5G Americas White Paper: Management, Orchestration & Automation 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 1 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 4 2. OSS/BSS Challenges and Opportunities in Mobile 5G Networks ......................................................... 5 2.1 Real-Time and Distributed Service Assurance ............................................................................. 5 2.2 Service Centric Assurance ............................................................................................................ 8 2.3 Contextual Service Assurance ...................................................................................................... 8 2.4 Orchestrator Integration and Close Loop Automation ................................................................ 10 2.4.1 Automation and Orchestration in 5G Networks ....................................................................... 10 2.4.2 Forms of Orchestration ........................................................................................................... 11 2.5 Multi-Access Edge Computing Orchestration ............................................................................. 12 2.5.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 12 2.5.2 Multi-Access Edge................................................................................................................... 12 2.5.3 Capabilities Exposure ............................................................................................................. 13 2.5.4 Multi Access Edge Reference Architecture ............................................................................. 14 2.5.5 Variant Reference Architecture for MEC in NFV ..................................................................... 15 2.5.6 Multi-Access Edge System Level Management ...................................................................... 16 2.5.7 Operations Support System (OSS) ......................................................................................... 17 2.5.8 User Application Lifecycle Management ................................................................................. 17 2.5.9 Orchestration and optimization of enterprise applications ...................................................... 17 2.6 Network Slicing............................................................................................................................ 18 2.6.1 Network Slicing Overview ....................................................................................................... 18 2.6.2 Network Slicing Scenarios ...................................................................................................... 19 2.6.3 Network Slicing Management Challenges .............................................................................. 19 2.7 Dynamic Provisioning .................................................................................................................. 22 2.8 Un-Instrumented Apps/Devices Support ..................................................................................... 22 2.9 Smart Databases ........................................................................................................................ 24 2.10 Dynamic Inventories .................................................................................................................... 25 2.10.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 25 2.10.2 Laying the Foundation for a Dynamic Inventory ................................................................. 26 2.10.3 Dynamic Inventory Architecture .......................................................................................... 27 2.10.4 Discovery and Reconciliation .............................................................................................. 28 2.10.5 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 30 2.11 AI/ML and Analytics in 5G Networks ........................................................................................... 31 2.11.1 Analytics .............................................................................................................................. 32 5G Americas White Paper: Management, Orchestration & Automation 2 2.12 Open Source Developments ....................................................................................................... 32 2.12.1 Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) ...................................................................... 33 2.12.2 Open Source MANO (OSM) ................................................................................................ 33 2.13 Zero Touch Network and Service Management (ZSM) .............................................................. 34 2.13.1 ZSM Architecture Framework ............................................................................................. 35 2.13.2 ZSM Scenarios and Key Requirements .............................................................................. 36 2.13.3 Containers and Virtual Machines ........................................................................................ 36 2.14 Evolution to Cloud Native Functions ........................................................................................... 38 2.15 Service Assurance Costs versus Benefits/ROI ........................................................................... 39 3. Management, Orchestration and Automation Solutions for 5G Networks ........................................... 40 3.1 5G Management, Orchestration and Automation Requirements by NGMN ............................... 40 3.1.1 5G End-to-End Service Management ..................................................................................... 40 3.1.2 Network Optimization .............................................................................................................. 40 3.1.3 Collection of E2E Service Quality Information ........................................................................ 42 3.1.4 Network Slice Instance Life Cycle Management ..................................................................... 42 3.1.5 Network Functions Sharing Between Network Slice Instances .............................................. 43 3.2 3GPP Management, Orchestration and Self-Organization Solutions ......................................... 43 3.2.1 Service-Based Management Architecture .............................................................................. 43 3.2.2 Management of Network Slicing ............................................................................................. 47 3.2.3 Information Models Rel-15 ...................................................................................................... 50 3.2.4 Management of Disaggregated RAN ...................................................................................... 50 3.2.5 SON in 5G ............................................................................................................................... 53 3.2.6 New Types of Network Information Available in 5G Networks ............................................... 57 4. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 59 Appendix ..................................................................................................................................................... 61 A. Acronyms ................................................................................................................................................ 61 Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................................... 67 5G Americas White Paper: Management, Orchestration & Automation 3 1. INTRODUCTION Operation Support Systems/Business Support Systems (OSS/BSS) are the heart of telecom operations and will be heavily impacted with 5G-based application and services. The Next Generation Network (NGN) and its Operations Support Systems (OSS) and Business Support Systems (BSS) market provide capabilities that have become an absolute requirement for Communication Service Providers (CSP) of all types including integrated legacy carriers (fixed, wireless, and cable/Internet), Multiple System Operators (MSO) and Over-the-Top (OTT) providers. Ten years ago, the OSS BSS market was driven largely by a need to consolidate operational support and billing, as well as prepare for next- generation IP-based networks and services. A decade later, these reasons are still important along with many other reasons. 5G will require OSS BSS support for Network Slicing, both in terms of administration of slice allocations (including Service Level Agreements) as well as billing for slices and usage. CSPs will also require OSS BSS for support of massive Internet of Things (MIoT) systems enabled by 5G. The Internet of Things will require operational support for intermediation between networks and systems. IoT