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radisys.com 28 Radisys Series — Who Disaggregated My RAN? eBook while not consuming so many core processors. Specifically, use of Data Plane Development Kit (DPDK) to enable fast packet processing on x86 platforms, and Vector Packet Processing (VPP) algorithms, allow Open RAN solutions to pass the packets in the radio network from the handset to the base station and to the core network faster. The faster the packets are transferred, the lower the latency. Software Performance As RAN software has been decoupled from the hardware, it is important to understand how it performs in different deployment scenarios. There are standard base station benchmarks on performance and capacity to objectively measure a RAN product. These include capacity aspects like number of connected users, scalability of base station components to support multiple cells, carriers and radios. The signaling performance is measures by latencies in end-to-end messages, number of messages handled per second etc. The most important set of metrics are the ones of total throughput, number of users scheduled for data traffic every second, CPU utilization etc. Building such high-performance software that runs on COTS hardware and open source environments and still handles all the complexity of 3GPP protocols is a challenge. And by just delivering that Open RAN solutions are making headway today across many operator networks. Operational Aspects and Field Performance Now that the Open RAN hardware and software's performance have been assessed, we need to look at the final areas that must be considered in any performance discussion, specifically its deployment and operation in the field. Deploying Open RAN Solutions—With COTS hardware coming in to play, there is more "IT" flavor to the RAN equipment which is a change for those who have deployed traditional vendor specialized hardware-based equipment. And the aspect of cloudified RAN implementations is another new dimension. Deploying an Open RAN solution, with open interfaces and a more modern approach to management interfaces, is a different experience for service providers' operations teams. As the industry is evolving and readying for a mainstream Open RAN experience, more and more operators are educating and equipping their personnel to handle Open RAN architecture. The providers of Open RAN solutions too are working with operators closely in this transition journey. Operations and Maintenance—A smooth roll out of Open RAN solutions is dependent on the ease of configuring, monitoring and maintaining RAN network nodes. By adopting modern element management and integrating with sophisticated orchestrators, Open RAN solution providers are improving efficiency and automation in managing RAN networks while delivering OpEx benefits. Field Performance vs Lab Performance—Even after elaborate testing at an operator's labs, there could be gaps seen in the way the products perform in real-life conditions. This is true of any RAN solution, open or otherwise. The most effective way to deal with this is for the operators doing extensive field trials to identify such gaps and for the vendors to work closely with the operators to address any gaps. It is quite normal for operators to work closely

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