Discovering a radio controller in a cloud radio access network

A method for radio controller discovery performed in a distributed radio access network (RAN), comprising:

• determining, at a new RU, its own Internet Protocol (IP) address based on its Media Access Control (MAC) address;
• sending, from the new RU, a discovery message to all radio controllers in a front-haul network via a multicast address;
• receiving, at each of a plurality of radio controllers communicatively coupled to the new RU via the front-haul network, the discovery message and determining whether the new RU is assigned to the respective radio controller;
• and
• establishing at least one configuration session with the new RU.

A distributed radio access network (RAN), comprising:

• a new radio unit (RU) being connected to a plurality of radio controllers via a front-haul network and configured to request, from a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server after the new RU powers up a first time, IP addresses for each radio controller it is assigned to;
• and
• the DHCP server configured to send a response to the new RU indicating a number of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses equal to a number of carriers the new RU needs to establish, each of the IP addresses belonging to a radio controller the new RU is assigned to;
• wherein the new RU initiates a different configuration session for each carrier it needs to establish with each radio controller it is assigned to.

A method for radio controller discovery performed in a distributed radio access network (RAN), comprising:

• requesting, from a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server after a new radio unit (RU) powers up a first time in a front-haul network, IP addresses for each radio controller the new RU is assigned to;
• sending, from the DHCP server, a response to the new RU indicating a number of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses equal to a number of carriers the new RU needs to establish, each of the IP addresses belonging to a radio controller the new RU is assigned to;
• and
• initiating, by the new RU, a different configuration session for each carrier it needs to establish with each radio controller it is assigned to.