Remote distributed unit updates

A method for updating distributed units (DUs) in a cellular network, the method comprising:

• installing a base station, wherein the base station comprises a radio unit and an antenna;
• instantiating, on a cloud-computing platform, a plurality of centralized units;
• installing a server system, wherein:
• the server system is connected with the cloud-computing platform via a network;
• and
• the server system comprises a radio unit interface installed and executing on the server system, through which communication between the radio unit and a virtual machine executing on the server system passes;
• connecting the radio unit of the base station to the radio unit interface of the server system;
• executing a first virtual machine on the server system, wherein:
• the first virtual machine executes a first DU software package that configures the first virtual machine to transmit data between the radio unit and a first centralized unit of the plurality of centralized units via the radio unit interface;
• connecting, by the radio unit interface, the radio unit to the first virtual machine, wherein the radio unit interface only permits a single virtual machine installed on the server system to be connected to the radio unit at any given time;
• installing a second virtual machine on the server system, wherein:
• the second virtual machine comprises a second DU software package that configures the second virtual machine to transmit data between the radio unit and a second centralized unit, different from the first centralized unit, of the plurality of centralized units;
• and
• the first DU software package and the second DU software package are different;
• executing the second virtual machine on the server system while the first virtual machine is executing;
• disconnecting, by the radio unit interface, the first virtual machine from the radio unit;
• and
• thereafter, connecting, by the radio unit interface, the second virtual machine to the radio unit.