Helm Deployment

Note

Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes that simplifies the deployment and management of applications. It uses "charts" (pre-configured Kubernetes resource templates) to define, install, and upgrade complex Kubernetes applications, making it easier to manage multiple Kubernetes manifests as a single unit.

A. free5GC Helm

Before starting the RAN/UE pods, the free5GC NF pods must be running first.

Please refer to the free5GC official user guide to install the free5GC microk8s environment.

The guide also covers setting up the Kubernetes environment that will be used in the following steps.

B. free-ran-ue Helm

Clone the Helm chart

git clone https://github.com/free-ran-ue/fru-helm

Install the chart in the same namespace as free5GC
```
helm install -n free5gc fru ./fru-helm
```
After use, the uninstall command can be used to delete the pods:
```
helm uninstall -n free5gc fru
```
Start gNB

The gNB will automatically start when the pods are initialized and connect to the core network.
Start UE

Before starting the UE, you need to create a subscriber in the free5GC web console with the default slice selection value of 01-010203.
- Get into the pod
```
kubectl exec -it -n free5gc fru-freeranue-ue-xxxxxxxxxx-xxxxx -- sh
```
  The pod name can be obtained by:
```
kubectl get po -n free5gc
```
- Start UE
```
./free-ran-ue ue -c config/ue.yaml
```
- Ping test
  
  Open another terminal and enter the pod
```
ping -I ueTun0 10.100.100.13
```
  10.100.100.13 is the default N6 interface IP at PSA-UPF-1.
  
  With a successful ping result, the Helm deployment is complete!

C. Customized gNB and UE profile

Please refer to: fru-helm/values.yaml

Caution

If you customize the fields in values.yaml, please make sure that it matches the subscriber data in the web console.