BUSINESS DRIVER

This section describes Business Drivers needs.

Executive Summary  – Goal of this sub-project is to evolve and enhance ONAP Configuration Management and Fault & performance data collection to meet O-RAN specifications.  O-RAN has defined two broad interface specifications for management 5G RAN elements (RU, DU, CU-UP, CU-CP, RAN Intelligent Controller [RIC]) called O1 and A1 interface.  ONAP currently support O1 interface, but small enhancements might to required to fully comply with O-RAN specifications.  A1 interface is between management framework (e.g. ONAP) and RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC).  A1 provide intent based policies to RIC to optimize and manage RAN network performance.

Key Deliverables in R6 release:

• Implement O-RAN defined A1 interface specifications in ONAP controller (e.g. SDN-R).

• Enhance CDS to capture A1 configuration details.

• Enhance VID GUI to invoke intent based policy configuration using A1 interface

• Enhancements to VES events

• Software Upgrade flow enhancement to fully meet O-RAN specifications (beyond R6)

Business Impact - Most ONAP service providers are O-RAN members.  These service providers are expected to support O-RAN specifications with the products they include in their networks.  Modifying ONAP to be O-RAN compliant for FCAP implementation (configuration management, including intent based policy configuration, fault and performance data collection) will be usable by all the service providers, avoid duplicate development effort.

Business Markets - These enhanced ONAP FCAP capabilities, once developed, will be useable by any service provider deploying and using ONAP. This will drive cost savings as configuration, fault and performance data collection functionality doesn't have to be redeveloped multiple times. A1 interface provides a flexible way for the operator to manage wide area RAN network optimization, reducing capex investment needs.  Fault and performance data collection are key enablers for closed-loop automation to collect data to detect anomalous conditions. As such, it can have a large potential OPEX savings impact. 

Funding/Financial Impacts - (The Funding requirements and Financial impacts can describe the financial savings, or CAPEX, OPEX impacts for a Use Case).

Organization Mgmt, Sales Strategies - (It is suggested that you use the following wording): 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. (This would typically describe the "WHO", but because use cases are all deployed with ONAP itself, these two areas come with the actual ONAP deployment and uses the organizational management and sales strategies of a particular service provider's ONAP deployment)

DEVELOPMENT IMPACTS