Wireless networks are evolving toward virtualization, cloudification, enhanced intelligence, and increased openness.

The Keysight open radio access network architect (KORA) solutions enable conformance, interoperability, performance, security, and energy efficiency validation across the entire test life cycle, covering radio access and core network testing from subsystem to the end-to-end level. Keysight offers the industry’s most comprehensive portfolio of automated test suites that covers the full wireless ecosystem for software and hardware vendors, system integrators, test labs and the O-RAN ALLIANCE Open Testing and Integration Centers (OTICs), and mobile operators.

Discover how Keysight can accelerate wireless deployment and explore KORA solutions for radio access network (RAN) and core network testing.

5G Radio Access and Core Network Test Porfolio - Open Ran Architect (KORA) Solution

From subsystem to interoperability
to end-to-end testing

Open RAN disaggregation requires stringent testing of each component in isolation for conformance to the standards. Testing network components in various combinations for interoperability is essential, as is validating the entire end-to-end system for overall stability and performance.

Keysight offers a comprehensive portfolio of automated test suites for the full wireless ecosystem, from testing subsystems for functionality, conformance, and performance to verifying subsystem interoperability for badging and performance, and finally, conducting end-to-end system testing.

Keysight’s close collaboration with the global O-RAN Open Testing and Integration Centers (OTICs) and supplier ecosystem has enabled industry firsts in O-RAN ALLIANCE and Telecom Infra Project (TIP) conformance and badging certifications.

Videos 2023.08.02

Measuring Energy Efficiency in Open RAN and Traditional RAN

Measuring Energy Efficiency in Open RAN and Traditional RAN

Meeting energy efficiency and sustainability targets has become a top priority for operators worldwide. But how can they measure energy consumption and efficiency to ensure they succeed in their efforts, to test, monitor and optimize their networks? Monica Paolini of Senza Fili talks to Jean Dassonville, Strategy Planner at Keysight, and Giampaolo Tardioli, General Manager and Vice President at Keysight, to learn how network testing and monitoring give operators essential tools to minimize energy consumption. Keysight works with operators to ensure that their networks perform as they should and that they understand how they use energy and can become more efficient. This is even more important in an Open RAN environment with multiple vendors, a virtualized and cloud-based architecture, where operators want to know not only how much energy they consume but how that relates to performance. 00:05 Introduction 02:10 Jean and Giampaolo introductions 03:34 Energy efficiency at Keysight; testing 06:15 Component and network testing, disaggregation 06:41 Optimization, telemetry 07:47 Network load 08:15 Digital twin approach to network emulation 10:17 Open RAN, disaggregation 11:03 RIC, ecosystem 12:44 O-RAN interfaces, interoperability 14:20 Energy efficiency with Open RAN 15:48 Disaggregation, virtualization, processors, optimization 17:41 AI 19:11 Benchmarking, standardization, metrics, specifications 21:18 Chipsets 21:44 Lab and live networks 22:30 Traffic loads, services, network slicing 24:54 Slicing and monetization 25:33 Private networks 26:15 Test methodologies 26:54 Future developments to increase energy efficiency 28:38 Concluding remarks

2023.08.02

Energy efficient networks

Meeting energy efficiency and sustainability targets has become a top priority for mobile operators worldwide. In an Open RAN environment with multiple vendors, and a virtualized, cloud-based architecture, it is crucial to test energy consumption and how it impacts network performance.

Learn how Keysight solutions can help you evaluate energy consumption and characterize energy efficiency (EE) and energy savings (ES) at both subsystem and end-to-end levels.

Unlock RAN potential with RIC validation

The radio access network intelligent controller (RIC) provides advanced control capabilities, enabling increased efficiency and better radio resource management by leveraging analytics and data-driven operations to optimize access network utilization. Successful vertical integration from radio access network (RAN) nodes to the service management and orchestration (SMO) is essential to enhance RAN conditions. 

Bringing relevant systems into the lab for performance, conformance, interoperability, and use case validation, including artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) applications, is a crucial first step in addressing these challenges.

Unlock RAN potential with Keysight test and emulation solutions for RIC and SMO evaluation. Emulate O-RAN E2, A1, and O1 nodes and traffic profiles for performance, conformance, and interoperability testing.

Ensure massive MIMO performance

Modern networks require optimal capacity, coverage, and performance, with massive MIMO (mMIMO) a crucial factor in reaching such goal. In Open RAN networks, mMIMO capabilities are split into different network functions the radio unit (RU) implements the physical beamforming, and the distributed unit (DU) manages the beams and controls the RU’s behavior. This split of network functions generates additional challenges during development and the interoperability testing stage. Interoperability between various vendors is especially critical to deliver the expected performance gains.

Discover Keysight solutions to help you secure mMIMO performance of radio access networks, ranging from RF and software development for the RU and DU to functional and conformance testing, interoperability, and end-to-end performance verification.

Guarantee radio access and core network security

The move from a monolithic to an open, multivendor, and automated radio access network generates new security risks. The expanded threat surface and vulnerabilities in functions and interfaces require thorough security testing. A more complex environment and multivendor challenges also demand rigorous testing. Evolving products and standards, along with cloud dependency, add to the need for comprehensive security measures. New risks from ML model flaws, xApps, rApps, and data sources further necessitate thorough testing. Engineers need to conduct security testing at both the subsystem and end-to-end levels to ensure robustness.

The Keysight solutions for O-RAN security testing enable the evaluation of Open RAN system service availability and performance under simulated attacks. The solution provides vulnerability assessments testing of Open RAN components, interfaces, and systems. Furthermore, it simulates real-world threat scenarios in accordance with 3GPP and O-RAN ALLIANCE WG11 specifications.

The evolving threat landscape from the complex 5G core network architecture, including service-based interfaces, virtualization, and cloud technologies, requires robust security countermeasures. 5G core security testing encompasses multiple capabilities such as 3GPP security assurance specification (SCAS) automated testing, signaling storms, network slice validation, service-based interface fuzzing, and user equipment (UE) generated malware and attacks.

Keysight offers a full portfolio of solutions to protect the network from any security threat proactively.

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