The “Cherry” Release of O-RAN Open Software
• Cherry features significant advancements in the end-to-end integration of O-RAN Architecture components.
• The software now contains new functions aligned with the latest O-RAN specifications, such as the E2, A1 or O1 interfaces.
In December 2020, the O-RAN Software Community (OSC), working with the Linux Foundation, published its 3rd open software release within 18 months, dubbed “Cherry”.
Cherry moves the O-RAN ecosystem closer to commercial deployments in mobile networks around the globe. On top of new functions aligned with the latest O-RAN specifications, such as the E2, A1, and O1 interfaces, this release also features significant advancements in the end-to-end integration of O-RAN Architecture components to meet the needs of early adopters.
In addition, new software projects in the area of Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) have been initiated to drive the development of auto-configuration and management of O-RAN elements.
The main use cases delivered in Cherry include:
• Policy-based Traffic Steering using the A1 and E2 interfaces.
• Automated Monitoring and Health check of selected components using the O1 interface.
• Configuration, Fault, and Performance Management Services aligned with OAM models and specifications newly approved by O-RAN.
• Life Cycle Management Framework of rApps and xApps using SMO.
• O-DU Low and High pairwise testing in O-RAN Software Community lab.
• Simulators for testing and integration, such as E2, A1, Open Test Framework, and more.
To learn more about the O-RAN Software Community Cherry release please read this O-RAN Blog post, and to access the code, check out the O-RAN Software Community website.