Kubernetes-Based Network Functions Orchestration for 5G Core Networks with Open Source MANO

Due to the constraints imposed by the 5G requirements in terms of low latency, high availability, but also because of the need to have flexible support for business models, mobile core networks have evolved towards a cloud-native (CN) approach. This implies a whole new approach to Network Function Virtualization (NFV), ensuring an adaptation of Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) running in virtual machines (VMs). These were phased out in favor of Cloud-native Network Functions (CNFs), or Kubernetes-based Network Functions (KNFs) as they are also called in Open Source MANO (OSM) terminology. This paper discusses the KNF -based deployment of an open-source 5G core network - free5GC, using OSM and following a cloud-native approach. The experiments highlighted the advantages of choosing a containerized approach in terms of availability, obtaining an average downtime of about five times shorter (5 seconds) than in the case of virtualization (25 seconds).