Page 133 - 5G Basics - Core Network Aspects

Core network aspects 1

storage resources and a redirector that manages transport resources, as shown in Figure 8 [b-VNode
Whitepaper].

Figure 8 – Physical node architecture

The programmer consists of various kinds of processing components that can be isolated and virtualized to
provide an isolate execution environment for data processing and its management. Implementation
technologies span across a spectrum of components such as general-purpose servers, network processors,
field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and reconfigurable application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).
Each execution environment deploys various software functions to perform data processing.
The redirector consists of transport resources. Virtual link resources with various quality of service (QoS)
characteristics and capabilities, such as bandwidth and policing and shaping capabilities with buffering, are
created. The redirector may also include programmability to realize virtual, logical links such as tunneling and
virtual LAN.
A programmer and a redirector are interconnected through the programmer-to-redirector interface (PRI)
reference point which is used to exchange control messages for resource allocation and end-user data
exchange.
A physical node design consisting of a programmer and a redirector and the PRI reference point achieves
both flexibility and scalability. This node architecture supports independent evolutions of the transport,
computation and storage technologies. With this architecture, physical node resources can be upgraded with
transport technologies independent of the evolution of computing and storage resources, and vice versa. It
also facilitates scaling of transport resources regardless of computing and storage resources, and vice versa.

9 Physical resource management functions
Physical resource management functions manage, control, and monitor physical resources, in collaboration
with virtual resource management functions. They include physical resource configuration functions, physical
resource monitoring and fault management function, and, optionally, physical resource discovery function.
When physical resource management functions are independently implemented for different layers on a
physical link resource, there should be a communication channel between the functions of individual layers
for consistent and coordinated management.

9.1 Physical resource configuration functions
Physical resource configuration functions are comprised of the following functions:
− Abstraction function. The abstraction function creates virtual resources by abstracting physical
resources. In doing so, the function may divide a single physical resource into multiple physical
resources or merge multiple physical resources into a single physical resource. It may also create
logical resources, which are logically grouped physical resources. For example, a physical link can be
divided into multiple logical links, where each logical link is represented by parameters, such as a
link identifier (ID) and end-point addresses;

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