Real-time O-RAN fronthaul analyzer and graphical user interface
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing a real-time Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) fronthaul analyzer and graphical user interface (FHA/GUI) are provided. In one example, a method describes receiving an O-RAN fronthaul (OFH) packet traffic flow; parsing packet headers of the OFH packet traffic flow; identifying and tracking active flows in the OFH packet traffic flow using the parsing; and presenting a visual representation of the active flows using the tracking of active flows. In some examples, the real-time O-RAN FHA/GUI may be used for testing an OFH link for compliance with the O-RAN standards.
1. A method of analyzing an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) fronthaul (OFH) link between an O-RAN Distributed Unit (O-DU) and an O-RAN Radio Unit (O-RU), comprising:
receiving an OFH packet traffic flow from the O-DU and the O-RU;
adding timing information to each packet of the OFH packet traffic flow;
parsing metadata from packet headers of the OFH packet traffic flow;
identifying one or more active packet flows in the OFH packet traffic flow using the parsed metadata;
tracking the identified one or more active packet flows using the parsed metadata;
continuously generating one or more analytical timing measurements of the tracked one or more active packet flows based on the parsing and the added timing information;
receiving user input selecting at least one selectable parameter, wherein a selectable parameter comprises at least one of the O-DU, the O-RU, a type of packet, a communication plane, a source, a destination, a traffic direction, or at least one of the one or more analytical timing measurements,
wherein receiving user input comprises receiving user input selecting at least one selectable parameter comprising the O-DU; and
presenting, using the selected at least one selectable parameter, a visual representation of the tracked one or more active packet flows and the continuously generated one or more analytical timing measurements of the tracked one or more active packet flows,
wherein the presented visual representation comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) showing a current transmission bandwidth of the O-DU and at least one of current reception bandwidth of the O-DU, transmission bandwidth usage of the O-DU over time, reception bandwidth usage of the O-DU over time, or an identification of each O-RU presently connected to the O-DU.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the GUI shows, for each of the tracked one or more active packet flows, at least one of a source, a destination, a packet type, a traffic direction, or a unique indicia to identify each of the tracked one or more active packet flows.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the unique indicia comprises a hash value.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving user input comprises receiving user input selecting the at least one selectable parameter comprising the O-RU, and
wherein the presented visual representation comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) showing at least one of current transmission bandwidth of the O-RU, current reception bandwidth of the O-RU, transmission bandwidth usage of the O-RU over time, or reception bandwidth usage of the O-RU over time.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving user input comprises receiving user input selecting the at least one selectable parameter comprising a Control Plane (C-Plane) active packet flow, a User Plane (U-Plane) active packet flow, and the O-DU, and
wherein the presented visual presentation comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) showing at least one of current analytical timing measurements of early, late, and on-time downlink C-Plane packets, current analytical timing measurements of early, late, and on-time uplink C-Plane packets, or current analytical timing measurements of early, late, and on-time downlink U-Plane packets.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving user input comprises receiving user input selecting the at least one selectable parameter comprising a Control Plane (C-Plane) active packet flow, a User Plane (U-Plane) active packet flow, and the O-RU, and
wherein the presented visual presentation comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) showing at least one of current analytical timing measurements of early, late, and on-time uplink U-Plane packets or current analytical timing measurements of early, late, and on-time uplink U-Plane packets.
7. A real-time Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) fronthaul analyzer and graphical user interface (FHA/GUI), comprising:
a hardware accelerator to receive and analyze O-RAN fronthaul (OFH) packet traffic flow of an O-RAN Distributed Unit (O-DU) and an O-RAN Radio Unit (O-RU), comprising:
a parser to parse metadata from packet headers of the OFH packet traffic flow; and
a flow tracker to identify and track active packet flows using the parsed metadata; and
one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are to:
receive data regarding the active packet flows from the flow tracker;
receive user input selecting at least one selectable parameter, wherein a selectable parameter comprises at least one of the O-DU, the O-RU, a type of packet, a communication plane, a source, a destination, a traffic direction, or one or more analytical timing measurements; and
generate, using the selected at least one selectable parameter, a graphical user interface (GUI) to display a visual representation of the active packet flows using the received data,
wherein, when the received user input selects the O-DU as the selected at least one selectable parameter, the visual representation shows a current transmission bandwidth of the O-DU and at least one of current reception bandwidth of the O-DU, transmission bandwidth usage of the O-DU over time, reception bandwidth usage of the O-DU over time, or an identification of each O-RU presently connected to the O-DU.
