Nephio-Orchestrated Private 5G: SD-Core, Edge UPF, OCUDU and Scalable UE
This demonstration showcases an end-to-end integration for deploying a private 5G network from declarative intent using Aether 5G SD-Core, BESS edge UPF, OCUDU-RAN gNB, and Nephio, alongside Cluster API, BYOH, Config Sync, IPAM, and Cilium/Multus. A single `EdgeSite` intent triggers automated configuration derivation, Kubernetes provisioning on bare metal, network-function specialization, and reconciliation onto edge clusters. Orchestration extends to host datapath configuration, including routes and NAT settings, enabling complete traffic flow. The deployment was validated with 50 RF-simulated UEs successfully attaching, registering, establishing PDU sessions, and passing traffic, confirming continuous reconciliation across infrastructure components. The focus is on automating private 5G edge creation and maintenance through intent-based configuration management.