Problem
Research questions and friction points this paper is trying to address.
O-RAN
Digital Twin
Closed-loop control
xApp/rApp validation
6G
ONDT: A Modular and Virtualized O-RAN Digital Twin for xApp/rApp Closed-Loop Experimentatio
🤖 AI Summary
This study addresses the high risks and costs associated with validating O-RAN closed-loop control algorithms in real-world environments by proposing a modular, cloud-native digital twin framework. By integrating the Juniper RIC platform with Keysight RICtest emulation technology, the framework establishes an isolated and reproducible experimental environment that automates the entire workflow, including xApp/rApp onboarding, scenario configuration, Key Performance Measurement (KPM) monitoring, and dataset generation. Experimental results successfully validate the effectiveness of closed-loop strategies such as cell switch-off control. Ultimately, this work provides a secure, efficient, and scalable testing paradigm for O-RAN intelligent control, significantly reducing the barriers to deploying and evaluating RAN automation policies prior to live network implementation.
📝 Abstract
Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) architectures extend programmability in next-generation cellular networks through Near-Real-Time and Non-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controllers (RICs), enabling AI/ML-driven xApps and rApps to optimize network behavior dynamically. However, validating automated closed-loop control algorithms in live environments presents significant operational risks and deployment costs. To address this challenge, this paper introduces the O-RAN Digital Twin (ONDT), a modular, virtualized, and cloud-native experimentation framework developed as a 6G enabler within the SNS SUNRISE-6G project. We present the ONDT architecture and its end-to-end experimentation workflows, showing how the framework automates O-RAN-compliant rApp/xApp onboarding, RAN scenario configuration and initialization, Key Performance Metric (KPM) collection, and closed-loop control validation. Experimental validation using Juniper RIC platforms and the Keysight RICtest emulation framework demonstrates ONDT ability to provide an isolated and reproducible environment for KPM monitoring, cell ON/OFF control, automated dataset generation, and rApp/xApp validation.
Innovation
Methods, ideas, or system contributions that make the work stand out.
O-RAN Digital Twin
Closed-Loop Experimentation
Cloud-Native Framework
xApp/rApp Validation
Network Emulation
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