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VMware Telco Cloud Platform RAN 1.0 | 08 APR 2021

Check for additions and updates to these release notes.

Overview of Telco Cloud Platform RAN

VMware Telco Cloud Platform RAN™ is a cloud-native RAN solution that is designed specifically for running RAN functions. It provides the RAN modernization path, evolving from legacy Radio Access Network (RAN) to virtualized RAN (vRAN) to OpenRAN. It transforms the RAN into a 5G multi-services hub “mini cloud”, enabling Communication Services Providers (CSPs) to monetize their RAN investments. VMware Telco Cloud Platform RAN is designed to meet the performance and latency requirements inherent to RAN workloads.

  • Enables CSPs to run virtualized Baseband functions that include virtualized Distributed Units (vDUs) and virtualized Central Units (vCUs). 

  • Simplifies CSPs’ operations consistently across distributed vRAN sites with centralized cloud-first automation, while reducing the Operating Expense (OpEx).

  • Provides operational consistency by removing business uncertainties and reduces ballooning costs associated with 5G deployment.

  • Enables CSPs to accelerate innovation speed, deploy 5G services fast, and scale the services as customers’ demands increase.

VMware Telco Cloud Platform RAN is powered by field-proven virtualization, carrier-grade Container-as-a-Service (CaaS), and multi-layer automation that are consistent with its 5G core and edge offerings. This end-to-end consistency achieved by the coherent underpinning platform across 5G networks enables CSPs to provision 5G services customized for different enterprise and consumer markets while providing unparalleled operational efficiency.

Features of Telco Cloud Platform RAN

The major features of Telco Cloud Platform RAN are as follows:

Optimization for RAN Workloads

  • Real-time optimization of vSphere ESXi to meet the PTP accuracy and latency requirements of virtualized Baseband functions that include  vDUs and vCUs.

  • Real-time optimization of Photon OS Tanzu Worker Node with the following plugins: BIOS CNF, CPU Mgr, NUMA Topo Mg, Calico, Antrea,  Multus, MACVLAN, DPDK modules, and SRIOV plugin.

  • FlexRAN optimization for enhanced dimensioning. Ensures that the maximum compute resources are available to RAN workloads by keeping the resources required for VMware components to a minimum.

Infrastructure Automation and Orchestration

  • Support for virtual Infrastructure configuration and distributed Kubernetes deployment from centralized management tooling.

  • Ability to use templates and standardize the deployment of regional Data Centers and single ESXi host Far Edge (Cell Site) locations.

  • Support for Distributed RAN (D-RAN) and Centralized RAN (C-RAN) deployments.

CaaS Management

  • Automated discovery, registration, and creation of Kubernetes clusters.

  • Continuous synchronization between the CaaS layer and VMware Telco Cloud Automation.

  • Automated and on-demand “late binding” configuration optimization to the platform when the partner RAN workloads are deployed. The supported late binding configurations are CPU/memory pinning with NUMA alignment and PCI passthrough.

Components

Mandatory Add-On Components

Note: Additional license is required.

Validated Patches

Release Notes Change Log

Date

Change

04 OCT 2021

The following patches are added to the Validated Patches section:

  • VMware ESXi 7.0 Update 2d

  • VMware vCenter Server 7.0 Update 2d

21 JUN 2021

'VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid 1.3' is replaced with 'VMware Tanzu Basic for RAN' in the Components section.

Known Issues

  • IOMMU Faults Might Occur in Columbiaville NICs When Using vfio-pci for Binding to DPDK Devices

    When you use vfio-pci for binding to DPDK devices, IOMMU faults might occur in Columbiaville NICs in the long run. IOMMU faults might be received by a Worker node.

    Workaround: Use igb_uio instead of vfio-pci.

  • vRLI Not Overridden After Unconfiguring it

    When you make a GET call after unconfiguring vRealize Log Insight (vRLI), the default setting of vRLI is shown instead of disabled. vRLI is not overridden.

    Workaround: None

  • Registering Multiple Harbors with a Single VIM is Not Supported

    VMware Telco Cloud Automation does not support registering multiple Harbor repositories with a single Virtual Infrastructure Manager (VIM).

    Workaround: None

Support Resources

For additional support resources, see the VMware Telco Cloud Platform RAN documentation page.

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