Professional Documents
Culture Documents
O-DU High Overview - O-Du-L2 Master Documentation
O-DU High Overview - O-Du-L2 Master Documentation
As shown in Figure 1, there are multiple entities within O-DU High. Modules sharing a given
color belong to one thread. O-DU architecture can be defined at a thread level as follows:
Thread 2: DU APP inclusive of Config Handler, DU Manager, UE Manager, and ASN.1 Codecs
Thread 4: 5G NR RLC UL
Thread 8: O1
O-DU High Modules
DU APP
This module configures and manages all the operations of O-DU. It interfaces with external
entities as follows:
OAM: DU APP interacts with OAM on the O1 interface for configuration, alarms and
performance management.
O-CU: DU APP interacts with O-CU for RAN functionalities over the F1 interface which is
built on SCTP. Control messages are exchanged on the F1-C interface and data messages on
the F1-U interface.
Config Handler manages the configurations received on O1 interfaces and stores them within
DU APP context.
SCTP handler is responsible for establishing SCTP connections with O-CU, RIC on the F1AP
and E2AP interfaces respectively.
EGTP handler is responsible for establishing EGTP connection with O-CU for data message
exchange on the F1-U interface.
ASN.1 Codecs contain ASN.1 encode/decode functions which are used for System
information, F1AP and E2AP messages.
5G NR RLC
This module provides services for transferring the control and data messages between MAC
layer and O-CU (via DU App).
5G NR RLC UL and 5G NR RLC DL are the sub modules of this module that implement uplink
and downlink functionality respectively.
5G NR MAC
This module uses the services of the NR physical layer to send and receive data on the
various logical channels. Functions of the 5G NR MAC module are as follows:
5G NR MAC is responsible for multiplexing and de-multiplexing of the data on various logical
channels.
Lower MAC interfaces between the MAC and the O-DU Low. It implements all the messages
of FAPI specification. It has a receiver thread to handle messages from L1.
5G NR SCH
This module is completely encapuslated withing 5G NR MAC i.e. all interactions of the 5G NR
SCH is via the 5G NR MAC.
SCH framework design supports plugging-in new scheduling algorithm easily. Refer to
section “Scheduler Framework with plug-in support” in Developer-Guide document for
details.
These modules contain platform specific files and support O-DU High functionality and
message exchanges.
O1 Module
Figure 2 - O1 Architecture¶
As shown in figure 2 the O1 module runs as a thread in O-DU High. Alarm communication
happens over a Unix socket between the O1 and O-DU threads. O1 module uses API calls for
interacting with the Netconf server(Netopeer) and datastore(sysrepo) for providing the
Netconf interface.
Netconf Session Handler: Subscribe to Netconf YANG modules and events. Register callback
handler methods.
Alarm Interface : Provides an interface to O-DU High threads for sending the alarm messages
to O1 module over Unix socket.
Config Interface : Interface to handle the configurations sent from SMO to the stack
Interface Management
F1 Setup
F1 Reset
PAGING
UE Context Management
UE Context Setup
UE Context Modification
UE Context Release
Near RT RIC: O-DU High communicates with Near RT RIC on the E2 interface. The below
E2AP messages are implemented, as per ORAN WG3.E2AP v02.00:
Global Procedures
E2 Setup
E2 Reset
RIC Indication
O-DU Low: O-DU High communicates with O-DU Low on the FAPI interface. The below
FAPI messages are supported, as per FAPI interface files shared by Intel:
PARAM.request/PARAM.response
CONFIG.request/CONFIG.response
START.request
STOP.request
STOP.indication
DL_TTI.request
UL_TTI.request
SLOT.indication
UL_DCI.request
TX_Data.request
RX_Data.indication
CRC.indication
UCI.indication
RACH.indication
As seen in the Figure 4, - If O1 interface is enabled, SMO sends cell configuration to DU APP.
DU APP stores the configurations in its local database.
The DU APP module of O-DU High sends F1 Setup Request to O-CU. This message contains
a list of cells that the O-DU High has been configured with.
The O-CU responds with F1 Setup Response. This message contains a list of cells which must
be activated.
The O-DU High scans the list of cells received and sends corresponding cell configurations to
5G NR MAC.
5G NR MAC, in-turn configures the 5G NR SCH. It also configures the O-DU Low via the
Lower MAC module.
On receiving the cell config response, DU APP sends a gNB DU Config Update towards the
O-CU. The O-CU responds with gNB DU Config Update ACK towards the O-DU High.
