CNT-03 · Cloud-Native and Telco Infrastructure
Build the part of 5G that carries the traffic.
Write the forwarding and charging logic of a user-plane function, then run it on DPDK or VPP.
You build: a mini user-plane function with a charging record and tests.
Some chapters are still being completed — the chapters for this course are still being finalised.
Promise
Build the forwarding and charging logic of a 5G user-plane function and run it on DPDK or VPP.
Prerequisites
DPK-01 or PDP-01; basic mobile-network concepts.
Units
1. Introduction and environment ch 01–03
.
2. Interfaces and pipeline ch 04–05, 07
protocol stack, pipeline design, forwarding rules.
3. Charging and inspection ch 08–09
usage reporting, DPI.
4. Operations ch 10–13, 17
load balancing, high availability, monitoring, security, testing.
5. Control plane and acceleration ch 14–16
control-plane interaction, hardware acceleration, containers.
6. Open source and frameworks ch 18–21
open-source UPFs, DPDK and VPP plugins.
7. Tunnels and buffering ch 22, 24
.
8. Slicing and edge ch 23, 26–27
.
9. Standards and project ch 28–30
.
Labs
Each lab names its environment and a pass check. Labs are not marked complete on "it ran" — the pass check has to hold.
| Lab | What you do | Environment |
|---|---|---|
| CNT-03ach 22 | Parse GTP-U headers from a capturePass check: TEID extracted | sim60 min |
| CNT-03bch 07 | Forwarding rules and countersPass check: Matched packets equal expected | sim90 min |
| CNT-03cch 20 | DPDK user planePass check: Forwarding runs | sim120 min |
| CNT-03dch 26 | Slice a user plane by QoSPass check: Slices separated | sim60 min |
Capstone project · CAP-08
Mini User-Plane Function · 4 weeks
A private 5G network needs a user plane for one site.
Implement tunnel forwarding, charging records, and one slice with a latency budget.
Deliverables: Source, tests, latency results, failure report.
Outcomes
- I can parse a GTP-U header and find the tunnel endpoint ID.
- I can apply a forwarding rule and show the matched packets.
- I can explain how a charging record is produced from usage.
Also in
How it runs
Work through the units in order. Each unit groups the chapters of the study guide with its share of the labs. You can start any time; there is no cohort date and nothing expires.
Labs run in a VM, a container, a simulator or on real hardware, and the card above names which. Where a lab needs hardware — an RDMA NIC, a programmable switch model, an FPGA — there is a simulator fallback so you are never blocked by equipment.
Questions
Do I get a certificate?
You get a completion record for the course. Path badges and project credentials are earned by passing the labs and the project review, not by attendance.
Can my team take this together?
Yes — and if you would rather have it delivered live, with the instructor in the room, this course also exists as a scheduled live cohort. See the live dates.
How long does it take?
≈ 30 h of study including the labs. Most engineers take it part-time over a few weeks.