Implementation of Network Slicing for the 5G Small Cells Integration

The 5G is currently a reality since June 2018. The first phase of its standardization, known as Release 15, has focused on specifying important novelties in terms of spectrum usage, bandwidth and network core entities. This paper focuses on the practical implementation of network slicing derived from OpenStack schemes to allow for its integration within the control system for heterogeneous networks developed in the European project 5G-ESSENCE. Different technological alternatives have been studied to configure the network slices, proposing an optimal configuration based on the mixed use of virtual machines and containers. This paper offers a valuable guide on how to setup this configuration based on the experience gained at the 5G-ESSENCE project.