INTEGRan: Towards Vertical and Horizontal Integration for Programmable RAN Performance Optimization

As radio access networks (RANs) evolve to incorpo-rate new paradigms of programmability and control, the Open RAN (or O-RAN) architecture is rapidly becoming the de facto blueprint for designing next-generation cellular networks. While 0- RAN has brought forth unprecedented flexibility to the RAN, it has also led to an increase in the management complexity due to the introduction of several new network functions and interfaces, ultimately leading to a disconnected RAN performance optimization (RPO) landscape. To that end, with a view to overcoming the limitations of O-RAN-driven RPO, this paper introduces IntegRAN, an enabling study that makes the case for holistic programmable RPO. Key highlights include a detailed component-level description of the IntegRAN architecture including a set of novel r Apps and xApps, along with the implementation of IntegRAN in support of RAN slice lifecycle management, addressing key themes relating to end-to-end slice orchestration and application-specific RAN customization. Furthermore, the paper also includes a comprehensive experimental evaluation on an over-the-air testbed that showcases the operational efficacy of IntegRAN in improving RAN performance while seamlessly leveraging all possible 0- RAN functions and interfaces in an integrated manner.