Technology Radar for E2E Network Slicing

Complete radar for E2E network slicing, with a focus on the rollout of this technology in carrier networks.

View paper (source):

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I also like this image, showing E2E Slicing System Architecture in 5G Networks

Source: same article above, and https://www.mdpi.com/sensors/sensors-21-08094/article_deploy/html/images/sensors-21-08094-g002.png

This system architecture is structured into two layers: the Network Layer and the OSS layer namely.

The OSS layer, which hosts all the required assets for the design, provisioning and operation of network slices. This layer conveys all the Operation, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) tools that operators may use to manage the different slices across their entire lifetime. These tools are classified into four main groups, depending on their scoped functionality: design, data management, assurance and orchestration. The orchestration group is responsible for all the activities related to slice provisioning and slice operation.

The Network layer provides the individual slices with the required user and control plane functionality, across all technical domains. The network layer is formed of a collection of modular network functions that can be flexibly combined together to build up network slices. As shown here an example with three different slices, one for each main 5G service/use-case category. As we know that every slice needs to be provisioned with a service-tailored user and control planes, which justifies the allocation of dedicated NR and 5GC network functions in their RAN and CN slice subnets. For a given slice which network functions are to be dedicated and which ones can be shared with other slices needs to be analysed case by case. This will be dependent on the factors like - isolation requirements and the type of the end-user/subscriber.