5G Network Slicing Management for

Challenged Network Scenarios

Industry keynote 12th Workshop on Challenged Networks, ACM CHANTS, October 20, 2017

Henning Sanneck
E2E Mobile Network Solutions, Nokia Bell Labs Research, Munich, Germany
with contributions from C. v. Hardenberg, C. Mannweiler, M. Naseer-ul-Islam, C. Sartori, C. Schmelz et al.

1 © 2017 Nokia Public

Outline

5G Conclusions

5G Network Slicing 5G Network Slicing Management

5G RAN 5G RAN Management

2 © 2017 Nokia
5G: just yet another “G” ?

Prof. Carle, TUM Dr. Tsvetkov, TUM Prof. Stadler, KTH

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5G Cellular Networks
New user demands with extremely diverse requirements

Devices Smart Factories

1.5 GB/day 1 PB/day

Billions of sensors Autonomous driving

connected 1ms latency

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5G: Diversity of Use Cases - The 4 Key Business Value Dimensions
360° video
10Gbps Video (free viewpoint) Centralized RAN VR/AR
Autonomous
1Gbps 360° VR vehicles
(hi-res)

100Mbps
Bandwidth

Remote Virtual RAN

training
360° video 4k Video
10Mbps (lo-res) streaming
Haptic VR

1Mbps Things
Remote control
vehicles
System
SD Video
streaming
Control
Cloud-assisted
100kbps driving
Sensors
Chatbots
10kbps Electric grid
control

1kbps Home Sensors

10s 1s 100ms 10ms 1ms 100us 10us

Latency
Core Cloud Edge Cloud
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5G challenged network scenario: Industrial Internet / Industry 4.0
Resilient, secure low-latency communication

Low / deterministic latency

<1ms; 99.999% reliability
Wireline
Manufacturing and process automation connections
Inherent security
Resilient, secure low-latency comms by dedicated network slices
today
>90% Single company network
for all kinds of industrial applications
Critical comms

Intrusion detection
Overall costs # of sensors Removing cost
for greenfield = of cabling installation and

Business case

Benefits
Payback period maintenance
2-5 times lower
Less reconfiguration time
Public MNO slice

AR-enhanced
Break even for Reconfiguration Less production capacity
wireline replacement cycle 
maintenance = overprovisioning
1 year Payback period

6 © 2017 Nokia
Slicing

https://www.pexels.com/photo/wheat-bread-slices-166021/
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/InventorOfTheMundane
https://www.telekom.com/de/konzern/details/network-slicing-485774
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5G Network Slicing | Optimized service delivery for heterogeneous use cases
Multiple independent network instances on one physical network

Slicing across radio, transport, core / Cloud scalability

edge and central clouds and efficiency

Autonomous
driving
Self service
portal Industry

Flexibility to meet diverse requirements Automotive

Health
Health
monitoring

Factory

Full automation / self-organization

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Different use case requirements  different slice characteristics

Latency
Challenge need

LOW

HIGH

Mobile
Broadband

HIGH

SMF: Session Management Function

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UPF: User Plane Function
5G RAN: Requirements and Features

Services UHD video VR Ultra broadband VR URLLC Drones V2X I4.0

Requirements

Several 100 MHz High Frequency Reduce Reliability

spectrum deployments latency to
milliseconds
New spectrum New spectrum Instant response At L1 or higher layers
RAN Features

Front haul split,

Shorter TTI , Multi-Cell
HARQ Flexibility, Support for
RRC-INACTIVE, Coordination:
New Radio (NR) Beamforming,
Zero latency Handover, (CoMP),
Carrier Aggregation,
SRB/DRB duplication, NR Multi-Connectivity,
NR-LTE Dual Self Backhaul
HARQ Flexibility SRB/DRB duplication
Connectivity

10 © 2017 Nokia SRB/DRB: Signaling / Data Radio Bearer

 5G RAN structure = potential site for data center /
aggregation
macro

small cells
RAN / Core network functions

tree edge
cloud
New radio small cells RRHs

New radio macro

MuLTEfire chain

4G macro edge Core network

cloud functions
WiFi star
ring
macro central
macro gateways
small cells pre-aggregation
Heterogenous environment:
-Multi-RAT, multi-layer Distance and latency to radio access increases
-Small cell  cloud RAN x100.000 x10.000 x1.000 x100 x10
-Physical and virtualized small cells macro sites pre-aggregation aggregation sites central
sites gateways
Network Functions
-Multi-vendor  Very flexible, but also very complex RAN structure
11 © 2017 Nokia
5G RAN Management
Addressing the challenges
Ultra Dense Cloudified RAN & Multi- URLLC network Multi-service
Small Cells Core connectivity (MC) service Network
CP
CP

