Computing workload transport over control plane in next generation cellular networks
An apparatus and system to enable dynamic offloading and execution of compute tasks are described. In split CU-DU RAN architectures, the CU-CP is connected with multiple compute control functions (CF) and service functions (SF) that have different computing hardware/software capabilities. Different architectures depend on whether the SF is collocated with the CU-UP, the CU-UP and SF only serve compute messages, a compute message is supplied directly to the CU-UP or also traverses the CU-CP. In response to reception from a UE of a compute message containing data for computation being sent to the CU-CP through the DU, the CU-CP sends the data to the SF with identifiers and sends the result to the UE.
1. An apparatus for a radio access network (RAN) centralized unit (CU) control plane (CU-CP) of a RAN, the apparatus comprising:
processing circuitry configured to:
decode, from a user equipment (UE), a radio resource control (RRC) message containing a compute message, the compute message comprising an indication of a compute task to be offloaded to the RAN and data of the compute task;
in response to reception of the compute message, determine a CU user plane (CU-UP) and RAN computing service function (Comp SF) associated with the CU-UP for computation of the compute task dependent on computing capabilities of the RAN Comp SF:
encode the data for transmission to the RAN Comp SF;
decode results of the compute task from the RAN Comp SF; and
encode, for transmission to the UE, another RRC message containing a compute message response that provides the results of the compute task; and
a memory configured to store information of the compute task.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compute task is sent over a RAN control plane using a pre-established RAN compute session.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
encode, for transmission to the UE, a system information broadcast (SIB) message that contains information of a compute service for communication of the compute task, and
establish a RAN compute session between the UE and RAN Comp SF for the compute service.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the RRC message between the UE and the CU-CP is carried using a signaling radio bearer (SRB), control plane signaling provided to a RAN computing control function (RAN Comp CF) from the CU-CP via a RAN Comp CF C1 interface.
5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:
the UE is in an RRC_CONNECTED mode,
the compute message comprises at least one of a RAN compute session identifier (ID) or a task ID of the RAN compute session, and
the processing circuitry is further configured to:
decode the compute message from a distributed unit (DU) using a further RRC message,
perform an integrity check on the compute message,
decrypt the data, and
prepare to send the data to the RAN Comp SF.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to at least one of:
select a RAN computing control function (Comp CF) during establishment of the RAN compute session, or
in response to reception of the compute message, select another RAN Comp CF and transfer a UE context to the other RAN Comp CF.
7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to encode, for transmission to the DU in response to a successful integrity check and decryption of the data, a compute message accept for transmission to the UE in response to the compute message.
8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to one of:
encode, for transmission to the RAN Comp SF using tunnel ID information, a container if a direct interface is present between the CU-CP and the RAN Comp SF, the container comprising the compute message, a UE ID, and the one of the session ID or task ID, and
encode, for transmission to a RAN computing control function (Comp CF) to forward to the RAN Comp SF, the container if a direct interface does not exist between the CU-CP and the RAN Comp SF.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the RAN Comp SF is collocated with the CU-UP, and
the CU-UP and RAN Comp SF are limited to serving compute messages such that other Signaling Radio Bearers (SRBs) and Data Radio Bearers (DRBs) are served by other CU-UP instances.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the RAN Comp SF is collocated with the CU-UP, and
the CU-UP serves Signaling Radio Bearers (SRBs) and Data Radio Bearers (DRBs) in addition to compute messages.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data is supplied to the CU-UP and RAN Comp SF through the CU-CP.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the RAN Comp SF is non-collocated with the CU-UP, and
the CU-UP and RAN Comp SF are limited to serving compute messages such that other Signaling Radio Bearers (SRBs) and Data Radio Bearers (DRBs) are served by other CU-UP instances.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
encode, for transmission to the RAN Comp SF collocated with the CU-UP, a first container over an E1 interface, the first container comprising the compute message, a UE identifier ID, and the one of a session ID or task ID, and
encode, for transmission to the RAN Comp SF non-collocated with the CU-UP, a second container over a Y1 interface, the second container comprising the compute message, a UE ID, and the one of the session ID or task ID.
14. An apparatus for a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising:
processing circuitry configured to:
determine that a compute task is to be offloaded to a radio access network (RAN) for computation by a RAN computing service function (Comp SF);
encode, for transmission to a RAN centralized unit (CU) control plane (CU-CP), a compute message to indicate the compute task to be offloaded and data of the compute task, the compute message comprising at least one of a RAN compute session identifier (ID) or task ID; and
decode, from the RAN, a compute message response that provides results of the compute task performed by the RAN Comp SF; and
a memory configured to store information of the compute task.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
decode, from the RAN CU-CP, a system information broadcast (SIB) message that contains information of a compute service for communication of the compute task, and
establish a RAN compute session between the UE and RAN Comp SF for the compute service.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein:
the RAN Comp SF is collocated with the RAN CU-UP, and
the CU-UP serves Signaling Radio Bearers (SRBs) and Data Radio Bearers (DRBs) in addition to compute messages.
17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein:
the RAN Comp SF is non-collocated with the RAN CU-UP, and
the CU-UP and RAN Comp SF are limited to serving compute messages such that other Signaling Radio Bearers (SRBs) and Data Radio Bearers (DRBs) are served by other CU-UP instances.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors of a radio access network (RAN) centralized unit (CU) control plane (CU-CP) of a RAN, the one or more processors to configure the RAN CU-CP to, when the instructions are executed:
decode, from a user equipment (UE), a compute message, the compute message comprising an indication of a compute task to be offloaded to the RAN and data of the compute task;
in response to reception of the compute message, determine a CU user plane (CU-UP) and RAN computing service function (RAN Comp SF) associated with the CU-UP for computation of the compute task:
encode, for transmission to the RAN Comp SF, the data via an interface that is dependent on whether the RAN Comp SF is collocated with the RAN CU-UP;
decode, from the RAN Comp SF, results of the compute task; and
encode, for transmission to the UE, a compute message response that provides the results of the compute task.
19. The medium of claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors further configure the RAN CU-CP to, when the instructions are executed:
encode, for transmission to the UE, a system information broadcast (SIB) message that contains information of a compute service for communication of the compute task, and
establish a RAN compute session between the UE and RAN Comp SF for the compute service.