Demo: Orion – A Radio Access Network Slicing System

Emerging 5G mobile networks are envisioned to support the dynamic deployment of services with diverse performance requirements, accommodating the needs of mobile network operators and verticals. Virtualizing the mobile network components in a flexible and cost-effective way is therefore of paramount importance. In this work, we highlight the capabilities of Orion, a novel RAN slicing architecture that enables the dynamic virtualization of base stations and flexible customization of slices to meet their respective service needs. Our demonstration of Orion’s capabilities is based on a prototype implementation employing a modi€fied version of the OpenAirInterface software LTE platform. Using this prototype, we demonstrate the functional and performance isolation, and the efficient sharing of radio hardware and spectrum that can be achieved among Orion RAN slices. Moreover, we show how Orion can be used in an end-to-end network slicing setting and demonstrate the effects of the slices’ con€figuration and placement of virtual functions in the overall quality of the deployed services.