Cloud network implementation for a distributed antenna system control plane
Cloud network implementations for a distributed antenna system (DAS) control plane are provided. In one embodiment, a DAS architecture comprises: a DAS cloud computing network; a first DAS comprising a first user plane, wherein the first user plane includes uplink circuitry and downlink circuitry, wherein the uplink circuitry forwards uplink radio frequency traffic from at least one remote antenna unit to a master unit, wherein the downlink circuitry forwards downlink radio frequency traffic from the master unit to the at least one remote antenna unit; wherein the DAS cloud computing network comprises a control plane in communication with the user plane through a network; the first user plane comprises a high level protocol interface abstraction layer coupled to the network and processes and forwards the uplink and downlink radio frequency traffic based on configuration commands received from the control plane via the high level protocol interface abstraction layer.
1. A distributed antenna system (DAS) architecture, the DAS architecture comprising:
a DAS cloud computing network;
a first distributed antenna system comprising uplink circuitry and downlink circuitry configured to implement at least a first user plane, wherein the uplink circuitry forwards uplink radio frequency traffic from at least one remote antenna unit of the first distributed antenna system to at least one master unit of the first distributed antenna system, wherein the downlink circuitry forwards downlink radio frequency traffic from the least one master unit to the at least one remote antenna unit;
wherein the DAS cloud computing network comprises a control plane in communication with the first user plane of the first distributed antenna system through a network;
wherein the first user plane comprises a protocol interface abstraction layer coupled to the network and is communicatively coupled to the control plane through the network by the protocol interface abstraction layer of the first user plane, wherein a protocol interface abstraction layer translates configuration commands received from the control plane into DAS hardware specific instructions compatible with the uplink circuitry and downlink circuitry, and wherein the first user plane processes and forwards the uplink and downlink radio frequency traffic based on configuration commands received from the control plane via the protocol interface abstraction layer.
2. The DAS architecture of claim 1 , wherein the control plane comprises one or more control plane applications executed by at least one network node of the DAS cloud computing network, wherein the configuration commands to the first user plane are generated by the one or more control plane applications.
3. The DAS architecture of claim 1 , wherein the control plane comprises a plurality of virtual machines executed by at least one network node of the DAS cloud computing network, wherein the configuration commands to the first user plane are generated by the plurality of virtual machines.
4. The DAS architecture of claim 1 , wherein the DAS cloud computing network further comprises a data plane in communication with the control plane, the data plane comprising at least one network node or a database virtual machine that includes a shared database.
5. The DAS architecture of claim 1 , wherein the DAS cloud computing network further comprises:
a plurality of virtual machines;
a data plane comprising a shared database;
a message and data bus, wherein the plurality of virtual machines and the shared database are communicatively coupled to each other over the message and data bus;
wherein the plurality of virtual machines comprises at least one DAS Controller Virtual Machine associated with the first user plane, wherein the at least one DAS Controller Virtual Machine is communicatively coupled to the first user plane via the protocol interface abstraction layer.
6. The DAS architecture of claim 5 , wherein the DAS cloud computing network further comprises a web backend server coupled to the message and data bus, wherein the web backend server serves web pages providing a common user interface to access applications provided by each of the plurality of virtual machines.
7. The DAS architecture of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of virtual machines further comprises a system configuration virtual machine, wherein the system configuration virtual machine manages configuration of the DAS cloud computing network.
8. The DAS architecture of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of virtual machines further comprises a network element management virtual machine that includes a northbound interface to an operations and maintenance service.
9. The DAS architecture of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of virtual machines has common access to the shared database.
10. The DAS architecture of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of virtual machines comprises a second DAS Controller Virtual Machine associated with a second user plane, wherein the second DAS Controller Virtual Machine is communicatively coupled to the second user plane via the protocol interface abstraction layer.
11. The DAS architecture of claim 10 , wherein the second user plane is an element of the first distributed antenna system.
12. The DAS architecture of claim 10 , further comprising a second distributed antenna system that comprises the second user plane.
13. The DAS architecture of claim 1 , wherein the DAS cloud computing network further comprises:
a plurality of DAS cloud service applications executed by one or more network nodes of the DAS cloud computing network;
a data plane comprising a shared database;
a message and data bus, wherein the plurality of DAS cloud service applications and the shared database are communicatively coupled to each other over the message and data bus.
14. The DAS architecture of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of DAS cloud service applications comprises an operations and maintenance service in communication with the first user plane, wherein the operations and maintenance service is communicatively coupled to the first user plane via control plane and the protocol interface abstraction layer;
wherein the plurality of DAS cloud service applications further comprises a network configuration service in communication with the first user plane, wherein the network configuration service is communicatively coupled to the first user plane via the control plane and the protocol interface abstraction layer;
wherein the plurality of DAS cloud service applications further comprises a Web backend service in communication with the first user plane, wherein the Web backend service is communicatively coupled to the first user plane via the control plane and the protocol interface abstraction layer.
15. The DAS architecture of claim 13 , wherein the DAS cloud service applications have common access to the shared database.
16. The DAS architecture of claim 13 , wherein the operations and maintenance service includes a northbound interface.
17. The DAS architecture of claim 5 , wherein the DAS cloud computing network further comprises a web backend server coupled to the message and data bus, wherein the web backend server serves web pages providing a common user interface to access applications provided by each of the DAS cloud service applications.
18. The DAS architecture of claim 5 , further comprising a second user plane coupled to the DAS cloud computing network over the network, wherein the plurality of DAS cloud service applications are communicatively coupled to the second user plane via a second protocol interface abstraction layer.
19. The DAS architecture of claim 18 , wherein the second user plane is an element of the first distributed antenna system.
20. The DAS architecture of claim 18 , further comprising a second distributed antenna system that comprises the second user plane.
21. The DAS architecture of claim 18 , wherein first user plane and the second user plane are defined within the plurality of DAS cloud service applications as a single logical user plane, wherein the control plane sends non-hardware specific commands and data to the first user plane and the second user plane that configure operation of the logical user plane.
22. The DAS architecture of claim 1 , wherein the first user plane is logically divided into a plurality of multiple logical user planes, wherein each of the multiple logical user planes process and forward the uplink and downlink radio frequency traffic based on independent configurations received from the control plane.
23. The DAS architecture of claim 1 , wherein the first user plane transmits alarms to the control plane over the network using the protocol interface abstraction layer.
24. The DAS architecture of claim 1 , wherein in response to the configuration commands received from the control plane, the first user plane adjusts RF signal levels of one or both of the uplink radio frequency traffic and the downlink radio frequency traffic.
25. The DAS architecture of claim 1 , wherein the first user plane transports one or both of analog uplink and downlink radio frequency traffic signals or digital uplink and downlink radio frequency traffic signals.