Training / Course 01
Aims — what you can do after
- Explain the role of each 5G Core network function and how it maps to a running service.
- Run a daily health check of a live core and interpret every line of its output.
- Control the network-function and RAN/UE lifecycle, including clean deregistration.
- Monitor the core via logs, metrics and live throughput counters.
- Manage subscribers and edit configuration safely.
- Query NWDAF analytics and generate labelled traffic datasets for ML.
- Diagnose and repair the most common core faults using auto-diagnosis and runbooks.
The core, at a glance
AMF → SMF → UPF → AUSF → UDM → PCF → NRF → NWDAF
Service-based architecture: each network function is an independent service that discovers the others through the NRF. You learn what each one does and how to read its health.
Flow — device registration
UE gNB AMF AUSF/UDM | | | | |--Registration Request----->| | RRC + NAS # (SUCI / 5G-GUTI, no key yet) | | |--Auth Request->| fetch a 5G-AKA vector |<------------ Authentication Request --------| RAND + AUTN # USIM verifies the network, computes RES |------------- Authentication Response ------>| RES == XRES ? |<------------ Security Mode Command ---------| ciphering + integrity on |<------------ Registration Accept -----------| 5G-GUTI assigned |--PDU Session Establishment---------------->| a data bearer comes up
The 5G registration you learn to read line by line.
Method — localize before you touch
"Something is wrong" | +-- Is the NF service even up? ------> systemctl / health board | +-- Does the UE register? | +-- no auth response ---------> AUSF/UDM or key material | +-- rejects at NAS -----------> subscriber profile / slice | +-- Does a PDU session come up? | +-- no ----------------------> SMF / UPF / GTP path | +-- Does traffic flow? +-- no ----------------------> UPF forwarding / NAT / routes
The daily fault-localization habit — which layer is broken?
Module breakdown
0
Lab bootstrap15 min
The shared helpers and the health board every later module reads.
1
Core architecture & the health dashboard30 min
Every NF, and how to read the core's health at a glance.
2
NF service control20 min
Start, stop and inspect network functions safely.
3
RAN & UE operations30 min
Drive the simulated gNB and UE lifecycle, including clean deregistration.
4
Monitoring, logs & metrics30 min
journald, metrics and live throughput — the operator's instruments.
5
Subscriber management20 min
List, add and remove subscribers in the database.
6
Configuration management15 min
Edit NF configuration safely, backup-first.
7
NWDAF analytics & ML lifecycle20 min
Query network-data analytics and check model-training readiness.
8
Traffic scenarios & datasets25 min
Generate labelled traffic for downstream ML pipelines.
9
Troubleshooting lab40 min
Guided fault injection and repair — the localization method in practice.
10
Backup & restore10 min
Snapshot and restore the whole lab: configs, database, models.
What operating the core looks like
- Read a daily health check and know what every green and red line means.
- Localize a fault to one network function or interface before restarting anything.
- Turn a live core into labelled datasets — the raw material for the ML course.