Treffer: Automation Framework for 5G Cloud RAN Performance Testing: A Python and Robot Framework Approach

The study creates an entirely automated test and validation model in 5G Cloud Radio Access Network spaces with the help of Python and Robot Framework. The study automates virtualized Radio Access Network architecture of Virtualized Central Unit, Virtualized Distributed Unit, Cloud Automation Services infrastructure and New Radio (5G Air Interface) radio elements, enabling the check of the readiness, interface validation, Layer-3 connectivity, performance testing, and Key Performance Indicator extraction. The system checks the availability of all the major interfaces (F1, NG, X2, Xn, S1) and assures optimal working conditions of cells, Distributed Units, radio modules, and network slicing. Performance testing reflects consistent system behavior, and it has an average File Transfer Protocol throughput of 210.78 Mbps, peak Packet Data Convergence Protocol burst throughput of 917,960 kbit/s and low utilization of Central Processing Unit of 2%, which means that there is a lot of resource headroom. Voice over New Radio test showed 100 call success and a Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality score of 3.5 meaning that IP Multimedia Subsystem and core integration were correct. Robot Framework ran all test suites successfully and all the functional and performance cases were successful. The findings substantiate the strength of the implemented 5G Cloud Radio Access Network and show the efficiency of the automation construction to enhance repeatability, effectiveness, and analytical accuracy. The paper ends with detected limitations, e.g., the lack of beamforming, multi-UE cases, and mobility testing, suggestions about future research, i.e., massive Multiple Input Multiple Output, multi-slice analysis, Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment integration, and performance analytics tools.