, a method implemented at a cloud server in a RAN is provided. At an application running on the cloud server, a first message for a type of traffic is generated based on traffic profile. The traffic profile is predefined for the RAN and associated with the type of traffic. The first message indicates a message format for a second message to be received from a RAP in the RAN. The first message is caused to be transmitted to the RAP. Based on detection of the second message from the RAP, transport characteristics of the type of traffic are determined in the RAN.

In a second aspect, a method implemented at a radio access point in a radio access network is provided. The method comprises: at an application running on the radio access point, obtaining a first message for a type of traffic from a cloud server in the radio access network, the first message being generated by the cloud server based on traffic profile, the traffic profile being predefined for the radio access network and associated with the type of traffic; determining, from the first message, a message format of a second message for the type of traffic; generating the second message in the determined message format; and causing the second message to be transmitted to the cloud server.

In a third aspect, there is provided an apparatus implemented at a cloud server in a radio access network. The apparatus comprises a traffic testing module, the traffic testing module comprising: a first traffic module configured to generate a first message for a type of traffic based on traffic profile, the traffic profile being predefined for the radio access network and associated with the type of traffic, the first message indicating a message format for a second message to be received from a radio access point in the radio access network; a first transmission module configured to cause the first message to be transmitted to the radio access point; an analysis module configured to determine, based on detection of the second message from the radio access point, transport characteristics of the type of traffic in the radio access network.

In a fourth aspect, there is provided an apparatus implemented at a radio access point in a radio access network. The apparatus comprises a traffic handling module, the traffic handling module comprising: a reception module configured to obtain a first message for a type of traffic from a cloud server in the radio access network, the first message being generated by the cloud server based on traffic profile, the traffic profile being predefined for the radio access network and associated with the type of traffic; a second traffic module comprising: a format determination module configured to determine, from the first message, a message format of a second message for the type of traffic, and a message generation module configured to generate the second message in the determined message format; and a third transmission module configured to cause the second message to be transmitted to the cloud server.

In a fifth aspect, there is provided a cloud server in a radio access network, comprising: a processor; and a memory including instructions, the instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the cloud server to perform the method according to the first aspect.

In a sixth aspect, there is provided a radio access point in a radio access network, comprising: a processor; and a memory including instructions, the instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the radio access point to perform the method according to the second aspect.

In a seven aspect, there is provided a non-transient computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. The computer program includes instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out the method according to the first or second aspect.

It is to be understood that the summary section is not intended to identify key or essential features of embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become easily comprehensible through the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Through the more detailed description of some embodiments of the present disclosure in the accompanying drawings, the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an example radio access network (RAN) in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented;

FIG. 2 shows an example structure of a traffic testing module at the cloud server according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows example aggregation of traffic flows according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 shows an example structure of a traffic handling module at the RAP according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of an example method in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of an example method in accordance with some other embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of a device suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure.

Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more details with reference to the drawings. Although the drawings show some embodiments of the present disclosure, it is to be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various manners and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments explained herein. On the contrary, the embodiments are provided for a more thorough and complete understanding of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that the drawings and embodiments of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of illustration, without suggesting any limitations on the protection scope of the present disclosure.

As used herein, the term “terminal device” or “user equipment” (UE) refers to any terminal devices capable of wireless communications with each other or with the base station. As an example, the terminal device may comprise a mobile terminal (MT) , a subscriber station (SS) , a portable subscriber station (PSS) , a mobile station (MS) or an access terminal (AT) , and the above devices mounted on a vehicle. In the context of the present disclosure, the terms “terminal device” and “user equipment” are used interchangeably for the sake of discussion.

As used herein, the term “network device” refers to a base station or other entities or nodes enable the terminal device to access a radio access network (RAN) . The term “base station” (BS) may represent a node B (NodeB or NB) , and an evolution node B (eNode B or eNB) . In the context of the present disclosure, the functions of the network device are distributed on both a cloud server and a radio access point (RAP) in the RAN.

As used herein, the term “cloud server” refers to a server or computing device located far away from a RAP or a baseband unit for example in a data center. The cloud server may be implemented by a computer, a host, a mainframe, and the like.

As used herein, the term “radio access point” (RAP) refers to a device having one or more radio frequency antennas that can transmit and/or receive radio signals to/from a terminal device.

As used herein, the term “includes” and its variants are to be read as open terms that mean “includes, but is not limited to” . The term “based on” is to be read as “based at least in part on” . The term “one embodiment” is to be read as “at least one embodiment” . The term “afurther embodiment” is to be read as “at least one further embodiment” . Definitions related to other terms will be presented in the following description.

