OAI Docker/Podman Build and Usage Procedures

Table of Contents

1. Build Strategy
2. File organization
3. Building using docker under Ubuntu 18.04
4. Building using podman under Red Hat Entreprise Linux 8.2
5. Running modems using docker under Ubuntu 18.04
6. Running modems using podman under Red Hat Entreprise Linux 8.2

1. Build Strategy

For all platforms, the strategy for building docker/podman images is the same:

• First we create a common shared image ran-base that contains:
  • the latest source files (by using the COPY function)
  • all the means to build an OAI RAN executable
    • all packages, compilers, ...
    • especially UHD is installed
• Then, from the ran-base shared image, we create a shared image ran-build in which all targets are compiled:
  • eNB
  • gNB
  • lte-UE
  • nr-UE
• Then from the ran-build shared image we can build target images for:
  • eNB
  • gNB
  • lte-UE
  • nr-UE
• These target images will only contain:
  • the generated executable (for example lte-softmodem.Rel15)
  • the generated shared libraries (for example liboai_usrpdevif.so.Rel15)
  • the needed libraries and packages to run these generated binaries
  • Some configuration file templates
  • Some tools (such as ping, ifconfig)

TO DO:

• Proper entrypoints
• Proper port exposure
• ...

2. File organization

Dockerfiles are named with the following naming convention: Dockerfile.${target}.${OS-version}.${cluster-version}

Targets can be:

• base for an image named ran-base (shared image)
• ran for an image named ran-build (shared image)
• eNB for an image named oai-enb
• gNB for an image named oai-gnb
• lteUE for an image named oai-lte-ue
• nrUE for an image named oai-nr-ue

The currently-supported OS are:

• rhel8.2 for Red Hat Entreprise Linux
• ubuntu18 for Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

The currently-supported cluster version is:

• rhel8.2.oc4-4

We have also rhel7.oc4-4 support but it will be discontinued soon.

For more details in build within a Openshift Cluster, see OpenShift README for more details.

3. Building using docker under Ubuntu 18.04

3.1. Pre-requisites

• git installed
• docker-ce installed
• Pulling ubuntu:bionic from DockerHub

3.2. Building the shared images

Note: This can be done starting 2020.XX tag on the develop branch, or any branch that includes that tag.

There are two shared images: one that has all dependencies, and a second that compiles all targets (eNB, gNB, [nr]UE).

git clone https://gitlab.eurecom.fr/oai/openairinterface5g.git
cd openairinterface5g
git checkout develop

In our Eurecom/OSA environment we need to pass a GIT proxy.

docker build --target ran-base --tag ran-base:latest --file docker/Dockerfile.base.ubuntu18 --build-arg NEEDED_GIT_PROXY="http://proxy.eurecom.fr:8080" .
docker build --target ran-build --tag ran-build:latest --file docker/Dockerfile.build.ubuntu18 --build-arg NEEDED_GIT_PROXY="http://proxy.eurecom.fr:8080" .

if you don't need it, do NOT pass any value:

docker build --target ran-base --tag ran-base:latest --file docker/Dockerfile.base.ubuntu18 .
docker build --target ran-build --tag ran-build:latest --file docker/Dockerfile.build.ubuntu18 .

After building both:

docker image ls
REPOSITORY          TAG                 IMAGE ID            CREATED             SIZE
ran-build           latest              f2633a7f5102        1 minute ago        6.81GB
ran-base            latest              5c9c02a5b4a8        1 minute ago        2.4GB

...

3.3. Building any target image

For example, the eNB:

docker build --target oai-enb --tag oai-enb:latest --file docker/Dockerfile.eNB.ubuntu18 .

After a while:

docker image ls
REPOSITORY          TAG                 IMAGE ID            CREATED             SIZE
oai-enb             latest              25ddbd8b7187        1 minute ago        516MB
<none>              <none>              875ea3b05b60        8 minutes ago       8.18GB
ran-build           latest              f2633a7f5102        1 hour ago          6.81GB
ran-base            latest              5c9c02a5b4a8        1 hour ago          2.4GB

Do not forget to remove the temporary image:

docker image prune --force

4. Building using podman under Red Hat Entreprise Linux 8.2

TODO.

5. Running modems using docker under Ubuntu 18.04

TODO.

6. Running modems using podman under Red Hat Entreprise Linux 8.2

TODO.