REAL: Reinforcement Learning-Enabled xApps for Experimental Closed-Loop Optimization in O-RAN with OSC RIC and srsRAN

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Barker, Ryan, Dorcheh, Alireza Ebrahimi, Seyfi, Tolunay, Afghah, Fatemeh
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866909890861072384
author Barker, Ryan
Dorcheh, Alireza Ebrahimi
Seyfi, Tolunay
Afghah, Fatemeh
author_facet Barker, Ryan
Dorcheh, Alireza Ebrahimi
Seyfi, Tolunay
Afghah, Fatemeh
contents Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) offers an open, programmable architecture for next-generation wireless networks, enabling advanced control through AI-based applications on the near-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controller (near-RT RIC). However, fully integrated, real-time demonstrations of closed-loop optimization in O-RAN remain scarce. In this paper, we present a complete framework that combines the O-RAN Software Community RIC (OSC RIC) with srsRAN for near-real-time network slicing using Reinforcement Learning (RL). Our system orchestrates resources across diverse slice types (eMBB, URLLC, mMTC) for up to 12 UEs. We incorporate GNU Radio blocks for channel modeling, including Free-Space Path Loss (FSPL), single-tap multipath, AWGN, and Doppler effects, to emulate an urban mobility scenario. Experimental results show that our RL-based xApps dynamically adapt resource allocation and maintain QoS under varying traffic demands, highlighting both the feasibility and challenges of end-to-end AI-driven optimization in a lightweight O-RAN testbed. Our findings establish a baseline for real-time RL-based slicing in a disaggregated 5G framework and underscore the need for further enhancements to support fully simulated PHY digital twins without reliance on commercial software.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2502_00715
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle REAL: Reinforcement Learning-Enabled xApps for Experimental Closed-Loop Optimization in O-RAN with OSC RIC and srsRAN
Barker, Ryan
Dorcheh, Alireza Ebrahimi
Seyfi, Tolunay
Afghah, Fatemeh
Networking and Internet Architecture
Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) offers an open, programmable architecture for next-generation wireless networks, enabling advanced control through AI-based applications on the near-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controller (near-RT RIC). However, fully integrated, real-time demonstrations of closed-loop optimization in O-RAN remain scarce. In this paper, we present a complete framework that combines the O-RAN Software Community RIC (OSC RIC) with srsRAN for near-real-time network slicing using Reinforcement Learning (RL). Our system orchestrates resources across diverse slice types (eMBB, URLLC, mMTC) for up to 12 UEs. We incorporate GNU Radio blocks for channel modeling, including Free-Space Path Loss (FSPL), single-tap multipath, AWGN, and Doppler effects, to emulate an urban mobility scenario. Experimental results show that our RL-based xApps dynamically adapt resource allocation and maintain QoS under varying traffic demands, highlighting both the feasibility and challenges of end-to-end AI-driven optimization in a lightweight O-RAN testbed. Our findings establish a baseline for real-time RL-based slicing in a disaggregated 5G framework and underscore the need for further enhancements to support fully simulated PHY digital twins without reliance on commercial software.
title REAL: Reinforcement Learning-Enabled xApps for Experimental Closed-Loop Optimization in O-RAN with OSC RIC and srsRAN
topic Networking and Internet Architecture
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.00715