AIORA: An AI-Native Multi-Stakeholder Orchestration Architecture for 6G Continuum

TL;DR

The paper tackles the challenge of end-to-end orchestration across a multi-segment edge–cloud continuum in 6G, proposing AIORA, an AI-native architecture that integrates with existing European initiatives (ETSI MEC, GSMA Operator Platform, CAMARA, CAPIF) to enable secure, low-latency, multi-stakeholder service orchestration. Its core contributions include the concept of multi-segment virtual continuums, a cross-segment intelligence substrate, and nested AI-driven closed loops for real-time optimization, supported by a service-enabling framework and CAMARA-based API exposure. The authors argue that AIORA enables fine-grained, federated resource sharing and proactive management across domains, addressing scalability, energy efficiency, and QoE while maintaining interoperability with standards like 3GPP, O-RAN, and NFV. The work outlines concrete architectural components, lifecycle management workflows, and integration points that can accelerate industry adoption toward an open, interoperable, and AI-driven 6G ecosystem.

Abstract

This paper elaborates on a novel AI-native architecture for emerging 6G systems harnessing open APIs, along with supporting mechanisms to empower intelligent and coordinated orchestration of edge-cloud continuum resources. The AIORA architecture facilitates a seamless creation, life-cycle management, and exposure of services in multi-segment heterogeneous environments. It integrates new breeds of tools and advanced technologies to enable zero-touch management of an edge-cloud continuum, building on top of the 3GPP Edge Enablement Layer and the respective connectivity models, allowing to cater to the high flexibility, availability, efficiency, reliability, and resilience needs of the future 6G services and applications. Several ongoing industry initiatives -- such as ETSI MEC for edge computing platforms, the GSMA Operator Platform for multi-operator service federation, and CAMARA for cross-operator API standardization -- demonstrate the growing momentum towards integrated frameworks where edge, cloud, and network resources can be seamlessly orchestrated. Our proposed AIORA architecture not only aligns with these initiatives but also extends them by leveraging a multi-segment virtual continuum concept and nested AI-driven closed loops for real-time optimization.

Figures (2)

• Figure 1: The envisioned AIORA architecture showing the composition of multi-segment virtual continuums based on multi-stakeholder heterogeneous network and cloud infrastructure resources, with each multi-segment virtual continuum being configured with a customised user, control, cloud, management, and intelligence planes. A cross-segment intelligence and resource coordination substrate resolves conflicts among multi-segment virtual continuums, assuring a service targets harmonisation related to the applications enabled on the top.
• Figure 2: Service Enabling Framework that offers the tools for facilitating services across a heterogeneous multi-stakeholder cloud and network infrastructure and shows the relation with the 3GPP SA6 WG business scenarios: (i) Business Scenario A: Single business operator that offers and manages all entities of the system, (ii) Business Scenario B: An application provider offers the application servers and an MNO or an edge computing service provider offers the virtual infrastructure and the multi-segment virtual continuums, while a single business operator manages all entities of the system, and (iii) Business Scenario C: An application provider offers the application server and an MNO, or an edge computing service provider offer the virtual infrastructure and the multi-segment virtual continuums, while an MNO is responsible for the management of the virtual infrastructure and service provider for the virtual network on the top including the applications.