The DU APP now exchanges F1 Reset message with the O-CU to initialize the UE contexts.
DU APP sends Cell Start Req towards 5G NR MAC. This message is translated by the Lower
MAC into the FAPI message START.request towards the O-DU Low.
On receiving START.request, O-DU Low begins to send slot indications towards 5G NR MAC
via the lower MAC. The frequency of these slot indications is determined by the
numerology(Mu) supported. 5G NR MAC forwards these slot indications to the 5G NR SCH
and DU APP modules.
When the first slot indication reaches the DU APP, cell is marked as up. If O1 is enabled, DU
APP triggers an alarm to SMO to indicate the CELL is UP.
The 5G NR SCH, keeps tracking the SSB and SIB1 ocassions on receiving regular slot
indications. On detecting the relevant ocassion, 5G NR SCH schedules SSB/SIB1 and
forwards the DL Scheduling Information to 5G NR MAC.
The 5G NR MAC mutiplexes the PDU and sends SSB/SIB1 packets towards the O-DU Low
through the Lower MAC.
UE Related Procedure
RACH Procedure
RACH Indication
Random Access Response
RRC Setup
UE attach signalling flow
Registraton Request
Registraton Accept
Registraton Complete
RRC Reconfiguration
RRC Release
Closed Loop Automation Procedure
This section describes the closed loop automation procedure within O-DU High.
Figure 6 - O-DU High Closed Loop Automation Procedure¶
This section describes the Health Status Retrieval scenario of O-DU High health-check. It
enables a northbound client(SMO) to retrieve the health of the O-DU High based on the last
self-check performed. The alarm-list is provided as the response to the request via O1
Netconf interface.
On the cell state change from de-active to activate, DU APP module raises a cell up alarm
message and sends it over the Unix socket using the Alarm Interface API.
On other side a Unix socket server, running as a thread, in O1 module receives the cell up
alarm message and it passes on the alarm information to the Alarm Manager.
Alarm Manager stores the alarm data in a list.
Whenever SMO/OAM requires the current alarm list, it sends a Netconf get request. The
request is received by the Netopeer Server and a callback method, registered with the
Session Handler, is invoked.
The callback function fetches the alarm list from Alarm Manager and sends it back to the
client (SMO/OAM) via Netconf interface.
Network Slicing procedure
This section describes the Network Slicing feature within O-DU High.
Figure 8 - Network Slicing flow¶
Scheduler stores the Slice Configuration in DB and sends the Slice Configuration Response
for each Slice to MAC and further towards DU APP. Slice Configuration Procedure completes.
Once a UE attaches and PDU session is established then RLC will periodically calculate the
Slice Performance Metrics(UL and DL Throughput) for slices configured during UE Context
Setup/Modification procedure.
RLC sends the Consolidated Slice Metrics to DU APP at every 60 sec duration. This is further
forwarded towards SMO/Non-RT RIC.
SMO/Non-RT RIC analyses these metrics and may optimize the slice configuration(RRM
Policies) for dedicated slice. This is received at MAC and Scheduler as Slice Reconfiguration
Request from DU APP.
Scheduler updates the received Slice Configuration in its DB and sends back the Slice
Reconfiguration Response to MAC and further MAC forwards it to DU APP. Scheduler
applies the optimized RRM policies for the dedicated slice.
Idle Mode Paging procedure
This section describes the Idle Mode Paging procedure within O-DU High.
When a Slot Indication for SFN is received then DU APP extracts the Paging of all UEs whose
PF is ahead by PAGING_DELTA and builds Paging RRC PDU. DU APP sends the same via DL
PCCH Indication to MAC.
SCH stores the Page Message in its DB and when the SLOT_INDICATION for that SFN
arrives, SCH performs scheduling and resource allocation for PDCCH (alongwith DCI 1_0
format) and PDSCH channels and sends to MAC through DL PAGING ALLOCATION
message.
This section describes the handling of inter-DU handover of a UE within O-DU High.
Figure 10 - Inter_DU Handover call flow¶
The UE sends Measurement Report message to the source O-DU. This message is sent from
O-DU to O-CU in the UL RRC MESSAGE TRANSFER message over F1AP interface.
The target O-DU responds with a UE CONTEXT SETUP RESPONSE message if the target O-
DU can admit resources for the handover.