As described above, there is a need to verify or test the performance or state of the fronthaul network between the cloud server and RAP and its impact on the cloud RAN. However, there is no tool that can simulate the transport in the fronthaul network. The verification of the fronthaul network may need specific considerations which, for example, include security, traffic characteristics, and the like. For example, for the purpose of the security, some tools may not be authorized to run on the cloud server and/or the RAP.

In terms of the traffic characteristics, the fronthaul traffic may be carried using various types of protocols, such as a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) , a Stream Control Transport Protocol (SCTP) , a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) , and the like. Furthermore, the amount and speed for a type of traffic depends on different user scenarios, for example, in a management plane (M-Plane) , a control plane (C-Plane) and a user plane (U-Plane) . In the actual deployment and service, the traffic may go through different paths in Cloud server and RAP, and the test tools need to cover these specific paths, accordingly.

In addition, in practice, an engineer or operator is required to use the testing tools for field testing of the performance to dig out as many problems as possible. However, network configurations and testing scenarios for the testing are not same as the real deployment and service. As a result, some potential issues will be brought in the future. By now, there is no effective and efficient approach of verify the fronthaul network between the cloud server and RAP.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a framework for verifying or testing the fronthaul network in the cloud RAN. In this framework, apparatuses for the verification can be arranged in both the cloud server and RAP. The apparatuses may be implemented in software, firmware, hardware, or any suitable combination thereof. For the purpose of discussion, some embodiment of the present disclosure will be discussed in the case that the apparatuses are implemented by software applications.

With the apparatuses, the cloud server and RAP can generate and exchange traffic flows based on traffic profile predefined for the cloud RAN. Based on the exchange of the traffic flows, traffic transport characteristics in the RAN can be determined which may include delay, throughput, an error rate, an allowable message format, and the like. Further, the traffic transport characteristics may be used to configure base station functions distributed on both the cloud server and RAP.

FIG. 1 shows an example radio access network (RAN) 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented. The RAN 100 includes a cloud server 105 and a RAP 110. It is to be understood that the numbers of cloud servers and RAPs are shown only for the purpose of illustration, without suggesting any limitations. The RAN 100 may include any suitable number of cloud servers and RAPs.

The RAP 110 can wirelessly communicate with a terminal device 115, as shown. Furthermore, the cloud server 10 may be connected to a core network (not shown) . The cloud server 105 and the RAP 110 jointly implement the functions of a legacy network element, such as a base station, in the RAN 100.

In this example, the RAN 100 also includes a router 120 between the cloud server 105 and a radio access point 110. The router 120 enables the fronthaul communication between the cloud server 105 and the RAP 110. It is to be understood that one router is shown only for the purpose of illustration, without suggesting any limitation. Any suitable number of routers may be arranged between the cloud server 105 and the RAP 110. Furthermore, other switching devices than the one or more routers may also be arranged.

The fronthaul communication between the cloud server 105 and the RAP 110 may follow any suitable transport protocol. Examples of the protocol may include, but not limited to, a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) , a Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) , a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) , and the like.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, two apparatuses 125 and 130 (referred to as a “first apparatus” 125 and a “second apparatus” 130) are arranged in the cloud server 105 and the RAP 110, respectively. In this example, the first and

second apparatuses

125 and 130 are implemented by two applications. The first and

second apparatuses

125 and 130 can collaborate together for the verification of the fronthaul network between the cloud server 105 and the RAP 110.

As shown, the first apparatus 125 includes a traffic testing module 135 which can simulate fronthaul traffic based on traffic profile 140 which may be predefined based on statistics of different types of traffic in the RAN 100. The traffic profile 140 is associated with one or more types of traffic. In some embodiments, the traffic profile 140 may be implemented by a file formatted for M-Plane, C-Plane, and U-Plane traffic. Furthermore, the traffic profile 140 may define the fronthaul communication in the RAN 100 in terms of user scenarios, such as UE attach, handover, Tracking Area Update (TAU) , paging and measurement, transport protocols, traffic amount and speeds, and the like.

FIG. 2 shows an example structure of the traffic testing module 135 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, the traffic testing module 135 includes a traffic module 205 (referred to as a “first traffic module” 205) that generates a message (referred to as a “first message” ) for a type of traffic associated with the traffic profile 140. For example, the first traffic module 205 may obtain the traffic profile 140 and then generate the first message based on the traffic profile 140.

