Toward a Live BBU Container Migration in Wireless Networks

This project studies the migration of the evolved Node B (eNB) providing 4G Radio Access Network (RAN) deployed in the cloud. The migration will take place between two physical machines. It will allow for load balancing in cloud data centers. We will migrate the Base Band Unit (BBU) of a given eNB from heavily loaded cloud workers, and distribute the load among less loaded physical machines. 

The eNB is a typical real-time application deployed in the cloud setup. The eNB can run within fully virtualized environments like KVM or other virtualization-like techniques such as LXC (https://linuxcontainers.org/) or Docker (https://www.docker.com/). Docker opens up new possibilities for fast migration, as containers come as lightweight pieces of software that can be easily migrated with small overhead (i.e., delay, link, and CPU consumption, etc.) between physical machines (i.e., cloud workers). 

The eNB will be placed within a Docker container and migrated towards another physical machine. All states on the eNB maintained before the migration shall also be maintained after the migration (i.e., connected core (EPC), mobile devices (UEs), etc.). This thesis focuses on the live migration of Docker containers running an OpenAirInterface eNB (https://gitlab.eurecom.fr/oai/openairinterface5g). We will use a Docker-enabled version of the OpenAirInterface used over the Software Defined Radio (SDR) layer provided by Ettus USRP B210 devices (https://www.ettus.com/product/details/UB210-KIT) that allows the eNB for easy connection/disconnection from the radio sub-system, i.e., USRP B210. The migrated eNB will disconnect from the USRP and connect again after the migration.