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Install

Ensure your system meets the requirements. Then, choose one of the installation methods below.

Install the Ella Core snap:

sudo snap install ella-core

Configure Ella Core:

sudo vim /var/snap/ella-core/common/core.yaml

Start Ella Core:

sudo snap start --enable ella-core.cored

Install the required dependencies:

sudo snap install go --channel=1.26/stable --classic
sudo snap install node --channel=24/stable --classic
sudo apt update
sudo apt -y install gcc

Clone the Ella Core repository:

git clone https://github.com/ellanetworks/core.git
cd core

Build the frontend:

npm install --prefix ui
npm run build --prefix ui

Build Ella Core:

REVISION=`git rev-parse HEAD`
go build -ldflags "-X github.com/ellanetworks/core/version.GitCommit=${REVISION}" ./cmd/core/main.go

Configure Ella Core:

vim core.yaml

Start Ella Core:

sudo ./main -config core.yaml

Create a new directory:

mkdir ella
cd ella

Copy the following file into this directory:

docker-compose.yaml
configs:
  ella_config:
    content: |
      logging:
        system:
          level: "info"
          output: "stdout"
        audit:
          output: "stdout"
      db:
        path: "/data/ella.db"
      interfaces:
        n2:
          address: "10.3.0.2"
          ngap-port: 38412
        n3:
          name: "n3"
        n6:
          name: "eth0"
        api:
          address: "0.0.0.0"
          port: 5002
      datapath:
        attach-mode: "tcx"

services:
  ella-core:
    image: ghcr.io/ellanetworks/ella-core:v1.20.0
    configs:
      - source: ella_config
        target: /core.yaml
    restart: unless-stopped
    entrypoint: /bin/core --config /core.yaml
    privileged: true
    volumes:
      - ella-data:/data
    ports:
      - "5002:5002"
    networks:
      default:
        driver_opts:
          com.docker.network.endpoint.ifname: eth0
      n3:
        driver_opts:
          com.docker.network.endpoint.ifname: n3
        ipv4_address: 10.3.0.2

networks:
  n3:
    internal: true
    ipam:
      config:
        - subnet: 10.3.0.0/24

volumes:
  ella-data:

Edit the file to match your network interfaces and desired configuration.

Note

This example uses tcx mode. To use xdp-native, run the container with network_mode: host and set n3 and n6 to host NICs with native XDP support.

Start the Ella Core container:

docker compose up -d

Ensure your Kubernetes cluster is running with the Multus CNI installed.

Download the Ella Core manifests:

git clone --depth 1 --branch v1.20.0 https://github.com/ellanetworks/core.git

Edit core/k8s/core-ran-nad.yaml to set master to the host interface that connects to your radios, and set the N2/N3 address. Use the same address for interfaces.n2.address in core/k8s/core-configmap.yaml.

Deploy Ella Core:

kubectl apply -k core/k8s

Note

These manifests use tcx mode. To use xdp-native, move physical N3 and N6 NICs with native XDP support into the pod (e.g. with host-device) instead of using macvlan and eth0, and put both in a VRF.