Getting Started with CCI xG Testbed

CCI xG Testbed provides a platform consisting of wireless and computing resources for researchers to carry out advanced wireless research. Users can access the platform by completing the User Sign-up Form with their personal and project details. Once approved, users can utilize the allocated resources for executing their wireless experiments.

Access and Account Creation

User Sign-up Process

To gain access to the CCI xG Testbed, you need to complete the User Sign-up Form:

CCI xG Testbed User Sign-up Form

Note

Account requests typically take 2 business days for approval.

Once your submission is reviewed and approved, the Administrative team will send you an email containing your access instructions. All CCI xG Testbed resources are centralized through our Single Sign-On (SSO) portal.

How to Access Your Dashboard

  1. Open the Portal

    You can access the CCI xG Testbed portal in either of the following ways:

    • Go to the CCI xG Testbed website and select User → Login from the top navigation menu.

    • Or directly open the portal at CCI xG Testbed Portal.

    CCI xG Testbed website showing the User Login menu

    Accessing the portal from the CCI xG Testbed website.

  2. Sign In

    On the login page, select Continue with CILogon. CILogon allows you to securely authenticate using your university or institutional identity provider.

    CCI xG Testbed login page with CILogon option

    Login page with the CILogon authentication option.

  3. Select Your Institution

    On the CILogon page, choose your identity provider, such as Virginia Tech, and click Log On.

    CILogon identity provider selection page

    Selecting an institutional identity provider in CILogon.

  4. Approve Access

    CILogon may ask you to approve the release of basic account information, such as your name, email address, username, and institutional affiliation. Review the information and continue only if you approve.

  5. Accept the Usage Policy

    On your first login, you may be asked to read and accept the CCI xG Testbed Acceptable Use Policy. Check the agreement box and click Continue.

  6. Open Your Dashboard

    After successful login, you will be redirected to the My Applications dashboard. This dashboard displays the resource tiles assigned to your account. Click any available tile to launch the corresponding environment, tool, or project platform.

Note

For detailed information on navigating the portal and using assigned resources, refer to the Portal Access Guide.

Attention

When completing the initial request form, be specific about your project requirements in the Purpose of CCI xG Testbed Usage field. This helps ensure that the appropriate resource tiles are allocated to your dashboard.

CCI Dashboard and Experiment Environment

After receiving your access credentials, you’ll begin your journey with the CCI Dashboard, which serves as the central hub for accessing various components of the CCI xG Testbed and launching your experiments.

User-Flow

Figure: Experimental User - Workflow Diagram

Authentication and Navigation

  1. Initial Access:

    • Navigate to the CCI Dashboard login page

    • Enter your provided username and password

    • The system will validate your credentials

      • If invalid, an error message will be displayed, prompting you to re-enter your credentials

      • If valid, you’ll be redirected to the main navigation page

  2. Main Navigation Options: After successful login, you’ll be presented with a clean, intuitive interface offering four main options:

    • Non-RT Dashboard: Access to Non-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controller management

    • Near-RT Dashboard: Access to Near-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controller management

    • Clear-ML: Access to the Clear-ML platform for ML model training and management

    • OpenStack Login: Button to authenticate and access the OpenStack environment

Dashboard Components

Non-RT Dashboard

If you select the Non-RT Dashboard option, you’ll gain access to:

  • Non-RT RIC Management: Monitor and configure the Non-RT RIC platform

  • rApps Management: Deploy, configure, and monitor rApps

  • Policy Management: Create, edit, and distribute policies to Near-RT RICs

Near-RT Dashboard

If you select the Near-RT Dashboard option, you’ll gain access to:

  • Near-RT RIC Management: Monitor and configure the Near-RT RIC platform

  • xApps Management: Deploy, configure, and monitor xApps

  • E2 Node Management: Monitor and manage E2 Nodes (CU/DU) connected to the Near-RT RIC

Accessing the Experiment Environment via OpenStack

The primary way to access your experiment environment is through the OpenStack dashboard. This is where you’ll create and manage the virtual machines and resources needed for your experiments.

Accessing OpenStack:

  1. From the CCI Dashboard main navigation page, click the OpenStack Login button

  2. You’ll be redirected to the OpenStack authentication page

  3. Enter your OpenStack credentials (provided in your welcome email)

  4. After successful authentication, you’ll access the OpenStack Dashboard

  5. From there, you can create instances, configure networks, manage volumes, and launch your experiment environment

Setting Up Your Experiment Environment:

Once logged into the OpenStack Dashboard, you can:

  1. Create virtual machines with your required specifications

  2. Configure networking for your experiment

  3. Allocate storage resources

  4. Deploy and run your experiment software

  5. Document your experiment setup, track issues, and manage your project timeline using gitlab

For detailed instructions on creating and managing OpenStack instances, please refer to our OpenStack Instance Launch Guide.

Note

For the best experience with the CCI xG Testbed portal and OpenStack dashboard, we recommend using modern web browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge.