Ella Core — Simplifying Private Mobile Networks
Abstract
Ella Core is a 5G mobile core network designed for private deployments. It consolidates the complexity of traditional 5G networks into a single application, offering simplicity, reliability, and security. This whitepaper outlines the challenges of conventional 5G core networks and presents Ella Core as a solution for private mobile networks in the manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, and defense industries.
Introduction
Traditional 5G mobile networks are built on distributed architectures with specialized Network Functions. While, in theory, these architectures provide scalability and flexibility, they are also highly complex, expensive, and resource-intensive. Often deployed in environments with constrained resources and operational expertise, private mobile networks demand a different approach that prioritizes simplicity and reliability.
Ella Core addresses these needs by integrating all essential 5G Network Functions, an intuitive UI, a complete HTTP API, and an embedded database into a single, easy-to-deploy application. This approach eliminates the overhead of managing multiple microservices, external databases, and intricate configurations.
The Problem with Typical 5G Networks
Complexity and Overhead
In a standard 5G core network, Network Functions such as the AMF, SMF, UPF, AUSF, and NSSF operate as independent services. Each Network Function communicates with others through standardized interfaces, often requiring extensive orchestration. While this approach has benefits in independently managing some functionalities, it introduces the following:
- High Operational Costs: The need for orchestration platforms, external databases, and inter-service communication tools.
- Increased Failure Points: Distributed systems increase the likelihood of failure due to dependencies and misconfigurations.
- Resource Intensity: The architecture demands significant computational and network resources that are impractical for small-scale private networks.
High Cost and complicated Vendor Processes
Running a 5G network is unnecessarily costly and requires lengthy vendor interactions. At the time of writing, no major 5G vendor transparently displays their costs on their website, nor do they allow for directly purchasing and running their 5G core. Instead, customers must contact the vendor’s sales team, navigate a lengthy process to obtain a demo, and, months later, potentially deploy a production network. This lack of transparency and ease creates significant delays and barriers for businesses seeking 5G connectivity.
Ella Core eliminates those challenges: Businesses can install the core network and get started in minutes without needing protracted sales processes or external dependencies.
Multi-Vendor Limitations
While the microservice approach theoretically enables multi-vendor deployments by allowing operators to mix and match Network Functions from different vendors, this potential is rarely realized. In practice, telcos often procure their entire 5G core from a single vendor to ensure compatibility and receive unified support. This decision effectively cancels out the theoretical benefits of a multi-vendor strategy.
Inaccessible for Private Deployments
Private mobile networks are generally deployed in factories, farms, and remote locations, where operational simplicity and reliability are critical. For these use cases, the traditional architecture is unnecessarily burdensome.
Furthermore, operating traditional 5G networks requires deep knowledge of 3GPP standards and complex networking concepts. This expertise is typically beyond the scope of companies managing a factory, farm, or base, where the primary focus should be on their specific domain knowledge rather than advanced connectivity management.
The Ella Core Approach
Ella Core reimagines 5G network architecture with a focus on simplicity, reliability, and security.
Open Source and built for Production
Ella Core is open source and licensed under the Apache License 2.0, ensuring transparency, flexibility, and community-driven improvements. Unlike many other open-source 5G projects primarily geared towards research, education, and radio development, Ella Core is designed for real-life production scenarios.
Consolidated Architecture
Ella Core consolidates traditional 5G Network Functions, replacing HTTP communication between microservices with in-process function calls. This approach reduces complexity and eliminates the need for external orchestration.
Embedded Database
Ella Core stores persistent data in an embedded database. This design eliminates the need to manage external databases and simplifies deployment, backup, and restore processes.
Intuitive user interfaces
Ella Core provides a web-based UI and a comprehensive REST API for managing subscribers, profiles, and network configurations. These interfaces ensure ease of use and automation.
Key Features
- 5G compliant: Deploy Ella Core with 5G radios and devices. Ella Core’s interfaces follow 3GPP standards.
- Intuitive UI: Manage subscribers, radios, profiles, and operator information through a user-friendly web interface.
- Extensive HTTP API: Automate network operations with a complete REST API.
- Real-Time Observability: Access detailed metrics and dashboards to monitor network health through the UI and the Prometheus-compliant API.
- Backup and restore: Backup and restore the network configuration and data.
Tenets
Building Ella Core, we make engineering decisions based on the following tenets:
- Simplicity: We are committed to developing the simplest possible mobile core network user experience. We thrive on having a very short Getting Started tutorial, a simple configuration file, a single binary, an embedded database, and a simple UI.
- Reliability: We are commited to developing a reliable mobile network you can trust to work 24/7. We are committed to delivering high-quality code, tests, and documentation. We are committed to exposing dashboards, metrics, and logs to help users monitor their networks.
- Security: We are committed to minimizing the private network’s attack surface and using secure encryption protocols to protect our users’ data. We are committed to identifying and fixing security vulnerabilities in a timely manner.
Use Cases
Ella Core’s simplicity and reliability make it ideal for a variety of private deployment scenarios:
- Manufacturing: High-speed, low-latency connectivity for automated machinery and IoT devices.
- Logistics: Reliable communication in warehouses and distribution centers.
- Agriculture: Connectivity for smart farming and remote monitoring systems.
- Defense: Secure and private communication in military bases and remote operations.
Conclusion
Ella Core redefines 5G private mobile networks by delivering an all-in-one solution that is simple to deploy, reliable, and secure. By combining all aspects of a 5G Core Network into a single application, Ella Core removes the barriers of traditional architectures and empowers organizations to harness the power of 5G without the complexity.
For more information, read the Ella Core documentation and get started now, or visit the GitHub project.
