Cloud RAN for Mobile Networks - a Technology Overview

Cloud Radio Access Network (C-RAN) is a novel mobile network architecture which can address a number of challenges the operators face while trying to support growing end-user’s needs. The main idea behind C-RAN is to pool the Baseband Units (BBUs) from multiple base stations into centralized BBU Pool for statistical multiplexing gain, while shifting the burden to the high-speed wireline transmission of In-phase and Quadrature (IQ) data. C-RAN enables energy efficient network operation and possible cost savings on base- band resources. Furthermore, it improves network capacity by performing load balancing and cooperative processing of signals originating from several base stations. This article surveys the state-of-the-art literature on C-RAN. It can serve as a starting point for anyone willing to understand C-RAN architecture and advance the research on C-RA

On the Transport Capability of LAN Cables in All-Analog MIMO-RoC Fronthaul

Centralized Radio Access Network (C-RAN) architecture is the only viable solution to handle the complex interference scenario generated by massive antennas and small cells deployment as required by next generation (5G) mobile networks. In conventional C-RAN, the fronthaul links used to exchange the signal between Base Band Units (BBUs) and Remote Antenna Units (RAUs) are based on digital baseband (BB) signals over optical fibers due to the huge bandwidth required. In this paper we evaluate the transport capability of copper-based all-analog fronthaul architecture called Radio over Copper (RoC) that leverages on the pre-existing LAN cables that are already deployed in buildings and enterprises. In particular, the main contribution of the paper is to evaluate the number of independent BB signals for multiple antennas system that can be transported over multi-pair Cat-5/6/7 cables under a predefined fronthauling transparency condition in terms of maximum BB signal degradation. The MIMO-RoC proves to be a complementary solution to optical fiber for the last 200m toward the RAUs, mostly to reuse the existing LAN cables and to power-supply the RAUs over the same cable

Cloud radio access network fronthaul solution using optimized dynamic bandwidth allocation algorithm

In order to address the challenges that have come with the exploding demand for higher speed, traffic growth and mobile wireless devices, Mobile network operators have decided to move to the notion of small cells based on cloud radio access network. The merits of cloud based RAN includes the ease of infrastructure deployment and network management as well as the fact that its performance are optimized and it is cost effective the merits of cloud based RAN includes the ease of infrastructure deployment and network management as well as the fact that its performance are optimized and it is cost effective. Notwithstanding, cloud radio access network comes with so many strict requirements to be fulfilled for its fronthaul network. In this paper, we have presented these requirements for a 5G fronthaul network. Particular interest on the time division multiplex passive optical network’s challenge of latency was treated by proposing an optimized version of the round robin dynamic bandwidth allocation algorithm. Results obtained show an improvement in the latency of the original algorithm which meets the fronthaul requirement. Other test parameters like jitter and BER were also improved by our proposed optimized algorithm

Toward a Live BBU Container Migration in Wireless Networks

Cloud Radio Access Networks (Cloud-RANs) have recently emerged as a promising architecture to meet the increasing demands and expectations of future wireless networks. Such an architecture can enable dynamic and flexible network operations to address significant challenges, such as higher mobile traffic volumes and increasing network operation costs. However, the implementation of compute-intensive signal processing Network Functions (NFs) on the General Purpose Processors (General Purpose Processors) that are typically found in data centers could lead to performance complications, such as in the case of overloaded servers. There is therefore a need for methods that ensure the availability and continuity of critical wireless network functionality in such circumstances. Motivated by the goal of providing highly available and fault-tolerant functionality in Cloud-RAN-based networks, this paper proposes the design, specification, and implementation of live migration of containerized Baseband Units (BBUs) in two wireless network settings, namely Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) and Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks. Driven by the requirements and critical challenges of live migration, the approach shows that in the case of LoRaWAN networks, the migration of BBUs is currently possible with relatively low downtimes to support network continuity. The analysis and comparison of the performance of functional splits and cell configurations in both networks were performed in terms of fronthaul throughput requirements. The results obtained from such an analysis can be used by both service providers and network operators in the deployment and optimization of Cloud-RANs services, in order to ensure network reliability and continuity in cloud environments

Landscape of IoT security

The last two decades have experienced a steady rise in the production and deployment of sensing-and-connectivity-enabled electronic devices, replacing “regular” physical objects. The resulting Internet-of-Things (IoT) will soon become indispensable for many application domains. Smart objects are continuously being integrated within factories, cities, buildings, health institutions, and private homes. Approximately 30 years after the birth of IoT, society is confronted with significant challenges regarding IoT security. Due to the interconnectivity and ubiquitous use of IoT devices, cyberattacks have widespread impacts on multiple stakeholders. Past events show that the IoT domain holds various vulnerabilities, exploited to generate physical, economic, and health damage. Despite many of these threats, manufacturers struggle to secure IoT devices properly. Thus, this work overviews the IoT security landscape with the intention to emphasize the demand for secured IoT-related products and applications. Therefore, (a) a list of key challenges of securing IoT devices is determined by examining their particular characteristics, (b) major security objectives for secured IoT systems are defined, (c) a threat taxonomy is introduced, which outlines potential security gaps prevalent in current IoT systems, and (d) key countermeasures against the aforementioned threats are summarized for selected IoT security-related technologies available on the market

Simulation of CPRI traffic on Optical Ethernet

Evolution of mobile networks calls for novel ways of reducing delays while improving the network capacity. All application types require a system to utilize the expanding data. In the future, the projection is that quality of service (QoS) will be a key measurement of any network. Delay and jitter present a challenge to achieving the QoS needed. This is due to the loss of packets experienced during transmission and retransmission. Hence, the thesis proposes a Hybrid switching solution to increase the efficiency of transport networks for mobile data. This is done by designing a model that reduces the number of wavelengths needed to transport Common Public Radio interface (CPRI) over Ethernet while sharing the same optical resources for conventional backhaul traffic. CPRI over Ethernet is an ideal method to aid in better exploitation of the resources. The proposed strategy minimizes the loss of packets by making use of the available gaps during the transmission. Implementing such a model requires a Guaranteed Service Traffic (GST) class, which does not allow for packet loss and is treated as high priority traffic. Additionally, GST has a fixed low delay that makes it resilient to any form of network failures. Moreover, CPRI assists in saving costs by exploiting the unused wavelength capacity left by the GST traffic. Backhaul traffic can exploit this unused capacity to make the system compact. The thesis considers two classes of service levels with possible set of services that have QoS. These are CPRI over Ethernet (CPRIoE) and traditional packet-based Backhaul traffic. CPRIoE is considered as the GST traffic while Backhaul is the Best Effort (BE) traffic. Both traffics are transported over the same links, sharing wavelength resources. The results indicate the effectiveness of combining services in managing multiple flows, thus saving resources and optimizing the network