The traffic profile 140 may be obtained in any suitable way. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the first apparatus 125 may include an interface module 145 (for example, a webUI) for obtaining the traffic profile 140 from a user input. For example, a user (or an operator or client) may login the cloud server 105 to load and configure the traffic profile 140 via the interface module 145. In addition, the interface module 140 may allow the operator to configure transport of the cloud server 105 and fetch the testing result of the fronthaul network.

The first traffic module 205 may use the traffic profile 140 in any suitable way for generating the first message. For example, the traffic profile 140 may define a size and a format of the first message. In this example, the first traffic module 205 may generate the first message in the defined size and format. In the embodiments where the traffic profile 140 also defines the transport protocols, the first traffic module 205 may comprise a determination module (referred to as a “first determination module” ) for determining a transport protocol for the type of traffic based on the traffic profile 140. The first traffic module 205 may also comprise a generation module (referred to as a “first generation module” ) for generating the first message based on the determined transport protocol.

In some embodiments, the first message may be included in a traffic flow (referred to as a “first traffic flow” ) for the type of traffic. For example, the first generation module 205 may comprise a determination module (referred to as a “second determination module” ) for determining amount and speed of the type of traffic based on the traffic profile 140, and a generation module (referred to as a “second generation module” ) for generating the first traffic flow based on the determined amount and speed.

In the embodiments where the traffic profile 140 are associated with different types of traffic such as the C-plane, U-plane and M-plane traffic, the traffic testing module 135 may simulate the fronthaul traffic flows which aggregate multiple traffic flows for control plane signaling, user plane data transfer, and fronthaul traffic noise (such as supervision packets) . For example, the traffic testing module 135 may comprise a module (not shown) to generate a further traffic flow (referred to as a “second traffic flow” ) for a further type of traffic associated with the traffic profile 140. In this example, the traffic testing module 135 may also comprise a module for aggregating the first and second traffic flows to generate the aggregated traffic flows.

In the embodiments where the traffic profile 140 defines multiple user scenarios, such as UE attach, handover, TAU, paging and measurement, the first traffic module 205 may generate a traffic flow for each of the user scenarios, and generate the aggregated traffic flow by accumulating various user scenarios with configured occurrence rates in a unit time. Example aggregation of the traffic flows is shown in FIG. 3. In this example, the

curves

305, 310, and 315 represent the traffic flows in the scenarios of UE attach, handover and measurement, respectively. The curve 320 represents the aggregated traffic flow. Furthermore, the simulation of the fronthaul traffic flow may use diverse types of traffic models, such as Poisson traffic model, long-tail traffic model, and the like.

In addition, load balance is considered by the first traffic module 205 so that overload within the cloud server 105 or the RAP 110 will not occur. The first traffic module 205 may share the load in application levels. For example, for one task of one user case from the traffic profile 140, the first traffic module 205 may dynamically register a Consumer Product Information Database (CPID) to a Retail and Consumer Product (RCP) for message transmission and reception. As the RAPs may be distinguished by Digital Signal Processor (DSP) core units, the RAPs may be sequentially configured by the cloud server 105 in a circular order based on user cases.

Still with reference to FIG. 2, the traffic testing module 135 further comprises a transmission module 210 (referred to as a “first transmission module 210” ) for causing the first message to be transmitted to the RAP 130. The transmission may be implemented through the router 120 between the cloud server 105 and the RAP 110, for example, as well as communication modules of the cloud server 105 and the RAP 110.

In the embodiments where the first message is included in the first traffic flow, the first transmission module 210 may cause the first traffic flow to be transmitted to the RAP 110. In the embodiments where the aggregated traffic flow is generated, the transmission module 210 may cause the transmission of the aggregated traffic flow.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the first message indicates a message format for a message (referred to as a “second message” ) to be received from the RAP 110. For example, the first message may have a message header indicating a size of the second message that is defined by the traffic profile 140. Accordingly, the RAP 110 may generate the second message having the size indicated by the first message. Embodiments at the RAP 110 will be discussed in the following paragraphs.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first traffic module 135 also comprises an analysis module 215. The analysis module 215 detects the second message from the RAP 110 and then determines the transport characteristics of the type of traffic in the RAN 110. For example, if the second message is not detected, the analysis module 215 may determine that a corresponding transmission error occurs or the transmitted message type is not allowed by the RAP 110.

In some embodiments, the traffic profile 140 may also define an expiration time of the detection. In this case, the analysis module 215 may comprise a determination module (referred to as a “third determination module” ) for determining a time period based on the traffic profile and a detection module for detecting the second message within the determined time period. For example, a timer is initiated upon the transmission of the first message. If no message from the RAP 110 is detected when the timer expires, the analysis module 215 may determine the transmission error or unallowable message type.

