Integration planning in a multivendor environment
By now, we are well aware of the complexity and the sheer number of components that constitute a 5G network. Integrating these would not be a trivial task. Each network component is a part of the puzzle that needs to fit in an airtight way for the network to function. Hence, there are multiple aspects to consider when we go about laying the foundations of the network and planning its integration. The following points should come in handy while doing so, and it should be noted that all of these steps should be automated for faster test cycles and integration:
- Unit testing: This is the most basic part of testing and, possibly, the starting point for any network engineer before they can start the integration of the components. It is important to check the sanity of each network component before it is ready for integration. This is usually done with the help of an independent test framework that simulates the external interfaces...