  Open Radio Access Network (RAN) was introduced recently to incorporate
intelligence and openness into the upcoming generation of RAN. Open RAN offers
standardized interfaces and the capacity to accommodate network applications
from external vendors through extensible applications (xApps), which enhance
network management flexibility. The Near-Real-Time Radio Intelligent Controller
(Near-RT-RIC) employs specialized and intelligent xApps for achieving
time-critical optimization objectives, but conflicts may arise due to different
vendors' xApps modifying the same parameters or indirectly affecting each
others' performance. A standardized Conflict Management System (CMS) is absent
in most of the popular Open RAN architectures including the most prominent
O-RAN Alliance architecture. To address this, we propose a CMS with independent
controllers for conflict detection and mitigation between xApps in the
Near-RT-RIC. We utilize cooperative bargain game theory, including Nash Social
Welfare Function (NSWF) and the Equal Gains (EG) solution, to find optimal
configurations for conflicting parameters. Experimental results demonstrate the
effectiveness of the proposed Conflict Management Controller (CMC) in balancing
conflicting parameters and mitigating adverse impacts in the Near-RT-RIC on a
theoretical example scenario.
