Conflict Mitigation Framework and Conflict Detection in O-RAN Near-RT RIC

The steady evolution of the Open RAN concept sheds light on xApps and their potential use cases in O-RAN-compliant deployments. There are several areas where xApps can be used that are being widely investigated, but the issue of mitigating conflicts between xApp decisions requires further in-depth investigation. This article defines a conflict mitigation framework (CMF) built into the existing O-RAN architecture; it enables the Conflict Mitigation component in O-RAN's Near-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controller (Near-RT RIC) to detect and resolve all conflict types defined in the O-RAN Alliance's technical specifications. Methods for detecting each type of conflict are defined, including message flows between Near-RT RIC components. The suitability of the proposed CMF is proven with a simulation of an O-RAN network. Results of the simulation show that enabling the CMF allows balancing the network control capabilities of conflicting xApps to significantly improve network performance, with a small negative impact on its reliability. It is concluded that defining a unified CMF in Near-RT RIC is the first step toward providing a standardized method of conflict detection and resolution in O-RAN environments.