COMPUTER NETWORKS, cilt.1, sa.1, ss.1-20, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
In recent years, the concept of Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) has become a prominent and ongoing research area in mobile communications, as mobile operators strive to enhance the intelligence, efficiency, and vendor independence of their RAN (Radio Access Network) architectures and components. O-RAN aims to virtualize and improve RAN functions in software and therefore it supports virtualized RANs where disaggregated network components of multiple vendors are connected via open interfaces. O-RAN is a concept based on interoperability and standardization of RAN elements including a unified interconnection standard for white-box hardware and open-source software elements from different vendors. Architecture integrates a modular base station software stack on off-the-shelf hardware which allows baseband and radio unit components from different suppliers to operate seamlessly together. Analyzing and examining the O-RAN architecture in terms of various network scenarios and different network policies is crucial for next-generation networks. This study begins by discussing the O-RAN architecture and its advantages in detail. Subsequently, a campus network has been proposed for the analysis and simulation of the O-RAN architecture, and performance analyses have been performed within the scope of different scenarios and network policies. As a result of these analysis, a new hybrid algorithm for cell handovers in the O-RAN architecture has been developed and compared with traditional cell handover methods based on Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) and Quality of Service (QoS). The results indicate that the proposed hybrid handover algorithm for O-RAN architecture yields better outcomes.