Distribution Centralization Low latency radio,

Multi-RAT / layer Slices
edge cloud
Flexible VNF re-
location / re-
configuration

Intra- / inter-slice
Distributed Combined NM data resolution; management;
MC-aware, prognostic
decisions; management of Separation (&
management incl. diagnosis; sharing) of
Management physical /
aggregation of combined network
knowledge;
hierarchy / virtualized resilience & self-
PM/FM data
aggregation infrastructure healing Embedded
analytics

„Hybrid“ NM
12 © 2017 Nokia
 5G RAN Management: Opportunity vs. Risk
Opportunity: ubiquitous, unlimited Risk: complexity of the network
connectivity for a wide range of services infrastructure (dense small cells, mixed
physical / virtualized infrastructure)
Capacity Cost
prohibitive $
„Unlimited“ $$

viable
$ Network
Coverage complexity
„Ubiquitous“ high

Characteristic: Scale (# users, # applications) Characteristic: Scale (# cells, # (V)NFs)

Manifestation: network usage data Manifestation: network operation data
Cognition: drive opportunity, limit risk by “mastering data”  mastering complexity
13 © 2017 Nokia
Cognition & applied to infrastructure networks ?
Self-
Organization
Cellular macro network
• Tightly planned, infrequent physical
topology changes, automated operation
• Single operator
• Single vendor equipment per OAM domain
5G Cellular Heterogeneous Network Ad-hoc / mesh network
• Some parts only coarsely planned, • Uncoordinated deployment,
frequent virtual topology changes, frequent physical topology
highly automated operation changes, autonomous operation
• Multi-tenant (shared infra) • Only node operator
• Multi-vendor per domain • Open environment, standardized
protocols between nodes
“Self-organization is a process where the organization
(constraint, redundancy) of a system spontaneously
increases, i.e., without this increase being controlled by
the environment or an encompassing or otherwise external
14 © 2017 Nokia system.“ (F. Heylighen, Principia Cybernetica Web, 1997)
 5G RAN Management
verticals
IoT
support Cognitive Network Management System
D2D
(multi-vendor, multi-tenant)
Virtualized
Network
Functions
Self-
backhauling Optimization
New radio small cells
Troubleshooting / Healing
New radio macro
Ultra-dense
small cells MuLTEfire
Configuration
Low Low 4G
latency cost
WiFi Analytics Policy
Multi-hop
High
reliability
Location
(Trained) telco-centric knowledge
information models & context
Low power
consumption
network data
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(challenged) network scenarios

 5G Network (Slicing) Management Communication Service Mgmt. (eMBB, mMTC, cMTC)

Analytics Network Preparation, LCM / (re-)configuration Policy

Engine Slice Engine
Mgmt. Anomaly Detection  Diagnosis  Healing action
Knowledge Objectives /
Sharing / Intent
Scaling
Isolation

Load balancing / traffic steering Management

Verification Scaling in/out, down/up
Policies
Coverage and Capacity Optimization

Machine Mobility robustness (MRO)

Coordination
Learning
Anomaly Detection  Diagnosis  Anomaly Detection  Diagnosis 
Healing Healing

Neighbour relationship setup (ANR)

(Big) data
acquisition Resource ID allocation (beam/cell ID/RS) Network Function Chaining
and Cognitive NM functions
distribution OAM connectivity / interface setup workflow
LCM / (re-)configuration, (re-)placement

MDT / location
Radio resources (beams, cells): PNFs Cloud resources
16 © 2017 Nokia Licensed Unlicensed 3GPP VNFs Apps
spectrum
5G Network Slicing Management: system architecture

Communication Service Management

has not been covered by 3GPP standards
Communication Service Management in the past
• TMForum and ITIL provide (high-level)
industry specifications
Network Slice Management
Inter-
Slice
Mgmt. NM NFVO
OAM NFV Network Slice management is “umbrella”
domain domain functionality
EM VNFM • Across radio / core / transport
• Across infrastructure providers
• VNFs and PNFs
• Across vendors
VNF-App
PNF
VNF-Plat

17 © 2017 Nokia
Depth of control and entry levels of 3rd party
3rd party (e.g., vertical)

Communication Service Mgmt.

MNO Option 1
Web Service

BSS Network Slice Management Network Slice Mgmt. BSS

Option 2

Network Management Network Orchestration

ElementManager
Element Manager VNFManager
VNF Manager

Network Slice 1

Network Slice 2

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Depth of control and entry levels of 3rd party
3rd party (e.g., vertical)

Communication Service Mgmt.