Next, still with reference to FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the first apparatus 125 may integrate a tool module 150 (referred to as a “first tool module” 150) for determining different transmission modes, such as a transmission interval between messages, a transmission order of the messages, and the like. In these embodiments, the traffic testing module 135 may comprise a generation module (referred to as a “third generation module” ) for generating a further message (referred to as a “third message” ) for the type of traffic based on the traffic profile 140. The traffic testing module 135 may comprise a transmission module (referred to as a “second transmission module” ) for causing the first and third messages to be transmitted in the transmission mode determined by the first tool module 150.

The first apparatus 125 may also comprise a management module 155 that may switch between the first apparatus 125 and a further apparatus (referred to as a “third apparatus” ) that enables the network device function of the cloud server 105. In this example, the third apparatus is implemented by a software application, similar to the first and

second apparatuses

125 and 130. It is to be understood that the third apparatus may be implemented in software, firmware, hardware, or any suitable combination thereof.

For example, the management module 155 may comprise a switching module. After the transport characteristics are determined by the traffic testing module 135, the switching module may cause an initiation of the third apparatus. In some embodiments, the third apparatus has been configured based on the determined transport characteristics.

The application management module 155 may also manage an upgrade of the first apparatus 125 and further align the upgrades of the collaborating first and

second apparatuses

125 and 130. For example, the management module 155 may comprise an indication module. If codes associated with the first apparatus 125 are upgraded, the indication module may cause an indication of the upgrade to be sent to the RAP 110 so that codes associated with the second apparatus 130 may be upgraded, accordingly.

In some embodiments, the cloud server 105 may receive a request of upgrading the codes associated with the second apparatus 130 from the RAP 110. In these embodiments, the management module 155 may comprise an upgrade module for causing upgrading data of the codes associated with the second apparatus 130 to be transmitted to the RAP 110.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first application 125 also comprise an operation and maintenance (O&M) module 160 that may take the responsibility of configuring fronthaul IP routes and transport routes, booting DSP software, configuring RAP hardware, and the like. In some embodiments, the O&M module 160 may verify the connection between the cloud server 105 and the RAP 110. For example, the O&M module 160 may comprise a determination module (referred to as a “fourth determination module” ) that causes a request to be sent to the RAP 110. Then, the fourth determination module determines whether a response to the request is received from the RAP 110. If the response is received, the fourth determination module can determine that a link has been established between the cloud server 105 and the RAP 110. In some embodiments, the O&M module 160 may also comprise a routing module for configuring routing for the cloud server 105 to communication with the RAP 110 in the established link.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the second apparatus 130 at the RAP 110 can collaborate with the first apparatus 125 in the verification of the fronthaul network between the cloud server 105 and the RAP 110. As shown in FIG. 1, the second apparatus 130 includes a traffic handling module 165 for handing messages or traffic flows for the verification.

FIG. 4 shows an example structure of the traffic handling module 165 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, the traffic handling module 165 comprises a reception module 405. The reception module 405 obtains the first message from the cloud server 105. In the embodiments where the first message is included in the first traffic flow, the reception module 165 may comprise an obtaining module (referred to as a “first obtaining module” ) for obtaining the first traffic flow, and a further obtaining module (referred to as a “second obtaining module” ) for obtaining the first message from the first traffic flow. In the embodiments where the aggregated traffic flow of the first and second traffic flows is transmitted from the cloud server 105, the reception module 405 may obtain the aggregated traffic flow and obtain the first traffic flow from the aggregated traffic flow.

The traffic handling module 165 also comprises a traffic module 410 (referred to as a “second traffic module 410” ) . The second traffic module 410 comprises a format determination module for determining the message format of the second message from the first message, and a message generation module for generating the second message in the determined message format. In some embodiments, the message generation module may comprise a determination module (referred to as a “fifth determination module” ) for determining a transport protocol used for the first message, and a generation module ( (referred to as a “fourth generation module” ) for generating the second message using the determined transport protocol.

As shown in FIG. 4, the traffic handling module 165 further comprises a transmission module 415 (referred to as a “third transmission module 415” ) that causes the second message to be transmitted to the cloud server 105.

