Geographically redundant and high availability system architecture for a hybrid cloud cellular network
Various arrangements of hybrid cloud cellular network systems are presented herein. A cellular radio access network (RAN) that includes multiple base stations (BSs) can be in communication with a cloud computing platform. Multiple cloud-implemented national data center (NDC) instantiations can be present and executed on the cloud computing platform. Network functions (NFs) are executed within each cloud-implemented NDC instantiation on the cloud computing platform. The system further includes instances of a cellular network database function that updates each other instance of the cellular network database function across the NDC instantiations.
1. A hybrid cloud cellular network, comprising:
a radio access network (RAN) comprising a plurality of base stations (BSs);
a plurality of national data center (NDC) instantiations on a cloud computing platform, wherein:
the cloud computing platform is communicatively connected with the RAN; and
a first set of NDC instantiations of the plurality of NDC instantiations is executed in a first data center group region of the cloud computing platform and a second set of NDC instantiations of the plurality of NDC instantiations is executed in a second data center group region of the cloud computing platform;
a plurality of network functions (NFs), wherein an instance of each NF is executed within each NDC instantiation of the plurality of NDC instantiations;
a cellular network database function, wherein:
an instance of the cellular network database function is executed within each NDC instantiation of the plurality of NDC instantiations; and
each instance of the cellular network database function updates each other instance of the cellular network database function across the plurality of NDC instantiations; and
a plurality of regional data center (RDC) instantiations, wherein at least one RDC instantiation of the plurality of RDC instantiations is implemented at a same data center group at which an NDC instantiation of the plurality of NDC instantiations is implemented.
2. The hybrid cloud cellular network of claim 1 , wherein each RDC instantiation implements a second plurality of NFs, comprising: an accessibility and mobility management function (AMF), a user plane function (UPF), and a session management function (SMF).
3. The hybrid cloud cellular network of claim 1 , wherein at least one RDC instantiation of the plurality of RDC instantiations is implemented at different data center group at which no NDC instantiation of the plurality of NDC instantiations is executed.
4. The hybrid cloud cellular network of claim 1 , wherein the cloud computing platform is a public cloud computing platform.
5. The hybrid cloud cellular network of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of edge data centers (EDC) instantiations, wherein each EDC instantiation of the plurality of EDC instantiations is executed at a data center separate from data centers used for the plurality of NDC instantiations.
6. The hybrid cloud cellular network of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of NFs comprises: a network slice selection function (NSSF), a network exposure function (NEF), a security edge protection proxy (SEPP), a binding support function (BSF), a policy control function (PCF), a charging function (CHF), a service communication proxy (SCP), and a short message service function (SMSF).
7. The hybrid cloud cellular network of claim 1 , wherein a first instance of a NF at a first NDC instantiation within the first data center group region provides geographic redundancy for a second instance of the NF at a second NDC instantiation within the second data center group region.
8. The hybrid cloud cellular network of claim 1 , wherein each BS of the plurality of BSs comprises: an antenna, a radio unit (RUs), and a distributed unit (DU).
9. The hybrid cloud cellular network of claim 1 , wherein each NDC instantiation within a regional data center cluster is communicatively coupled with each RDC instantiation within its data center group region.
10. The hybrid cloud cellular network of claim 1 , wherein the cellular network database function is a universal data repository (UDR) that stores data for the plurality of NFs.
11. The hybrid cloud cellular network of claim 1 , wherein the hybrid cloud cellular network is a 5G New Radio (NR) cellular network.
12. A method comprising:
establishing a plurality of national data center (NDC) instantiations and a plurality of regional data center (RDC) instantiations on a cloud computing platform, wherein:
the cloud computing platform is communicatively connected with a radio access network (RAN);
a first set of NDC instantiations of the plurality of NDC instantiations is executed in a first data center group region of the cloud computing platform and a second set of NDC instantiations of the plurality of NDC instantiations is executed in a second data center group region of the cloud computing platform; and
at least one RDC instantiation of the plurality of RDC instantiations is implemented at a same data center group at which an NDC instantiation of the plurality of NDC instantiations is implemented;
executing, within each NDC instantiation of the plurality of NDC instantiations, a plurality of network functions (NFs);
executing, within each NDC instantiation of the plurality of NDC instantiations, an instance of a cellular network database function on the cloud computing platform, wherein each instance of the cellular network database function updates each other instance of the cellular network database function across the plurality of NDC instantiations; and
processing cellular network core traffic for the RAN using the plurality of NDC instantiations including the plurality of NFs and the cellular network database function.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein establishing the plurality of RDC instantiations further comprises establishing at least one RDC instantiation of the plurality of RDC instantiations at a different data center group at which no NDC instantiation of the plurality of NDC instantiations is established.
14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: establishing a plurality of edge data center (EDC) instantiations on the cloud computing platform.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of NFS comprises: a network slice selection function (NSSF), a network exposure function (NEF), a security edge protection proxy (SEPP), a binding support function (BSF), a policy control function (PCF), a charging function (CHF), a service communication proxy (SCP), and a short message service function (SMSF).
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein each RDC instantiation implements a second plurality of NFs, comprising: an accessibility and mobility management function (AMF), a user plane function (UPF), and a session management function (SMF).
17. A cloud cellular network system, comprising:
a plurality of national data center (NDC) instantiations on a cloud computing platform, wherein:
the cloud computing platform is communicatively connected with a radio access network (RAN), comprising a plurality of base stations; and
a first set of NDC instantiations of the plurality of NDC instantiations is executed in a first data center group region of the cloud computing platform and a second set of NDC instantiations of the plurality of NDC instantiations is executed in a second data center group region of the cloud computing platform;
a plurality of network functions (NFs), wherein an instance of each NF is executed within each NDC instantiation of the plurality of NDC instantiations;
a cellular network database function, wherein:
an instance of the cellular network database function is executed within each NDC instantiation of the plurality of NDC instantiations; and
each instance of the cellular network database function updates each other instance of the cellular network database function across the plurality of NDC instantiations; and
a plurality of regional data center (RDC) instantiations, wherein at least one RDC instantiation of the plurality of RDC instantiations is implemented at a same data center group at which an NDC instantiation of the plurality of NDC instantiations is implemented.