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>