Page 9 - 5G Proof-of-Concept Demonstrations

5G Proof-of-Concept Demonstrations

1 IMT-2020/5G Workshop and Demo Day, 11 July 2017
Video overview of the Demo Day, 11 July 2017 Slicing

1.1 RAN slicing

Navid Nikaein, Eurecom
Presentation
Title of the demo: Experience Live Software-defined RAN slicing
Abstract of the demo: The demo showed how to slice a cloudified radio access network (RAN) that
consists of a fronthaul segment between the remote radio unit (RRU) and the centralized/distributed
unit (CU/DU), and a backhaul segment between CU/DU and the real time RAN controller. Through
the separation of the RAN control plane and the data plane coupled with the virtualized RAN control
functions, real-time monitoring and control applications were developed on a per-slice basis to
demonstrate fine-grain RAN programmability. This allows different levels of coordination among
RAN infrastructure elements by dynamic placement of virtualized control functions following
software-defined network (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV) principles for adapting
control over time and space to facilitate network operation and evolution. The proposed framework
features RAN resource abstraction (e.g. radio and spectrum resources), and its consolidation through
network graphs, which is complementary to the ongoing solutions of network slicing, and supports
the 3GPP dedicated core network (DCN) vision.
Through the demo, demonstrators created two RAN slices, leveraging both the OpenAirInterface and
Mosaic-5G platforms, to demonstrate a bi-directional video streaming on two smartphones
connected to their respective slices and observing their perceived quality of experience by enforcing
slicing policy.

Demonstration

1.2 Network slicing control

Remus Tan, Ciena Communications and Fadi Bishay, Ciena Communications
Presentation
End-to-end (E2E) network slicing is an important aspect in next generation 5G networks. New
innovations are being witnessed in the areas of wireless radio technologies, mobile network
architecture, mobile network protocols as well the softwarization of the mobile network functional
elements. However, E2E network slicing will require the transport systems to keep up with its own
set of innovations as well to enable E2E network slicing work. And these innovations on the transport
systems include the evolution of the transport systems into a cloud native framework; support of
either hard or soft slicing on the transport systems data plane; support of physical resource
abstractions to the orchestration layer; implementation of a hierarchical layers of SDN control
framework; and the support of a content-aware transport underlay.

From a transport network slicing perspective, Ciena fulfills this complex network innovation via a
suite of software known as the network slicing controller suite. Different software components in
this suite have its own functional role. In the Demo, Ciena showcased its multi-tenant network slicer
to demonstrate the capability to slice a physical network into various virtual network slices; assign a
slice to a slice tenant; and further assigning specific resources within a tenant’s slice to specific end
customers. In this implementation, specific end customer is only able to access the network
resources that are assigned by the tenant provider. The demonstrated example of the
implementation of the multi-tenant network slicer will be applicable to RAN wholesale scenario,
mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) scenario and Vertical/Private 5G networks deployment
scenarios; as well as other possible usage scenarios.

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