8. The real-time O-RAN FHA/GUI of claim 7 , wherein the hardware accelerator comprises a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).
9. The real-time O-RAN FHA/GUI of claim 7 , wherein the hardware accelerator further comprises:
a counter to maintain a clock, wherein timing information is added to each packet of the OFH packet traffic flow using the counter.
10. The real-time O-RAN FHA/GUI of claim 9 , wherein the hardware accelerator is further to analyze a plurality of packets in the OFH packet traffic flow using at least one of the added timing information or the parsed metadata and to continuously generate one or more analytical timing measurements of the OFH packet traffic flow based on the analyzing of the plurality of packets; and
wherein the one or more processors are further to:
receive the continuously generated one or more analytical timing measurements from the hardware accelerator; and
generate the GUI to display a visual representation of the OFH packet traffic flow using the continuously generated one or more analytical timing measurements.
11. The real-time O-RAN FHA/GUI of claim 7 , wherein the visual representation comprises, for each of the tracked one or more active packet flows, at least one of a source, a destination, a packet type, a traffic direction, or a unique indicia to identify each of the tracked one or more active packet flows.
12. The real-time O-RAN FHA/GUI of claim 11 , wherein the unique indicia comprises a hash value.
13. The real-time O-RAN FHA/GUI of claim 7 , wherein, when the received user input selects the O-RU as the selected at least one selectable parameter, the visual representation shows at least one of current transmission bandwidth of the O-RU, current reception bandwidth of the O-RU, transmission bandwidth usage of the O-RU over time, or reception bandwidth usage of the O-RU over time.
14. The real-time O-RAN FHA/GUI of claim 7 , wherein, when the received user input selects a Control Plane (C-Plane) active packet flow, a User Plane (U-Plane) active packet flow, and the O-DU as the selected at least one selectable parameter, the visual presentation shows at least one of current analytical timing measurements of early, late, and on-time downlink C-Plane packets, current analytical timing measurements of early, late, and on-time uplink C-Plane packets, or current analytical timing measurements of early, late, and on-time downlink U-Plane packets.
15. The real-time O-RAN FHA/GUI of claim 7 , wherein, when the received user input selects a Control Plane (C-Plane) active packet flow, a User Plane (U-Plane) active packet flow, and the O-RU DU as the selected at least one selectable parameter, the visual presentation shows at least one of current analytical timing measurements of early, late, and on-time uplink U-Plane packets or current analytical timing measurements of early, late, and on-time uplink U-Plane packets.
16. A real-time Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) fronthaul analyzer and graphical user interface (FHA/GUI), comprising:
a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) to receive and analyze O-RAN fronthaul (OFH) packet traffic flow of an O-RAN Distributed Unit (O-DU) and an O-RAN Radio Unit (O-RU), comprising:
a parser to parse metadata from packet headers of the OFH packet traffic flow;
a counter to maintain a clock, wherein timing information is added to each packet of the OFH packet traffic flow using the counter; and
a flow tracker to identify and track active packet flows using at least one of the parsed metadata and the added timing information,
wherein the FPGA is further to analyze a plurality of packets in the OFH packet traffic flow using the added timing information and the parsed metadata and to continuously generate one or more analytical timing measurements of the OFH packet traffic flow based on the analyzing; and
one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are to:
receive the continuously generated one or more analytical timing measurements from the FPGA;
receive user input selecting at least one selectable parameter, wherein a selectable parameter comprises at least one of the O-DU, the O-RU, a type of packet, a communication plane, a source, a destination, a traffic direction, or one or more analytical timing measurements; and
generate, using the selected at least one selectable parameter, a graphical user interface (GUI) to display a visual representation of the active packet flows using the received continuously generated one or more analytical timing measurements,
wherein, when the received user input selects the O-DU as the selected at least one selectable parameter, the visual representation shows a current transmission bandwidth of the O-DU and at least one of current reception bandwidth of the O-DU, transmission bandwidth usage of the O-DU over time, reception bandwidth usage of the O-DU over time, or an identification of each O-RU presently connected to the O-DU.