Still with reference to FIG. 1, the second apparatus 130 may comprise a tool module 170 (referred to as a “second tool module 170” ) that cooperates with the first tool module 150 at the cloud server 105. In some embodiments, the reception module 405 may comprise an obtaining module (referred to as a “third obtaining module” ) for obtaining the first and third messages from the cloud server 105. Upon the obtaining, the second tool module 170 determines a transmission mode used for the first and third messages. The reception module 405 may comprise an obtaining module (referred to as a “fourth obtaining module” ) for obtaining the first message based on the determined transmission mode.

The second apparatus 130 may also comprise a management agent module 175 cooperating with the management module 155 at the cloud server 105. After the indication of the upgrade of the codes associated with the first apparatus 125 is detected, the management agent module 175 may cause a request of upgrading the codes associated with the second apparatus 130 to be sent to the cloud server 105. The request may also be transmitted by the RAT automatically or autonomously. Ifthe upgrading data of the codes associated with the second apparatus 130 is obtained from the cloud server 105, the management agent module 175 may cause the upgrade of the codes associated with the second apparatus 130.

As shown in FIG. 1, the second apparatus 130 also comprises an O&M agent module 180 cooperating with the O&M module 160 at the cloud server 105. After a request is obtained from the cloud server 105, the O&M agent module 180 may cause a response to the request to be sent to the cloud server 105.

Similar to the transmission and/or reception at the cloud server 105, the transmission and/or reception may be implemented through the router 120 between the cloud server 105 and the RAP 110, for example, as well as communication modules of the cloud server 105 and the RAP 110.

It is to be understood that all operations and features described above with repect6 to the first apparatus 125 are likewise applicable to the collaborating second apparatus 130 and have similar effects. For the purpose of simplification, the details will be omitted.

The modules and/or sub-modules included in the first and

second apparatuses

125 and 130 may be implemented in various manners, including software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, one or more modules may be implemented using software and/or firmware, for example, machine-executable instructions stored on the storage medium. In addition to or instead of machine-executable instructions, parts or all of the modules in the

apparatuses

125 and 130 may be implemented, at least in part, by one or more hardware logic components. For example, and without limitation, illustrative types of hardware logic components that can be used include Field-programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) , Application-specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) , Application-specific Standard Products (ASSPs) , System-on-a-chip systems (SOCs) , Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs) , and the like.

FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of an example method 500 in accordance with some other embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 500 can be implemented by the first apparatus 125 at the cloud server 105 as shown in FIG. 1, for example, by an application running on the cloud server 105. For the purpose of discussion, the method 500 will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 5, at block 505, the first message for a type of traffic is generated based on the traffic profile 140. The traffic profile 140 is predefined for the RAN 100 and associated with the type of traffic. The first message indicates a message format for the second message to be received from the RAP 110. At block 510, the first message is transmitted to the RAP 110. At block 515, the transport characteristics of the type of traffic in the RAN 100 are determined based on detection of the second message from the RAP 110.

In some embodiments, a transport protocol for the type of traffic may be determined based on the traffic profile 140. The first message may be generated using the determined transport protocol.

In some embodiments, the first message may be included in a first traffic flow for the type of traffic. In these embodiments, amount and speed of the type of traffic may be determined based on the traffic profile 140. The first traffic flow then may be generated based on the determined amount and speed.

In some embodiments, the traffic profile 140 may be further associated with a further type of traffic. The second traffic flow may be generated for the further type of traffic based on the traffic profile, and the first and second traffic flows may be aggregated.

In some embodiments, a time period may be determined based on the traffic profile. The second message from the radio access point is detected within the determined time period.

In some embodiments, the transport characteristics may include at least one of delay, throughput, an error rate and an allowable message format of the type of traffic.

In some embodiments, the traffic profile 1400 may be obtained from a user input.

In some embodiments, the traffic profile may be predefined based on statistics of the type of traffic in the RAN 100. In some embodiments, the type of traffic may include one of control plane traffic, user plane traffic, and management plane traffic.

In some embodiments, at least a third message may be generated for the type of traffic based on the traffic profile. A transmission mode may be determined for the first message and the at least one third message. Then, the first message and the at least one third message may be transmitted to the RAP 110 in the determined transmission mode.

In some embodiments, upon the determination of the transport characteristics, a further application at the cloud server may be initiated. The further application enables a function of the cloud server 105 as a network device in the RAN 100.

In some embodiments, the further application is configured based on the determined transport characteristics before the initiation.

In some embodiments, upon an upgrade of codes associated with the application at the cloud server 105, an indication of the upgrade may be sent to the radio access point to cause an upgrade of codes associated with a collaborating application at the RAP 110.

