Introduction

This integration guide outlines the steps to ensure compatibility between a
Radio Unit (RU) and Rapid.Space's eNB/gNB Network Management System (NMS) using
the NETCONF protocol. The eNB/gNB NMS is deployed on the Baseband Unit (BBU),
which is connected to the RU via CPRI.

This document is based on ors-amarisoft at 1.0.336 released on 26 Sept. 2023.
Updates may need to be considered for your specific case. 

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the integration, ensure the following prerequisites are
met:

  • [ ] RU Support for NETCONF: The RU must support the NETCONF protocol for
    communication with the NMS.

  • [ ] eNB/gNB NMS Deployment on BBU: Verify that the eNB/gNB NMS is
    successfully deployed on the BBU.

      □ reference enb.cfg jinja2 template

      □ Important Amarisoft
        parameters: cpri_mapping, cpri_mult, cpri_rx_delay, cpri_tx_delay

  • [ ] CPRI Connection: Ensure a stable CPRI link between the BBU and RU is
    established.

      □ CPRI lock check by check_cpri_lock.py

Integration Steps

1. NETCONF Support in RU

  • Confirm that the RU supports the NETCONF protocol for seamless
    communication with the eNB/gNB NMS

2. YANG Data Models Implementation

  • Implement YANG data models corresponding to the parameters and
    configuration options defined by Rapid.Space's NMS.
      □ YANG model

3. Security Configurations

  • Enable Transport Layer Security (TLS) for secure communication between the
    RU and NMS.

  • Set up Secure Shell (SSH) for encrypted transport protocol in NETCONF
    sessions.

4. Data Serialization

  • Verify that the RU is capable of serializing data in both XML and JSON
    formats, as per NETCONF standards.
      □ e.g. CreateProcessingEle.jinja2.xml
      □ e.g. rpc_xml request

5. Configuration Capabilities

  • Expose RU configuration parameters and capabilities through the NETCONF
    protocol.
      □ cu_config.xml
          ☆ ORAN TX array carriers (TXA0CC00) Activation
          ☆ ORAN RX array carriers (RXA0CC00) Activation
          ☆ ORAN DL Center Frequency in MHz (TXA0CC00)
          ☆ ORAN UL Center Frequency EARFCN (RXA0CC00)
          ☆ ORAN UL Center Frequency in MHz (RXA0CC00)
          ☆ ORAN Gain
          ☆ ORAN UL Center Frequency EARFCN (RXA0CC00) is the same as DL
            EARFCN, so it's not listed for the instance tree
          ☆ ORAN bandwidth is same as "Bandwidth" so it's not listed for the
            instance tree

6. Event Notifications

  • Ensure real-time event reporting from the RU to the NMS is supported.
      □ Get notification
      □ Supported alarms from RU:
          ☆ VSWR Alarm
          ☆ Synchronization Error Alarm
          ☆ RSSI Imbalance alarm & RX Diversity Lost alarm
          ☆ PA Over Output Power Alarm
          ☆ PA Over Current Alarm
          ☆ Loss of Frame (LOF) alarm

7. Error Handling

  • Implement proper error handling mechanisms as per NETCONF specifications.

8. RPC Support

  • Ensure the RU can process Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs) for configuration,
    monitoring, and management.
      □ In-using RPC requests
          ☆ subscribe
          ☆ get_notification
          ☆ edit_config
          ☆ custom_rpc_request: sending custom RPC request
          ☆ reset_device (available but not used)
          ☆ get_inventory

9. Subscription Capabilities

  • Confirm that the RU can handle subscriptions for periodic updates.
      □ Supervision Watchdog RPC

10. Capability Exchange

  • Establish capability exchange during NETCONF session initiation to
    negotiate supported features and versions.
      □ get_inventory

11. IPv6 Support via CPRI Link and dnsmasq

  • Verify that the RU supports IPv6 and can receive IPv6 addresses via the
    CPRI link from the BBU through dnsmasq.
      □ Set up IPv6 broadcasting in both BBU and RU: RU should launch DHCPv6
        client automatically when BBU starts to broadcast
      □ To have RU firmware auto-upgraded, RU should provide NMS with an SSH
        public key to allow RU to download the firmware from NMS automatically

12. Compliance with Rapid.Space Specifications

  • Ensure that the RU's implementation aligns with Rapid.Space's
    specifications and recommendations.

13. Testing and Validation

  • Thoroughly test the setup to verify successful integration between the RU
    and the eNB/gNB NMS.

14. Engage with Rapid.Space Support

  • If needed, consult with Rapid.Space's technical support for any specific
    integration requirements.

Conclusion

Upon successful completion of these steps, the RU should be fully compatible
with Rapid.Space's eNB/gNB NMS, facilitating seamless communication and
management.

 

eNB NMS parameter example: 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<instance>
    <parameter id="_">{
    "bandwidth": "20 MHz",
    "n_antenna_dl": 1,
    "n_antenna_ul": 1,
    "cpri_mult": 16,
    "cell_list": {
        "RRH B1": {
            "cpri_rx_delay": 25.11,
            "cpri_tx_delay": 14.71,
            "cpri_tx_dbm": 63,
            "dl_earfcn": 300
        }
    },
    "dnsmasq": true,
    "rrh_mac_addr": "00:0a:00:00:10:20",
    "txa0cc00_active": "ACTIVE",
    "rxa0cc00_active": "ACTIVE",
    "txa0cc00_center_frequency": 2140,
    "rxa0cc00_center_frequency_earfcn": 18300,
    "rxa0cc00_center_frequency": 1950,
    "txa0cc00_gain": -20,
    "user-authorized-key": "ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQxxxxxxv4sYpwt7us= root@root",
    "plmn_list": {
        "Australia": {
            "plmn": "50501"
        }
    }
}</parameter>
</instance>