5G experimentation environment for 3rd party media services
Overview
Rapid advances in Software Defined Networking (SDN) Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV), and Cloud computing are driving softwarised infrastructures essential to 5G networks. However, this shift introduces significant challenges, particularly the emergence of complex, error-prone control planes that hinder software development. The DevOps model, though effective, requires close coordination between development and operations to optimise infrastructure use. For latency-sensitive applications like AR/VR, deployment near users via MEC nodes is essential, but it brings substantial overheads. Supporting diverse platforms demands integration with various APIs and extensive testing to meet strict KPIs, placing a heavy burden on developers and complicating the deployment of next-generation media applications.
5GMediaHub has developed a comprehensive testing infrastructure aligned with industry-standard DevOps processes, simplifying testing and KPI verification for 5G media applications. It leverages NFV infrastructures from 5G PPP testbeds in Oslo and Spain to offer Platform as a Service (PaaS) via open-standard Northbound APIs and a repository of vertical-specific and agnostic NetApps. The experimentation facility provides a secure, multi-tenant cloud environment supporting containerised and VM workloads, enabling SMEs and developers to test applications realistically before deployment. Key features include a UE farm for end-to-end testing, innovative DevOps tools, and a pioneering Security Framework integrating Software Defined Perimeter with 5G networks.
Objectives
Leverage, extend and/or develop realistic, innovative, next-generation and business-relevant use case scenarios in the media domain.
Implement a rich set of Experimentation Tools within the 5GMediaHUB Experimentation Facility for automating the secure and trusted scheduling, testing, verification, validation and optimisation of 3rd party media applications to ensure their proper operation over a 5G environment and remove any uncertainties prior to wide-scale deployment.
Implement a set of NetApps with corresponding Northbound APIs based on open-source technologies to interact and seamlessly integrate with the 3rd party vertical media applications in a plug-and-play and 5G NFVI agnostic manner.
Provide a Cross-Domain Service Orchestrator (CDSO) to act as an umbrella orchestrator that automates service and slice management, as well as cross-domain orchestration across the underlying 5G testbed facilities, minimising service creation time.
Provide a comprehensive Security Framework so as provide a secure and trusted environment to the Experimentation Facility for multiple concurrent tenants, as well as provide secure interoperability of NetApps across different 5G testbeds.
Integrate two existing well-established 5G PPP 5G testbeds, the Experimentation Tools, the NetApps, the Northbound APIs and the CDSO to establish the multi-tenant 5GMediaHUB Experimentation Facility, for the testing and validating of innovative media applications and NetApps that require 5G performance capabilities.
Demonstrate the potential and the user value of the 5GMediaHUB Experimentation Facility through relevant experimentation, testing and validation of innovative, advanced media use cases, over two testing cycles (3GPP R.16 & R.17) demonstrating also how the Facility reduces the market entry barrier by shortening the service testing and deployment times.
Enable new business opportunities with the adaptation of the network to media application requirements and accelerate NFV-based service uptake in industry.
Identify and validate applicable standards as well as provide rationalised contribution to key standardisation bodies so as to sustain standardisation in the telecom and media sectors.
Accelerate the adoption for the usage of the 5GMediaHUB Experimentation Facility by SMEs or start-ups through wide dissemination means, open-source communities and relevant initiatives, as well as to support the 5G PPP programme by exploiting synergies with other 5G PPP projects and relevant initiatives.
eBOS Role in the Project
In 5GMediaHUB, eBOS was responsible for designing and developing a set of open, standards-compliant Northbound interfaces, as part of Northbound API, NetApps and NetApps Repository development. eBOS also led the development of the experimenters portal and user management, extending the KPI visualisation system from the 5G-SOLUTIONS project to support new use cases. Additionally, eBOS created packages for system deployment of the Experimentation Facility, focusing on micro-service-oriented architecture and micro-services orchestration. eBOS was responsible for overseeing the setup, configuration, preparation and deployment of the Facility, ensuring readiness for use case validation and experimentation. Furthermore, eBOS contributed to validating the technological performance of NetApps and capabilities of the Experimentation Facility over 5G, through real-world use cases.
eBOS supported the assessment of market opportunities and developed viable business plans for the 5GMediaHUB Experimentation Facility, to be delivered as a commercial service. eBOS also supported the dissemination and communication activities of the project, and assumed the role of Quality & Risk Manager, organising and supervising quality reviews for all deliverables and ensuring the implementation of the quality management plan. This included evaluating project outcomes against defined quality criteria, conducting risk assessments, coordinating quality assurance reviews, and producing quality review reports.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101016714.
