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WHATSNEW.md: add v1.5.0 release notes, update Version file
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‎Version‎

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1.4.3
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1.5.0

‎WHATSNEW.md‎

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# What's New in Simu5G
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## v1.5.0 (2026-04-16)
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This release continues the architectural overhaul of Simu5G. Major themes
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include consolidating Control Plane functions under the RRC module, adding QoS
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support via DRBs and the SDAP protocol, restructuring Ip2Nic and other modules
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for cleaner architecture, and improving type safety throughout the codebase.
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Tested with INET-4.5.4 and OMNeT++ 6.3.
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### More explicit Control Plane modeling
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Continuing the direction set in v1.4.3, code fragments that implement pieces of
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the 3GPP Control Plane have been identified throughout the codebase and collected
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under the `Rrc` module. `Rrc` is now a compound module with the following
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submodules:
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- **BearerManagement**: The former simple `Rrc` module, renamed and extended.
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It now owns the lifecycle (creation, deletion, lookup) of all PDCP and RLC
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entities. Previously, entity management was scattered across the monolithic
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PDCP module and the `LteRlcUm`/`LteRlcAm` modules.
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- **Registration**: Node registration and deregistration logic, previously
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embedded in `Ip2Nic`, was moved here.
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- **HandoverController**: Handover decision and execution logic was extracted
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from `LtePhyUe` into this new module. This is architecturally more correct,
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as handover is an RRC function, not PHY. The internal "handover packet"
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misnomer was corrected to "beacon" (`HANDOVERPKT` → `BEACONPKT`,
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`broadcastMessageInterval` → `beaconInterval`). Several parameters were
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exposed as NED parameters (`hysteresisFactor`, `handoverDetachmentTime`,
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`isNr`).
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- **D2DModeController**: D2D mode selection was moved here from the former
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`stack/d2dModeSelection/` directory, and D2D peer tracking from
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`LteRlcUmD2D`.
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### QoS support: SDAP, DRBs and per-bearer PDCP/RLC entities
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QoS (Quality of Service) support was added through Data Radio Bearers (DRBs)
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and the SDAP (Service Data Adaptation Protocol) layer, which is part of the 5G
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NR protocol stack. The code is based on a contribution by Mohamed Seliem
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(University College Cork); see releases v1.4.1-sdap and v1.4.1-sdap-2 for
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details. In this release, the code was substantially reworked and integrated
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into the main codebase.
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In accordance with the 3GPP architecture, the PDCP and RLC layers were
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transformed so that they purely consist of per-DRB entities, created and
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configured by `BearerManagement` (RRC). Each DRB has dedicated PDCP TX/RX and
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RLC TX/RX entity modules, wired directly to each other via per-bearer gate
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connections.
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Details:
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- **SDAP protocol layer**: An SDAP implementation was added, providing
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QFI-to-DRB routing with a JSON-configured `DrbTable`. The SDAP layer is
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optional in NR NICs (enabled via `hasSdap=true`).
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- **QFI propagation via GTP-U**: QFI is set by the application via DSCP,
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picked up by `TrafficFlowFilter`/UPF, carried in the GTP-U protocol header
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(mirroring the 3GPP PDU Session Container extension header), and extracted
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by the gNB for SDAP routing.
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- **QoS-aware proportional fairness scheduler**: A `QoSAwareScheduler` was
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added to MAC, supporting QFI-based scheduling with configurable weight
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constants. Enable with `LteMacEnb.schedulingDisciplineDl/Ul = "QOS_PF"`.
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- **DRB configuration in JSON**: DRB configuration is split between SDAP
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(`sdap.drbConfig` for QFI-to-DRB routing) and MAC (`mac.drbQosConfig` for
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QoS scheduler parameters), both in JSON format.
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- **Non-IP PDU session support**: SDAP was generalized for non-IP PDU session
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types, with `PduSessionType` enum and `upperProtocol` in DRB configuration.
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- **PDCP refactored into per-bearer entities**: The former monolithic PDCP
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module (which had six subclass variants for LTE/NR × UE/eNB/D2D) was
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replaced with per-bearer `PdcpTxEntity` and `PdcpRxEntity` modules, plus
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`PdcpMux` for upper-layer routing and `DcMux` for Dual Connectivity X2
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forwarding. Bypass entities handle the DC secondary leg. Entities communicate
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via OMNeT++ gates, not C++ method calls.
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- **RLC refactored into per-bearer entities**: The former `LteRlc` compound
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module (containing `LteRlcUm`/`LteRlcUmD2D`, `LteRlcAm`, `LteRlcTm`) was
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replaced with per-bearer TX/RX entity modules for all three RLC modes (UM,
