Use Case Overview & Description

This use case intends to demonstrate the modeling, orchestration, assurance and optimization of end-to-end network slices, including RAN, Transport and Core slice sub-nets. This use case shall support different deployment scenarios of the Slice Management & Orchestration functions through a modular architecture and standards-based interfaces.

Use Case Key Information

BUSINESS DRIVER

Executive Summary: 5G Network Slicing is one of the key features of 5G. The essence of Network Slicing is in sharing network resources (PNFs, VNFs, CNFs) while satisfying widely varying and sometimes seemingly contradictory requirements to different customers in an optimal manner. Same network is expected to provide different Quality of Experience to different consumers, use case categories and industry verticals including factory automation, connected home, autonomous vehicles, smart cities, remote healthcare, in-stadium experience and rural broadband. An End-to-End Network Slice consists of RAN, Transport and Core network slice sub-nets. This Use Case intends to demonstrate the modeling, orchestration and assurance of a simple network slice (e.g. eMBB). While 3GPP standards are evolving and 5G RAN and core are being realized, this Use Case will start with realizing an E2E Network Slice with a simple example of a 5G RAN, Core and Transport Network Slice sub-nets. It will also align with relevant standard bodies (e.g., 3GPP, ETSI, TM Forum) as well as other open initiatives such as O-RAN where relevant, w.r.to both interfaces as well as the functional aspects.

Business Impact: Network Slicing is a feature that almost every service provider will leverage. It allows a service provider to improve their network efficiency by maximizing the network throughput more tailored to each user's use of the network. It is seen as an imperative for efficient and optimal use of their network. This will be particularly relevant as 5G is expected to have upwards of 10,000x the traffic load over 4G and 20GB peak data rates.

Business Markets: Network Slicing, for this use case, is specifically aimed at a 5G access, core and transport. In the future, this might be extended to other domains or applications such as fixed-wireless convergence, Wi-Fi access, all aspects of transport including fronthaul, or unified network management orchestration. Network Slicing functionality is what almost every wireless service provider will inevitably find valuable. The concepts and modeling work being done for Network Slicing will find applications in other areas as well. (Industries) Some applications and industries such as smart cities, remote maintenance, video streaming vs life-saving first-responder type applications will demand different requirements from Network slicing. (Markets/Regions) There are no regional specific aspects to Network Slicing.

Funding/Financial Impacts: Network slicing engenders the optimal use of resources for a Network. Thus, this represents OPEX savings for a service provider.

Organization Mgmt, Sales Strategies: There is no additional organizational management or sales strategies for this use case outside of a service providers "normal" ONAP deployment and its attendant organizational resources from a service provider.

Development Status

List of PTLs:Approved Projects

*Each Requirement should be tracked by its own User Story in JIRA 

USE CASE DIAGRAM

Use cases define how different users interact with a system under design.  Each use case represents an action that may be performed by a user (defined in UML as an Actor with a user persona).

Use Case Functional Definitions

TESTING

Current Status

1. Testing Blockers

2. High visibility bugs
3. Other issues for testing that should be seen at a summary level
4. Where possible, always include JIRA links

End to End flow to be Tested

**This should be a summary level Sequence diagram done in Gliffy** 

Test Cases and Status

Supporting Files