i2Slicer: Enabling Flexible and Automated Orchestration of 5G SA End-to-End Network Slices

5G network slicing implies a step forward in customizing radio access and core networks by allowing the creation of logical networks adapted to service requirements. In addition, softwarisation has fueled the emergence of 5G solutions which do not require specialized hardware platforms. Therefore, a key requirement to drive the adoption of 5G slicing by verticals is to simplify its management through automated orchestration. In this paper, we present i2Slicer, a flexible solution to orchestrate the deployment of 5G standalone end-to-end network slices with multi-tenancy and multi-service capabilities. The implementation and evaluation of i2Slicer using state-of-the-art 5G software and hardware demonstrate that it offers a practical and efficient lifecycle management of network slices.