CPRI link-rate auto-negotiation based on available bandwidth in Ethernet-based fronthaul network
The present disclosure is directed to directed to link-rate auto-negotiation between a radio equipment controller (REC) and a radio equipment (RE) in an Ethernet-based fronthaul network subject to bandwidth availability in the fronthaul network. In one aspect, a method includes determining, at a first proxy element in an Ethernet-based fronthaul network, that a new common public radio interface (CPRI) circuit is to be provisioned for packet exchange between a radio equipment control (REC) element and a radio equipment (RE) element of the Ethernet-based fronthaul network; performing, by at least one of the first proxy element and a second proxy element, an auto-negotiation for a link-rate for the new CPRI circuit, the link-rate being negotiated subject to a constraint, the constraint being an available bandwidth between the first proxy element and the second proxy element; and provisioning the new CPRI circuit with the link-rate.
1 . A method comprising:
determining, at a first proxy element in an Ethernet-based fronthaul network, that a new common public radio interface (CPRI) circuit is to be provisioned for packet exchange between a radio equipment control (REC) element and a radio equipment (RE) element of the Ethernet-based fronthaul network;
determining an available bandwidth as a total bandwidth on an ethernet interface between the first proxy element and a second proxy element minus a current load on the ethernet interface, wherein the current load includes a current load of traffic between the first proxy element and the second proxy element, and wherein the current load of traffic includes a load for high priority CPRI traffic;
determining whether link-rate auto-negotiation is configured for provisioning the new CPRI circuit, wherein auto-negotiation is configured with a list of one or more possible link-rates;
upon determining that the link-rate auto-negotiation is configured for provisioning the new CPRI circuit, identifying, from the list of one or more possible link-rates, one or more candidate link-rates that are each less than the available bandwidth;
performing, by at least one of the first proxy element and the second proxy element, an auto-negotiation for a link-rate for the new CPRI circuit, wherein the link-rate is less than the available bandwidth on the ethernet interface between the first proxy element and the second proxy element, wherein the auto-negotiation includes negotiating to select the link-rate from among the one or more candidate link-rates as a common matching link-rate; and
provisioning the new CPRI circuit with the link-rate.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first proxy element is a proxy-master element communicatively coupled to the RE element and the second proxy element is a proxy-master element communicatively coupled to the REC element.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first proxy element is a proxy-slave element communicatively coupled to the REC element and the second proxy element is a proxy-master element communicatively coupled to the RE element.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the REC element is a base band unit BBU) of a cellular base station and the RE element is a remote radio headend (RRH) of the cellular base station.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first proxy element and the second proxy element are each configured to auto-negotiate the link-rate from among a plurality of rates with a respective one of the REC element and the RE element.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the link-rate is selected as one of the plurality of rates.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the current load of traffic includes only the load for high priority CPRI traffic when non-CPRI low-priority traffic is deployed on the Ethernet-based fronthaul network.
8 . An Ethernet-based fronthaul network, comprising:
a first network element communicatively coupled to a radio equipment control (REC) element in the Ethernet-based fronthaul network;
a second network element communicatively coupled to a radio equipment (RE) element in the Ethernet-based fronthaul network;
wherein at least one of the first network element and the second network element is configured to:
determine that a new common public radio interface (CPRI) circuit is to be provisioned for packet exchange between the REC and the RE;
determine an available bandwidth as a total bandwidth on an ethernet interface between the first network element and the second network element minus a current load on the ethernet interface, wherein the current load includes a current load of traffic between the first network element and the second network element, and wherein the current load of traffic includes a load for high priority CPRI traffic;
determine whether link-rate auto-negotiation is configured for provisioning the new CPRI circuit, wherein auto-negotiation is configured with a list of one or more possible link-rates;
upon determining that the link-rate auto-negotiation is configured for provisioning the new CPRI circuit, identify, from the list of one or more possible link-rates, one or more candidate link-rates that are each less than the available bandwidth;
perform an auto-negotiation for a link-rate for the new CPRI circuit, wherein the link-rate is less than the available bandwidth on the ethernet interface between the first network element and the second network element, wherein the auto-negotiation includes negotiating to select the link-rate from among the one or more candidate link-rates as a common matching link-rate; and
provision the new CPRI circuit with the link-rate.
9 . The Ethernet-based fronthaul network of claim 8 , wherein the first network element is a proxy-slave element communicatively coupled to the REC element and the second network element is a proxy-master element communicatively coupled to the RE element.
10 . The Ethernet-based fronthaul network of claim 8 , wherein the REC element is a base band unit (BBU) of a cellular base station and the RE element is a remote radio headend (RRH) of the cellular base station.
11 . The Ethernet-based fronthaul network of claim 8 , wherein the first network element and the second network element are configured to auto-negotiate the link-rate from among a plurality of rates.
12 . The Ethernet-based fronthaul network of claim 11 , wherein the link-rate is selected as one of the plurality of rates.
13 . The Ethernet-based fronthaul network of claim 8 , wherein the first network element and the second network element are configured to auto-negotiate the link-rate with the REC element and the RE element, respectively.
14 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer-readable instructions, which when executed by one or more processors associated with a first proxy element or a second proxy element of an Ethernet-based fronthaul network, cause at least one of the first proxy element and the second proxy element to:
determine that a new common public radio interface (CPRI) circuit is to be provisioned for packet exchange between a radio equipment control (REC) element and a radio equipment (RE) element of the Ethernet-based fronthaul network;
determine an available bandwidth as a total bandwidth on an ethernet interface between the first proxy element and the second proxy element minus a current load on the ethernet interface, wherein the current load includes a current load of traffic between the first proxy element and the second proxy element, and wherein the current load of traffic includes a load for high priority CPRI traffic;
determine whether link-rate auto-negotiation is configured for provisioning the new CPRI circuit, wherein auto-negotiation is configured with a list of one or more possible link-rates;
upon determining that the link-rate auto-negotiation is configured for provisioning the new CPRI circuit, identify, from the list of one or more possible link-rates, one or more candidate link-rates that are each less than the available bandwidth;
perform an auto-negotiation for a link-rate for the new CPRI circuit, wherein the link-rate is less than the available bandwidth on the ethernet interface between the first network element and the second network element, wherein the auto-negotiation includes negotiating to select the link-rate from among the one or more candidate link-rates as a common matching link-rate; and
provision the new CPRI circuit with the link-rate.
15 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the first proxy element is a proxy-master element communicatively coupled to the RE element and the second proxy element is a proxy-master element communicatively coupled to the REC element.
16 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the first proxy element is a proxy-slave element communicatively coupled to the REC element and the second proxy element is a proxy-master element communicatively coupled to the RE element.
17 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the REC element is a base band unit (BBU) of a cellular base station and the RE element is a remote radio headend (RRH) of the cellular base station.
18 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the first proxy element and the second proxy element are each configured to auto-negotiate the link-rate from among a plurality of rates with a respective one of the REC element and the RE element.