MNO

Web Service

BSS Network Slice Management Network Slice Mgmt. BSS

NM Network Orchestration
Network Management Network Orchestration

Element Manager VNF Manager

ElementManager
Element Manager VNFManager
VNF Manager

Network Slice 1 Option 3

Network Slice 2

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Network Slice Lifecycle
3GPP 28.801
Lifecycle of a Network Slice Instance (NSI)

Preparation Instantiation, Configuration Run-time Decommissioning

and Activation
Pre-
Design Instantiation/ Supervision Modificatio
provision Activation De-activation Termination
Configuration n
Network environment Reporting
preparation

NSI Automated Configuration NSI Automated Optimization /

Healing

NSI Automated Re-Configuration

Feedback for template optimization

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Run-time optimization, reconfiguration CSMF

Example of NF Overload detection

Trigger SLA modification negotiation CSMF

Beyond SLA limits for the slice

review subnet provisioning

NSI NSI Within SLA limits
Modify subnet NSMF
policy

Beyond current subnet provisioning for the slice

within allowed limits for the slice Scaling or

NSSI NSSI NSSI NF Overload
(e.g. increasing connected users
New Instance NSSMF
Instantiation

Each layer monitors and checks possible actions within its scope according to SLA.
Otherwise „escalate“ to next higher level

21 © 2017 Nokia
5G Cognitive NM function design
Impacts of Multi-Tenancy and Multi-Service
Cell-Specific Function Instance Slice-Specific Function Instance
• Differentiate input (performance metrics) for • Multiple instances per cell
different slices • Coordination between different function
• Coordination among requirements of different instances of same type operating on the same
slices cell
• Cognitive NM function policy update when slice – Parameters adjustable per UE
is (de)activated – Parameters adjustable only at cell level

Coordinator

Performance Metrics Configuration

Performance Metrics Configuration CF1-c
CF1 CF1-b
CF1-a

Network Slices Operating within a Cell

Network Slices Operating within a Cell
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CF: Cognitive Function
5G Cognitive NM functions: example CCO / verification

• Observed effect in real network data:

Cell B up-tilt 2°  Cell A shows increased values of KPI “BLER in the HSUPA MAC layer”
• Cause: Coverage and Capacity Optimization (CCO) algorithm
triggered Cell C up-tilt  Cell B forced to up-tilt due to being Cell C
on the same RET module as Cell C up-tilted (CCO)

Shared RET
• Example case solved with hierarchical „network intelligence“:
CCO (tilt optimization) function plus
Cell B
verification function with wider network view up-tilted (forced)

Tilt changes
applied; Start of
assessment Hidden
process. performance
effect

Cell A
-Increased HSUPA BLER
-Neighbor of Cell B
Thur. Fri. Sat Sun

-Not neighbor of Cell C

23 © 2017 Nokia
5G Network Slicing Management for Challenged Network Scenarios
Conclusions

• 5G addresses some “challenged network” scenarios (factory, UAV, disaster response,

V2X)
• 5G Network characteristics (ultra dense, cloudified, multi-service / -tenant) impose
new RAN operability challenges
• Functional:
• per service- / tenant- instrumentation and dynamic operation
(multiplicity of virtual network configurations)
• data: higher resolution of measurements; new external sources / context
• higher degree of autonomy in management
• Architectural:
• new building blocks slicing management, analytics & policy engine
• higher degree of distribution, cooperation / coordination and abstraction
 Cognitive NM functions to master network data  mastering network complexity

24 © 2017 Nokia
5G Network Slicing Management for Challenged Network Scenarios
Conclusions

• 5G Network Slicing Management

• Different levels of control by tenant required (high-level vertical vs. MVNO)
• Slice run-time optimization / healing  slice-aware Cognitive Functions  managing
Physical and Virtual NFs
• Coordination across different slice’s requirements
 Enable the management of diverse service types in diverse network scenarios

Research challenges
• Dynamic slice instantiation and management (for unpredicted events)
• Slice management knowledge sharing & isolation
• Cognitive Function placement
• 5G URLLC management: instrumentation, prognostic diagnosis
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Portable Control Center
UAV swarm

LTE Portable LTE LTE

Ultra Compact Network Connectivity / PaCo

(on pole, drone, balloon)
Flight management
• HD/IR/Thermal Cameras Rescue Apps
• Loudspeaker / Microphone
RF
• Gas Sensor Data Storage
• Delivery System BTS
PaCo • Video streaming
• LTE data and control connection
• 3D map creation
• Object detection/People
Local NGO / International count
Crisis Management LTE • Flight management
Organization automation
(Mission Training, Storage,
deployment)
Local Operator
Nokia Operational Team/
(Frequency License) Handsets Deployment

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