In some embodiments, after detecting a request of upgrading the codes associated with the collaborating apparatus from the RAP 110, upgrading data of the codes associated with the collaborating apparatus may be transmitted to the RAP 110.

In some embodiments, a request may be sent to the RAP 110. It may be determined whether a response to the request is received from the RAP 110. If it is determined that that the response is received from the RAP, it may be determined that a link has been established between the cloud server 105 and the RAP 110. In some embodiments, routing may be configured in the established link.

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of an example method 600 in accordance with some other embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 600 can be implemented by the second apparatus 130 at the RAP 110 as shown in FIG. 1, for example, by an application running on the RAP 110. For the purpose of discussion, the method 600 will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 6, at block 605, the first message for a type of traffic is obtained from the cloud server 105. At block 610, a message format of the second message for the type of traffic is determined from the first message. At block 615, the second message is generated in the determined message format. At block 620, the second message is transmitted to the cloud server 620.

In some embodiments, a transport protocol used for the first message may be determined. The second message may be generated using the determined transport protocol.

In some embodiments, the first traffic flow for the type of traffic may be obtained from the cloud server 105. The first traffic flow includes the first message. Then, the first message may be obtained from the first traffic flow.

In some embodiments, an aggregated traffic flow of the first traffic flow and a second traffic flow for a further type of traffic may be obtained from the cloud server 105. The first traffic flow may be obtained from the aggregated traffic flow.

In some embodiments, the first message and at least one third message for the type of traffic may be obtained from the cloud server. The transmission mode used for the first message and the at least one third message may be determined. Then, the first message may be obtained based on the determined transmission mode.

In some embodiments, after detecting an indication of an upgrade of codes associated with a collaborating application at the cloud server 105, a request of upgrading codes associated with the application may be sent to the cloud server 105. The upgrading data of the codes associated with the application may be obtained from the cloud server 105. The codes associated with the application may be upgraded based on the upgrading data.

In some embodiments, after obtaining a request from the cloud server 105, a response to the request may be sent to the cloud server 105.

It is to be understood that all operations and features related to the cloud server 105 and the RAP 110 described above with reference to FIGS. 1-4 are likewise applicable to the

methods

500 and 600 and have similar effects. For the purpose of simplification, the details will be omitted.

FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of a device 700 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 700 can be used for implementing a cloud server such as the cloud server 105 as shown in FIG. 1, and/or a RAP such as the RAP 110 as shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 7, the device 700 comprises a controller 710, which controls operations and functions of the device 700. In some embodiments, the controller 710 may perform various operations, for example, by means of instructions 730 stored in a memory 720 coupled to the controller 710. The memory 720 may be of any types suitable for local technology environments and may be implemented using any suitable data storage techniques, which includes, but is not limited to, a semiconductor based storage device, a magnetic storage device and system, and an optical storage device and system. Although FIG. 7 only illustrates one memory unit, the device 700 may comprise several physically distinct memory units.

The controller 710 may be of any types suitable for the local technology environments and may include, but not limited to, one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP) , and a multi-core controller architecture based on controllers. The device may also comprise a plurality of controllers 710. The controllers 710 are coupled to the transceiver 740. The transceiver 740 may receive and transmit information via one or more antennas, cables or fibers, and/or other components.

When the device 700 serves as the cloud server 105, the controller 710 and the transceiver 740 may cooperate to perform the method 500 as described above with reference to FIG. 5. When the device 700 serves as the RAP 110, the controller 710 and the transceiver 740 may cooperate to perform the method 600 as described above with reference to FIG. 6. In some embodiments, all acts related to data/information transmission and reception as described above may be performed by the transceiver 740, while other actions may be performed by the controller 710, for example. All of the features described with reference to FIGS. 1-6 are applicable to the device 700 and will not be repeated here.

Generally, various example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware, special purpose circuits, software, logic or any combinations thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software executed by controllers, . microprocessors or other computing devices. While various aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other pictorial representations, it is to be understood that the block, apparatus, system, technique or method described herein may be implemented in, as non-limiting examples, hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controller or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

As an example, embodiments of the present disclosure may be described in the context of machine-executable instructions, which is included in program modules executed in devices on a target physical or virtual processor, for example. In general, program modules comprise routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, and the like, that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data structures. The functionality of the program modules may be combined or split between program modules as desired in various embodiments. Machine-executable instructions for program modules may be executed within a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, program modules may be located in both local and remote storage media.

