- Near-RT RIC aims to use machine learning or analytics on radio access network information to configure or control the RAN in near real-time. - Its architecture includes messaging infrastructure for low-latency communication, conflict mitigation between apps, subscription management, and services for app lifecycle management and security. - It defines interfaces for communication with the non-RT RIC (A1), radio network elements (E2), and other components (O1). - Example apps currently used on the Near-RT RIC include admission control, KPI monitoring, measurement campaigns, traffic steering, and anomaly detection.

1. Near-RT RIC
Training Course
Nick Huang

2. Catalog
• What is RIC?
• Where is Near-RT RIC?
• Why Near-RT RIC?
• Architecture
• Interfaces
• Currents xApps

3. What is RIC ?
• RAN Intelligent Controller
• Non Real Time RIC
• Near Real Time RIC
• Goal :
• Based on the information from RAN, use ML or Analyze
information to configure or control RAN.
Non-RT RIC Near-RT RIC
Get information from RAN
Create/Choose training model
A1
Policy
Follow the policy
Adjust RAN parameters

4. Where is Near-RT RIC ?

5. Why Near-RT RIC ?
Near-RT RIC
Network Intelligence
Resource Assurance
Resource Control
Policy Enforcement
Handover Management
Radio-Link Management
Advanced SON
Load Balancing
RAN Slicing

6. The architecture in Near-RT RIC
Messaging infrastructure
• Message interaction in Near-RT RIC
• Low-latency, point-to-point
• RMR(RIC Message Router)

7. The architecture in Near-RT RIC
Conflict mitigation
• Resolves potentially overlapping or
conflicting requests from multiple xApps
Direct Conflicts
• Two/more xApps request different
settings but the Control Target & parameters
& configuration are almost the same
Indirect Conflicts
• A xApp uses the parameters of the
antenna angle; B xApp uses the
parameters of the measurement
deviation. Although they do not affect
each other, they all affect the size of the
boundary.

8. The architecture in Near-RT RIC
xApp subscription management
• Manages subscriptions from the xApps to the
E2 Nodes
• Merge the identical subscriptions from
different xApps into a single subscription
to the E2 Node
A xApp B xApp
E2 Node E2 Node
A xApp B xApp
xApp subscription management
E2 Node

9. The architecture in Near-RT RIC
Management services
• LCM(Life-Cycle Management) of xApp
• FCAPS Management of Near-RT RIC

10. The architecture in Near-RT RIC
Security
• Prevent malicious xApps from abusing
radio network information.

11. The architecture in Near-RT RIC
SDL(Share Data Layer)
• It’s an API
• Be used for storing and sharing any data
• Stateless application processes

12. The architecture in Near-RT RIC
xApp
• According to different application
scenarios, perform data monitoring and
parameter adjustment of RAN functions.
Image Descriptor
xApp

13. Interfaces
• A1
• E2
• O1

14. Interfaces – A1
Non-RT RIC
Near-RT RIC
Policy-based guidance
ML model management
A1
• Between Near-RT RIC & Non-RT RIC

15. Interfaces – E2
• Between Near-RT RIC & E2 Nodes
• E2 Nodes :
• O-DU
• O-CU CP/UP
• O-eNB

16. E2 Interface
Interfaces – E2

17. Interfaces – O1
• O1
• Between Non-RT RIC & other components
• Supports Non-RT RIC to :
• Collect data
• Control

18. Currents xApp
• Admission Control(AC) xApp
• HelloWorld demo(HW) xApps
• KPI Monitor(KPIMON) xApp
• Measurement Campaign(MC) xApp
• QoE Prediction(QP) xApp
• QoE Prediction-Driver(QPD) xApp
• Anomaly Detection(AD) xApp
• Traffic Steering(TS) xApp
• ML-based xApp

19. Thank you