Open-source tool simulates O-RAN networks for cost-effective testing
Open-source emulation-based test environment to settle O-RAN-compliant trials
Networking and Internet Architecture
Summary
Testing new wireless networks often requires expensive hardware, making experiments hard to scale. The authors developed Mininet-RAN, a software tool that creates virtual network elements and simulates real wireless data, allowing network controllers to be tested without needing full physical setups. This tool supports Open RAN systems and helps validate specific use cases like vehicle communication and drones. It offers a balance between cost and flexibility by emulating networks in software rather than relying on costly radios.
What this means in practice
- •For wireless network engineers: Run O-RAN Intelligent Controller trials without deploying costly physical radio hardware using the Mininet-RAN emulation environment.
- •For edge computing developers: Test near-real-time O-RAN control applications (xApps) safely in a virtualized network before live deployment.
Authors
Ramon Fontes, Allan Martins, Vicente Sousa, Kaio Dantas, Lucas Medeiros, Pedro Alves, Marcelo Fernandes, Iago Rego, Eduardo Aranha, Vinícius Filho, Mateus Goldbarg, Wysterlanya Barros, Roger Immich, Augusto V. Neto
Abstract
Experimental tools are a key factor in both academic and industrial research communities to create design evaluations of new networking technologies that involve troubleshooting or changing the planning of deployed networks. Physical Software-Defined Radio (SDR) experimental platforms enable a design solution for the quick prototyping of wireless communication systems. However, SDR-based experimental platforms incur high costs, which leads to scalability limitations in the experimental settings. Having said this, network simulators, emulators, and new testbeds have attracted increasing attention. Emulation-based research prototyping can be distinguished from real communication networks and SDR-based platforms by allowing a tradeoff between cost and flexibility. This paper examines the Mininet-RAN emulation tool, which, as well as Radio Access Network (RAN) modeling, provides a way to test Open RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) services without the need to deploy an entire RAN infrastructure. The Mininet-RAN creates virtual network elements, such as hosts, L2/L3 devices, controllers, and links, by combining some of the best emulator features, hardware testbeds, and simulators. By running the current code of standard practice Unix/Linux network applications and network stack, the Mininet-RAN enables real-world network data traffic patterns to be delivered to the RIC, regarding the most significant aspect of the dynamic generation of wireless system's KPIs. We provide the basic code of Mininet-RAN for the first two O-RAN Alliance-defined use cases involving V2X and UAV. The xApps are being implemented in O-RAN SC near-RT RIC, with Mininet-RAN which provides a closed-loop validation environment.