Computer program codes for carrying out methods of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The computer program codes may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special purpose computer or other programmable data processing apparatuses, such that the program codes, when executed by the computer or other programmable data processing apparatuses, cause the functions/operations specified in the flowcharts and/or block diagrams to be implemented. The program codes may be executed entirely on a machine, partly on the machine, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the machine and partly on a remote machine or entirely on the remote machine or server.

In the context of the present disclosure, a machine-readable medium may be any tangible medium that contains or stores programs for or related to an instruction executing system, apparatus or device. The machine-readable medium may be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium and may include but not limited to an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus or device, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of the machine readable storage medium would include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM) , a read-only memory (ROM) , an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory) , an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) , an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof.

Furthermore, although operations are depicted in a particular order, it is to be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Likewise, while several specific implementation details are contained in the above discussions, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the present disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that are described in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable sub-combination.

Although the present disclosure has been described in languages specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the present disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

A method implemented at a cloud server in a radio access network, comprising:

at an application running on the cloud server,

generating a first message for a type of traffic based on traffic profile, the traffic profile being predefined for the radio access network and associated with the type of traffic, the first message indicating a message format for a second message to be received from a radio access point in the radio access network;

causing the first message to be transmitted to the radio access point; and

determining, based on detection of the second message from the radio access point, transport characteristics of the type of traffic in the radio access network.
The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first message comprises:

determining a transport protocol for the type of traffic based on the traffic profile; and

generating the first message using the determined transport protocol.
The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is included in a first traffic flow for the type of traffic, generating the first message comprises:

determining amount and speed of the type of traffic based on the traffic profile; and

generating the first traffic flow based on the determined amount and speed.
The method of claim 1, wherein determining the transport characteristics comprises:

determining a time period based on the traffic profile; and

detecting the second message from the radio access point within the determined time period.
The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining the traffic profile from a user input.
The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating at least a third message for the type of traffic based on the traffic profile; and

determining a transmission mode for the first message and the at least one third message; and

wherein causing the first message to be transmitted comprises causing the first message and the at least one third message to be transmitted to the radio access point in the determined transmission mode.
The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon the determination of the transport characteristics, causing an initiation of a further application at the cloud server, the further application enabling a function of the cloud server as a network device in the radio access network.
The method of claim 7, further comprising:

prior to the initiation, configuring the further application based on the determined transport characteristics.
The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to an upgrade of codes of the application, causing an indication of the upgrade to be sent to the radio access point to cause an upgrade of codes associated with a collaborating application at the radio access point.
The method of claim 9, further comprising:

in response to detecting a request of upgrading the codes associated with the collaborating apparatus from the radio access point, causing upgrading data of the codes associated with the collaborating apparatus to be transmitted to the radio access point.
The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing a request to be sent to the radio access point;

determining whether a response to the request is received from the radio access point; and

in response to determining that the response is received from the radio access point, determining that a link has been established between the cloud server and the radio access point.
The method of claim 11, further comprising:

configuring routing in the established link.
A method implemented at a radio access point in a radio access network, the method comprising:

at an application running on the radio access point,

obtaining a first message for a type of traffic from a cloud server in the radio access network, the first message being generated by the cloud server based on traffic profile, the traffic profile being predefined for the radio access network and associated with the type of traffic;

determining, from the first message, a message format of a second message for the type of traffic;

generating the second message in the determined message format; and

causing the second message to be transmitted to the cloud server.
The method ofclaim 13, wherein generating the second message comprises:

determining a transport protocol used for the first message; and

generating the second message using the determined transport protocol.
The method ofclaim 13, wherein obtaining the first message comprises:

obtaining a first traffic flow for the type of traffic from the cloud server, the first traffic flow including the first message; and

obtaining the first message from the first traffic flow.
The method of claim 13, wherein obtaining the first message comprises:

obtaining the first message and at least one third message for the type of traffic from the cloud server, and

determining a transmission mode used for the first message and the at least one third message; and

obtaining the first message based on the determined transmission mode.
The method of claim 13, further comprising:

in response to detecting an indication of an upgrade of codes associated with a collaborating application at the cloud server, cause a request of upgrading codes associated with the application to be sent to the cloud server;

obtaining upgrading data of the codes associated with the application from the cloud server; and

causing the codes associated with the application to be upgraded based on the upgrading data.
The method of claim 13, further comprising:

in response to obtaining a request from the cloud server, causing a response to the request to be sent to the cloud server.
An apparatus implemented at a cloud server in a radio access network, the apparatus comprising:

a traffic testing module comprising:

