Solução para monitoramento adaptativo de métricas de Redes Open RAN

Abstract

Monitoring in Open RAN networks involves a continuous exchange of metrics between xApps and the radio access network through the E2 interface. Due to the intense signaling exchange, this monitoring consumes a significant amount of resources (both hardware and network) and can negatively impact system efficiency. This work proposes the development of an xApp for adaptive metric monitoring, adjusting the sampling frequency of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) based on real-time analysis. The proposal is based on the definition of a Risk Analysis and aims to reduce excessive resource consumption without compromising monitoring quality, contributing to more efficient and cost-effective Open RAN network management. The xApp is implemented using an open-source software-based infrastructure, with FlexRIC as the development platform. For the implementation of the 5G core network and RAN, OpenAirInterface was used, integrated with a Software Defined Radio (SDR) platform, enabling the use of the RAN with Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) user equipment. The results are promising, indicating that adaptive metric monitoring offers potential energy savings compared to fixed-frequency monitoring. Furthermore, the energy gain provided by the proposed monitoring becomes even more relevant when applied to a large-scale context, in which the overhead generated by metric collection via the E2 interface poses a significant challenge to system efficiency.