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This section covers the collected KPIs for 5G RAN E2E while hosting Inline L1-based DU on 16G Dell PowerEdge Server, observing the UE traffic from 1.64 Gbps to 9.85 Gbps.
The following table provides the list of Dell’s key observations and learnings on Look-aside and Inline L1 acceleration after conducting the tests mentioned above.
Sr number | Look-aside L1 | Inline L1 |
1 | External L1 acceleration card is optional. | External L1 acceleration card is required. |
2 | External or integrated L1 accelerator module supports only specific functions of L1. | The L1 accelerator module support all required functions of L1. |
3 | External NICs Card is required for Midhaul and Fronthaul. | External NICs Card is optional if Inline L1 acceleration supports extra NICs already. |
4 | Software-only solution is possible. | Software-only solution is not possible. |
5 | Most of the CPU cores are used since only selected functions are offloaded. | Most of the CPU cores are available for other applications since all L1 functions are offloaded. |
6 | It is more energy-efficient for small or less dense scale. | It is more energy-efficient for high or dense scale. |
7 | Software upgrade is more friendly and no system reboot required. | Software upgrade might require re-flashing the L1 card; it is less agile for upgrades. |
8 | More stable and proven in the field. | It is an emerging solution. |
9 | Limited options are available for this solution. | Various options from the different Inline L1 vendors might be possible. |
10 | It is more open to generic optics (SFPs) and networking devices. | It is not always true—it might require procuring the SFPs and networking devices that are well-integrated and tested with the solution. |
11 | A better CPU cores reusability for L1 between generations. | Independent of host CPU Cores, since the full L1 workload is offloaded. |