a first traffic module configured to generate a first message for a type of traffic based on traffic profile, the traffic profile being predefined for the radio access network and associated with the type of traffic, the first message indicating a message format for a second message to be received from a radio access point in the radio access network;

a first transmission module configured to cause the first message to be transmitted to the radio access point;

an analysis module configured to determine, based on detection of the second message from the radio access point, transport characteristics of the type of traffic in the radio access network.
The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first traffic module comprises:

a first determination module configured to determine a transport protocol for the type of traffic based on the traffic profile; and

a first generation module configured to generate the first message using the determined transport protocol.
The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first message is included in a first traffic flow for the type of traffic, and the first traffic module comprises:

a second determination module configured to determine amount and speed of the type of traffic based on the traffic profile; and

a second generation module configured to generate the first traffic flow based on the determined amount and speed.
The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the analysis module comprises:

a third determination module configured to determine a time period based on the traffic profile; and

a detection module configured to detect the second message from the radio access point within the determined time period.
The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

an interface module configured to obtain the traffic profile from a user input.
The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the traffic testing module further comprises a third generation module configured to generate at least a third message for the type of traffic based on the traffic profile,

wherein the apparatus further comprises a tool module configured to determine a transmission mode for the first message and the at least one third message; and

wherein the first transmission module comprises a second transmission module configured to cause the first message and the at least one third message to be transmitted to the radio access point in the determined transmission mode.
The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a management module comprising:

a switch module configured to, upon the determination of the transport characteristics, cause an initiation of a further apparatus at the cloud server, the further apparatus being configured to enable a function of the cloud server as a network device in the radio access network.
The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the further apparatus at the cloud server has been configured based on the determined transport characteristics.
The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the management module further comprises:

an indication module configured to, in response to an upgrade of codes associated with the apparatus, cause an indication of the upgrade to be sent to the radio access point to cause an upgrade of codes associated with a collaborating apparatus at the radio access point.
The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the management module further comprises:

an upgrade module configured to, in response to detecting a request of upgrading the codes associated with the collaborating apparatus from the radio access point, cause upgrading data of the codes associated with the collaborating apparatus to be transmitted to the radio access point.
The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

an operation and maintenance module comprising a fourth determination module configured to:

cause a request to be sent to the radio access point;

determine whether a response to the request is received from the radio access point; and

in response to determining that the response is received from the radio access point, determine that a link has been established between the cloud server and the radio access point.
The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the operation and maintenance module further comprises:

a route module configured to configure routing in the established link.
An apparatus implemented at a radio access point in a radio access network, the apparatus comprising:

a traffic handling module comprising:

a reception module configured to obtain a first message for a type of traffic from a cloud server in the radio access network, the first message being generated by the cloud server based on traffic profile, the traffic profile being predefined for the radio access network and associated with the type of traffic;

a second traffic module comprising:

a format determination module configured to determine, from the first message, a message format of a second message for the type of traffic, and

a message generation module configured to generate the second message in the determined message format; and

a third transmission module configured to cause the second message to be transmitted to the cloud server.
The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the message generation module comprises:

a fifth determination module configured to determine a transport protocol used for the first message; and

a fourth generation module configured to generate the second message using the determined transport protocol.
The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the reception module comprises:

a first obtaining module configured to obtain a first traffic flow for the type of traffic from the cloud server, the first traffic flow including the first message; and

a second obtaining module configured to obtain the first message from the first traffic flow.
The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the reception module comprises:

a third obtaining module configured to obtain the first message and at least one third message for the type of traffic from the cloud server, and

wherein the apparatus further comprises a second tool module configured to determine a transmission mode used for the first message and the at least one third message; and

wherein the reception module further comprises a fourth obtaining module configured to obtain the first message based on the determined transmission mode.
The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising:

a management agent module configured to:

in response to detecting an indication of an upgrade of codes associated with a collaborating apparatus at the cloud server, cause a request of upgrading codes associated with the apparatus to be sent to the cloud server;

obtain upgrading data of the codes associated with the apparatus from the cloud server; and

cause the codes associated with the apparatus to be upgraded based on the upgrading data.
The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising:

an operation and maintenance agent module configured to in response to obtaining a request from the cloud server, cause a response to the request to be sent to the cloud server.
A cloud server in a radio access network, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including instructions, the instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the cloud server to perform the method according to any of claims 1-12.
A radio access point in a radio access network, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including instructions, the instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the radio access point to perform the method according to any of claims 13-18.
A non-transient computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program including instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any of claims 1-12.
A non-transient computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program including instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any of claims 13-18.