The O-CU sends a UE CONTEXT MODIFICATION REQUEST message to the source O-DU,
which includes RRCReconfiguration message towards the UE. The O-CU also indicates the
source O-DU to stop the data transmission for the UE.
The source O-DU forwards the received RRCReconfiguration message to the UE and then
sends the UE Reconfiguration Request to MAC/Scheduler and RLC layer and get the UE
Reconfiguration Response from the respective protocol layers.
The source O-DU responds to the O-CU with UE CONTEXT MODIFICATION RESPONSE
message.
UE triggers Random Access procedure at the target O-DU. This is a contention free random
access if UE was informed about its dedicated RACH resources in RRC Reconfiguration
message.
Once Random Access procedure with target O-DU is complete, the UE responds to the
target O-DU with a RRCReconfigurationComplete message.
The target O-DU sends UL RRC MESSAGE TRANSFER message to O-CU to convey the
received RRCReconfigurationComplete message.
The downlink and uplink data packets are sent to/from the UE through the target O-DU.
The O-CU sends UE CONTEXT RELEASE COMMAND message to the source O-DU.
The source O-DU sends UE DELETE REQUEST to MAC/RLC layers to release the UE context
and receives UE DELETE RESPONSE message.
The source O-DU responds to O-CU with UE CONTEXT RELEASE COMPLETE message.
Inter-CU Handover (Xn-Based)
Terminology:
Source GNB : GNB to which UE is connected and will be handed over from .
Call Flow :
UE sends Measurement Report message to source GNB. This message is sent from O-DU to
O-CU in the UL RRC MESSAGE TRANSFER message over F1AP interface.
The source GNB DU responds with UE CONTEXT MODIFICATION RESPONSE message that
includes latest full configuration information.
To start the handover, source GNB CU sends HANDOVER REQUEST to target GNB CU with
UE configuration received from source GNB DU.
The target GNB DU responds with UE CONTEXT SETUP RESPONSE message if it can admit
resources for the handover.
Source GNB DU forwards received RRCReconfiguration message to the UE and then sends
DOWNLINK DATA DELIVERY STATUS message to CU to inform about successful delivery of
message to UE.
Source GNB DU also sends UE Reconfiguration Request to MAC/Scheduler and RLC layers
to stop data scheduling as requested by CU. Once all layers have responded with UE
reconfiguration response, source GNB DU send UE CONTEXT MODIFICATION RESPONSE
message to source GNB CU.
Using the information received in RRC Reconfiguration message, UE triggers Random Access
procedure towards target GNB DU. This is a contention free random access if UE receives
dedicated RACH resources information in RRC Reconfiguration message.
Once Random Access procedure with target GNB is complete, UE responds to target GNB
DU with a RRCReconfigurationComplete message.
The target GNB DU sends UL RRC MESSAGE TRANSFER message to CU to convey the
received RRCReconfigurationComplete message. This completes the UE attach to target
GNB.
The downlink and uplink data packets are now sent to/from the UE through target GNB.
Once UE is successfully handed over to target GNB, its CU sends UE CONTEXT RELEASE
message to source GNB CU.
Hence, source GNB CU sends UE CONTEXT RELEASE COMMAND message to the source
GNB DU.
DU releases UE context at all layers and responds to source GNB CU with UE CONTEXT
RELEASE COMPLETE message.
Discontinuous reception (DRX)
This section describes the Discontinuous reception (DRX) feature within O-DU High.
Figure 12 - Discontinuous reception flow¶
The connected mode DRX is used to improve UE’s battery power consumption. This allows
UE to be active for a certain amount of time to monitor PDCCH. UE shall become active or
inactive based on the DRX timers.
When UE is created at O-DU during RRC connection setup procedure, DU APP forwards the
default DRX configuration to MAC, who then passes it to SCH as part of UE configuration
request. SCH stores these configuration and will use it to calculate the start time and expiry
time of various DRX timers. But these timers will only start after UE is RRC connected.
Along with long cycle, DRX in O-DU high also supports short cycle which is enabled if short
cycle configuration is recived in UE CONTEXT SETUP REQUEST.
DRX timers supported in ODU-High are drx-onDurationTimer, drx-InactivityTimer, drx-
ShortCycleTimer, drx-HARQ-RTT-TimerDL, drx-RetransmissionTimerDL, drx-HARQ-RTT-
TimerUL and drx-RetransmissionTimerUL.
Traffic Steering
Health Check