Ireland-based Druid Software has rolled out a high-end version of its 5G core network, designed for distributed private 5G deployments at the enterprise and network edge. This innovation, a collaboration with Danish telecom chip-maker Napatech and US software firm Red Hat, assists enterprises, operators, and system vendors in managing network functions across multiple edge locations. This is vital for deploying standalone 5G (5G SA) features like network slicing and ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC).
Napatech contributes a smart network interface card (SmartNIC) to offload the user plane function (UPF) data plane from the server CPU. Meanwhile, Red Hat provides its edge server platform to coordinate network management across distributed architectures. These enhancements are crucial for efficiently managing the 5G network software functions across multiple smaller, lower-power edge data centers that are critical for industrial enterprises.
Standalone 5G SA offers notable control features absent in earlier 5G NSA networks. Notably, network slicing dedicates bandwidth to optimize enterprise services, while URLLC enables performance and control for 5G-based applications. However, deploying features like network slicing and URLLC demands architectural adjustments across various edge locations.
A joint statement from the companies emphasized the need for efficient, cost-effective, and energy-saving deployment processes. The firms, through a collaborative effort, integrated Druid’s Raemis platform, which uses a standard data plane development kit (DPDK) driver. With Napatech’s SmartNIC, it offloads and accelerates the UPF. Additionally, Red Hat Device Edge manages this distributed packet core, streamlining deployment and cloud-native workload management.
Red Hat’s Ian Hood highlights the importance of their involvement in enabling scalable, efficient 5G edge deployments. Tadhg Kenny from Druid Software further emphasizes that the Raemis platform addresses the needs of cutting-edge private networks with essential features, such as REST API support and network slicing, providing consistent performance with the accelerated UPF offered by Napatech.
Napatech’s Charlie Ashton underscores the ability of their SmartNIC to handle high throughput with minimal latency. This approach reduces the number of required servers, freeing CPU resources for additional value-added services, like centralized RAN units.
