Requirements for the Non-RT RIC project

Find detailed description of what Non-RT RIC is on this page.

The NONRTRIC project (and the O-RAN Non-RealTime RIC function) can be considered from a number of different viewpoints. This page presents some of these views:

Scope 1: A1 Controller (Mediator, Endpoint)

  • Southbound: Provide termination point for A1 interface(s) - REST endpoint for messages to/from Near-RealTime RIC

  • Northbound: Provide a more generic interface for A1 operations - provide interface to rApps, without the need for A1 message generation, addressing, coordination, mediation, etc.

  • O1 interfaces do not terminate in NONRTRIC function (but may terminate in same controller host/instance)

Scope 2: Coordinate/Host A1 Policy Management Services

  • Map high level RAN goal/intent directives to finely-scoped A1 Policies towards individual Near-RT RIC instances

  • Informed by observed RAN context (provided over O1 via OAM functions), and other external context (via other SMO functions)

  • Dynamically coordinate life cycles of A1 Policies in individual Near-RT RICs as contexts change

Scope 3: Coordinate ML/AI Models - In RAN (“E2 nodes” & Near-RT RICs) and NONRTRIC (future)

  • Acts as model-training host

  • May act as model-inference host (others: Near-RT RICs, “E2 nodes”)

  • Dynamically coordinate ML/AI model lifecycle management (e.g. re-train, re-deploy, etc)

  • Models are (always?) deployed over O1 interface

Scope 4: Enrichment Data Coordinator

  • Additional context that is unavailable to Near-RT RICs (e.g. RAN data, SMO context, External context)

  • Dynamically coordinate access and pass data to appropriate Near-RT RICs (e.g. for use in ML/AI model inference)

Scope 5: rApp Host & rApp Coordinator

  • rApps may act as, or form part of, NONRTRIC- or SMO-level applications

  • rApps, via rApp host function, may consume many other services - some from the NONRTRIC platform, some from the SMO platform, and some from other rApps

  • Dynamically coordinate rApp lifecycle management

Scope 6: Provide R1 interface for rApps

  • rApps may only consume services over the R1 interface (from NONRTRIC platform, or from SMO platform, or from other rApps)

  • Platform services and services optionally provided by rApps must be exposed over the R1 Interface

  • These services may be “standardized” R1 services or R1 extensions (some may be proprietary)