This is the fourth blog in a series of weekly posts that focuses on highlights from the “Open Source Near-RT RIC Comparison v1.0” report by Rimedo Labs.
Introduction
As Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) deployments expand, the ability of Near-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controllers (Near-RT RICs) to scale efficiently becomes crucial. Scalability determines how well a Near-RT RIC can accommodate growing numbers of E2 nodes, xApps, and control loops without performance degradation. Ensuring that a Near-RT RIC can handle large-scale deployments while maintaining low latency and reliability is a key factor in real-world implementations.
This blog post explores the scalability aspects of Aether SD-RAN, an open-source Near-RT RIC framework designed for cloud-native scalability and operational efficiency. For those interested in a comparative analysis of multiple Near-RT RIC implementations, refer to the ‘Open Source Near-RT RIC Comparison v1.0’ report by Rimedo Labs.
Key Factors Affecting Aether SD-RAN’s Scalability
Aether SD-RAN is built with the following scalability attribute priorities in mind:
- Efficient E2 Interface Load Management
- Dynamic xApp Deployment and Lifecycle Control
- Resource Efficiency and Adaptability Under Variable Load
- Native Cloud Orchestration and Automation
Each of these areas ensures that Aether SD-RAN can evolve and expand with the needs of modern O-RAN deployments without compromising responsiveness or reliability.
Handling Large-Scale E2 Interface Load
The E2 interface is fundamental to Near-RT RIC scalability, enabling real-time communication with RAN components. Aether SD-RAN employs an efficient gRPC-based E2 message handling architecture, which supports the management of a large number of concurrent E2 nodes while maintaining low latency.
This architecture ensures responsiveness, even when processing thousands of messages per second – making Aether SD-RAN well-suited for high-density, large-scale networks.
Scalable xApp Management
Aether SD-RAN supports a microservice-based xApp architecture, allowing each xApp to be developed, deployed, and managed independently. The system enables:
- Concurrent operation of multiple xApps without contention.
- Kubernetes-native deployment, which facilitates dynamic scaling.
- Helm-based configuration for reproducibility and ease of automation.
This level of modularity ensures that operators can extend functionality as needed, without impacting system stability or performance.
Resource Utilization and Performance at Scale
Aether SD-RAN is optimized for efficient CPU and memory usage, and adapts as workloads increase. As the number of E2 nodes and xApps grows, Aether SD-RAN maintains:
- Stable resource consumption curves, reducing the risk of bottlenecks.
- Predictable performance, even in resource-constrained environments.
- Integrated monitoring and observability tools, such as Prometheus exporters, to track key metrics in real time.
These features enable confident scaling in both central and edge deployments.
Orchestration and Automation for Dynamic Scaling
Built with cloud-native principles, Aether SD-RAN integrates deeply with Kubernetes and Helm to support automated scaling. Key benefits include:
- Self-healing capabilities, ensuring service continuity.
- Dynamic load balancing and container orchestration.
- Blueprints and tools like Aether OnRamp, which simplify multi-node, multi-site deployments.
These orchestration features make Aether SD-RAN adaptable for a wide range of deployment scenarios, from lab testing and research to full production environments.
Conclusion
Aether SD-RAN demonstrates a scalable, efficient, and cloud-ready approach to deploying Near-RT RICs in O-RAN environments. Its use of gRPC for message handling, microservice-based xApp design, efficient resource utilization, and Kubernetes-native orchestration make it ideal for operators aiming to scale intelligently and reliably.
As O-RAN continues to expand into production-grade networks, scalability will remain a defining factor in adoption. Aether SD-RAN is built from the ground up to meet this challenge.
For More Information
- For those seeking a deeper comparison across open-source Near-RT RIC implementations, refer to the “Open Source Near-RT RIC Comparison v1.0” by Rimedo Labs.
- Register to join us for a webinar on May 27th where we will be discussing the benefits of Open RAN and results of third party testing of Aether’s O-RAN compliant Near-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controller by Rimedo Labs.
- Sign-up for the Aether Newsletter to stay up-to-date about news and events across the Aether community.
