This section outlines a comprehensive overview of the end-to-end operational flow, detailing the key operational stages from the moment a new service is initiated until it is eventually decommissioned.
On-Demand – End-to-end operational flow
The overview covers the process from initial onboarding, through service activation and Subscriber Provisioning, into the steady-state of operational monitoring and reporting, and concluding with offboarding.
Onboarding
The onboarding process for On-Demand begins exclusively through the Google Cloud Marketplace. Customers looking to get started refer to the onboarding guide.
Service activation
Users with the required permissions can proceed to create a new Core On-Demand instance, configure connectivity between their RAN and the new instance, and set instance’s operational parameters.
To activate a service
- Create a Core On-Demand instance and select desired Google Cloud deployment region.
- Establish RAN connectivity by configuring VPNs and set up BGP sessions to enable connectivity for the following 3GPP interfaces:
- N2/S1-MME control plane interface
- N3/S1-U user plane interface
- Configure your Core On-Demand instance
Subscriber provisioning
Configure 4G/5G subscriber profiles and their service parameters.
Operational monitoring and reporting
Monitor performance and operational metrics as well as view the list of operations for Core On-Demand instances. The metrics provide quantifiable insights into the performance, health, and details of the underlying core network functions. The operation list provides a 30-day history of the various actions and procedures that have been executed on the Core On-Demand instance.
Billing information
Billing information becomes available immediately after the onboarding process is completed. Since On-Demand is purchased through Google Cloud Marketplace using a Google Cloud account, all billing operations are entirely managed through Google Cloud Marketplace. Billing statements can be viewed for current and past billing periods in the Google Cloud Console.
Offboarding
The offboarding process begins when a customer cancels an order for the On‑Demand product in the Google Cloud Marketplace. From the offboarding date, On‑Demand provides an API endpoint that lets customers export their audit logs for an agreed upon retention time before being permanently erased.
Next: Core On-Demand functionality