Automated provisioning of radios in a virtual radio access network

An apparatus comprising:

• a communication interface configured to obtain and/or provide network communications;
• and
• a processor coupled to the communication interface, wherein the processor is configured to:
• obtain a radio service descriptor defining communication parameters for a radio in a virtual Radio Access Network;
• based on the radio service descriptor, determine whether a virtual distributed unit that is configured in accordance with the communication parameters and a virtual centralized unit that is configured in accordance with the communication parameters are already instantiated in the virtual Radio Access Network based at least in part on a resource availability of the virtual distributed unit;
• and
• if it is determined that the virtual distributed unit or the virtual centralized unit is not already instantiated in the virtual Radio Access Network, automatically instantiate the virtual distributed unit or the virtual centralized unit in the virtual Radio Access Network.

One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

• obtain a radio service descriptor defining communication parameters for a radio in a virtual Radio Access Network;
• based on the radio service descriptor, determine whether a virtual distributed unit that is configured in accordance with the communication parameters and a virtual centralized unit that is configured in accordance with the communication parameters are already instantiated in the virtual Radio Access Network based at least in part on a resource availability of the virtual distributed unit;
• and
• if it is determined that the virtual distributed unit or the virtual centralized unit is not already instantiated in the virtual Radio Access Network, automatically instantiate the virtual distributed unit or the virtual centralized unit in the virtual Radio Access Network.