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AM, TM), plus `RlcMux` for MAC↔entity routing.
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- **PDCP↔RLC directly wired**: PDCP and RLC entities are connected directly
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via per-bearer gates. All submodules now reside directly at NIC level — the
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former `PdcpLayer` and `LteRlc` compound modules no longer exist.
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- **Example simulations**: `simulations/nr/standalone/omnetpp_drb.ini` with
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multi-UE, multi-QFI configurations.
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### Ip2Nic decomposed, further module architecture improvements
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The `Ip2Nic` module, which had accumulated various unrelated responsibilities
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over time, was decomposed. Several code fragments were factored out into
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separate modules:
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- **`analyzePacket()` moved to Ip2Nic from PDCP**: Packet classification
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(filling `FlowControlInfo` tags) was moved to where it logically belongs —
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at the IP-to-NIC boundary. The `IpFlowInd` tag was eliminated. RLC type NED
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parameters (`conversationalRlc`, etc.) also moved from PDCP to `Ip2Nic`.
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- **HandoverPacketHolderUe/Enb**: Handover packet buffering was factored out
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of `Ip2Nic` into separate modules. X2 tunneled packets are now received via
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gates instead of C++ method calls.
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- **TechnologyDecision**: Dual Connectivity technology selection logic was
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extracted into a separate, configurable module that uses NED expressions.
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Further module architecture improvements:
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- **MAC turned into compound module**: MAC is now a compound module with `AMC`
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and DL/UL `Scheduler` as proper `cSimpleModule` submodules (previously
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created via `new` in C++). They perform their own staged initialization.
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- **UPF and PgwStandard** now derive from INET's `ApplicationLayerNodeBase`.
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- **PacketFlowObserver refactored to use OMNeT++ signals**: Direct C++ calls
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from PDCP, RLC, and MAC into `PacketFlowObserver` were replaced with
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OMNeT++ signals, fully decoupling the observer from protocol modules.
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- Replaced method-call-based packet passing with gate connections in several
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places: `LteHandoverManager`, `DualConnectivityManager`, `Ip2Nic` (X2 path).
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### Type safety improvements
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- **Strong typedefs**: `SIMU5G_STRONG_TYPEDEF` macro applied to `MacNodeId`,
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`DrbId`, `LogicalCid`, and `Qfi`, preventing accidental mixing of ID types.
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- **Direction enum**: `LteControlInfo.direction` changed from `unsigned short`
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to a proper `Direction` enum.
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- **C++ types extracted**: Types previously defined in `LteCommon.msg` were
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moved into a dedicated `LteTypes.h` header.
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- **ROHC header**: PDCP header compression now uses a proper ROHC header
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representation instead of simply truncating the IP header.
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- `FlowControlInfo`: `lcid` field renamed to `drbId`.
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### Naming and layout cleanup
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- Gate renames throughout the NIC for clarity and consistency:
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`MAC_to_RLC`/`RLC_to_MAC` → `upperLayerIn`/`upperLayerOut` and
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`macIn`/`macOut`; `MAC_to_PHY`/`PHY_to_MAC` → `phyOut`/`phyIn`;
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`filterGate` → `dnPppg`. Several `inout` gates split into separate `input`
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+ `output` gates.
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- Submodule renames: `pdcpUpperMux` → `pdcpMux`, `rlcLowerMux` → `rlcMux`,
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`pppIf` → `dpPpp` (in UPF/PGW).
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- Module renames: `DualConnectivityManager` → `DcX2Forwarder`,
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`LteHandoverManager` → `HandoverX2Forwarder`.
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- Improved NED layout of NIC internals for better visualization in Qtenv:
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data-path modules arranged vertically, control-plane modules on the left
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edge, dynamically created PDCP/RLC entities positioned between muxes.
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### Bug fixes
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- MEC: Fixed uninitialized variables, `MecOrchestrator` contextId counter
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never being incremented, missing return after failure path causing
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end-iterator dereference, `MecAppBase` undisposed objects,
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`MecResponseApp`/`MecRTVideoStreamingReceiver` missing `localUePort`,
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`RniService` incomplete CamelCase renaming.
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- `LteSchedulerEnb`: Fixed multi-UE starvation in multi-DRB scheduling.
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- `QoSAwareScheduler`: Fixed QoS lookup failure for UEs beyond the first,
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integer division in PF score computation, rate units mismatch.
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### Other
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- Added `tilx` fingerprints (resistant to module renames) to the fingerprint
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test suite. Fingerprint test coverage for MEC simulations improved.
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- `SplitBearersTable` turned into `std::ordered_map`.
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## v1.4.3 (2026-02-18)
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This release represents a major milestone in the complete overhaul of the Simu5G

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