Building a traffic steering xApp: KPM → load analysis → RC handover

Traffic Steering Control Loop Design

A traffic steering xApp implements the classic O-RAN closed-loop optimization pattern. The loop begins with KPM subscriptions that deliver per-cell PRB utilization, per-UE throughput, and RSRP measurements at sub-second intervals. The xApp aggregates these metrics in SDL, computing cell load scores and identifying overloaded cells. When load imbalance exceeds a configurable threshold, the xApp evaluates candidate target cells for each UE based on RSRP and available capacity. The decision engine may apply A1 policy constraints — for example, a traffic steering policy from the Non-RT RIC that…