5G网络切片技术综述

Overview of 5G Network Slicing Technology

5G网络作为数字化社会的关键基础设施,需要满足高带宽、大容量、超可靠低时延等场景的差异化服务需求。网络切片技术是5G网络为不同应用场景提供差异化服务的重要使能技术。网络切片的思想自提出以来,目前已经经过五六年的发展,产业界学术界投入大量精力研究网络切片的业务场景、工作原理、关键技术以及商业模式等。截至目前,以运营商、设备商等构建的产业联盟发布了多个5G网络切片相关的白皮书,对网络切片的需求、概念、应用场景及关键技术等都进行了不同程度的描述,3GPP等标准化组织也陆续推出了网络切片的工作流程、管理与编排等方面的技术标准,更详细的技术方案目前仍在持续研究过程中。为方便读者系统地了解5G网络切片技术,持续推动相关技术研究、方案落地,加快商用化进程,梳理了5G网络切片技术产生的背景、概念、端到端架构,分析了实现灵活定制、安全隔离、质量可控的网络切片涉及的关键技术,概括了行业组织、标准化组织、产业联盟等对5G网络切片技术的研究和标准化现状,给出了网络切片实现相关的问题以及技术商用化尚面临的挑战。

As a key infrastructure of the digital society,5G networks need to meet the differentiated service requirements of such scenarios as high bandwidth,large capacity,ultra-reliable and low latency.Network slicing technology is an important enabling technology for 5G networks to provide differentiated services for different application scenarios.It has been five to six years since the idea of network slicing was proposed.The academic community and industry have devoted a lot of energy to research the business scenarios,working principles,key technologies and business models of network slicing.Up to now,industry alliances built by operators and equipment vendors have published a number of white papers related to 5G network slicing,which have described the requirements,concepts,application scenarios and key technologies of network slicing to varying degrees.The standard organizations,such as 3GPP,have also introduced technical standards for network slicing workflow,management and orchestration,and more detailed technical solutions are still in the ongoing research process.In order to facilitate the readers to understand the 5G network slicing technology,continue to promote relevant technology research and program landing,and accelerate the commercialization process,the background,concept,end-to-end architecture generated by 5G network slicing technology are introduced,and the key technologies involved in network segmentation for flexible customization,secure isolation,and quality control are analyzed.Besides,the research and standardization of 5G network slicing technology are summarized by industry organizations,standardization organizations,industry alliances,etc.The problems related to the implementation of network slicing and the key issues that need to be solved in commercialization are also discussed.