Experiment-as-a-Service in the Pipeline: Empowering CI/CD with xG Acceptance Testing

Experimentation in 5G and next-generation (xG) mobile networks is crucial for overcoming the limitations of theoretical models and simulations in accurately reflecting real-world complexities. The dynamic nature of advanced wireless communications necessitates practical validation through hands-on testing, a need increasingly addressed by 5G and beyond testbeds. However, challenges remain in ensuring these testbeds are easy to use and open enough to enable users and companies to interact autonomously with the experimental platforms, minimizing human intervention towards a zero-touch approach. This work, presented as a short paper on ongoing research and innovative ideas, introduces a novel approach that leverages Experiment-as-a-Service (ExaS) to enhance Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) by integrating xG testbeds into the acceptance testing phase. We discuss the challenges of enabling automated interactions between CI/CD pipelines and xG testbeds. Finally, we present a use case to illustrate the vision of the paper by mapping each phase of the CI/CD pipeline to the example use case, highlighting the benefits of integrating ExaS into the acceptance testing phase.