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NTTDOCOMOTechnicalJournalCoreNetwork(EPC)forLTE
LTECoreNetworkControlMethodEPC
SpecialArticlesonXi(Crossy)LTEServiceTowardSmartInnovation
CoreNetwork(EPC)forLTE
InparallelwiththedeploymentofLTEradioaccesstechnol-ogytocopewithdramaticincreasesintraffic,NTTDOCOMOisintroducingEPCasacorenetworkforaccommodatingLTEandotherradioaccesssystems.TheEPCconsistsofMME,S-GW,P-GWandPCRFfunctionsforperforming
CoreNetworkDevelopmentDepartment
KeisukeSuzukiTakashiMoritaShinNarahaZhenMiao
10000
authentication,mobilitymanagement,bearercontrol,charg-ingandQoScontrol.TheEPCandSGSNsupportmobilitymanagementbetweentheLTEand3Gaccesssystems,andHSSsupportsthemanagementofLTEsubscriberinforma-tion.
PacketDataNetworkGateway(P-
TheEPCprovidesavarietyoffunc-
GW),andPolicyandChargingRulesFunction(PCRF).Itadoptsanarchi-forthePacketDataNetwork(PDN),control,andmobilitymanagement.1.IntroductionTherecentjumpindatacommuni-cationstrafficisexpectedtocontinueintothefutureasthepenetrationofsmartphonesescalatesandtheprovisionofrichcontentexpands.NTTDOCOMOisrespondingtothisdemandbydeploy-
*3*4
tecturethatseparatestheMMEandPCRFforcontrollingtheControlPlane(C-Plane),andtheS-GWandP-GWforcontrollingtheuserplane(U-Plane),tomakeiteasiertocopewithgrowing
tionsincludinguserauthentication,user-contractanalysis,authentication*7
settingoftransferpathsforuserdatapackets,QualityofService(QoS)*8
ItadoptstheAlways-ONcontinu-
ingLTEradioaccessfeaturinghigher
trafficontheU-Plane[2][3].TheEPC
ous-connectionconceptasabearer
*9
Node(SGSN)andtheHomeSub-scriberServer(HSS)tocontrolinter-(MME),ServingGateway(S-GW),26
transmissionspeeds,shorterdelaysandlargercapacities.ItisalsointroducingEvolvedPacketCore(EPC),whichwasspecifiedatthesametimeasLTE(3GPPRelease8),asthecorenetworktoaccommodateLTEandotherradioaccesssystems[1].TheEPCconsistsoftheMobilityManagementEntity*1*2
alsocooperateswiththeServingGPRS(GeneralPacketRadioService)Support*5*6
workingwith3Gandsubscriberscon-tractinformation.Inthisarticle,thepor-tionofthenetworkconsistingoftheEPC,SGSNandHSSisdenotedastheEPCnetwork.
*1MME:AlogicalnodeaccommodatingeNodeBbasestationsandprovidingmobilitymanagementandotherfunctions.*2S-GW:Theareapacketgatewayaccommodat-ingthe3GPPaccesssystem.*3P-GW:Agatewayactingasapointofconnec-
controlmethodinwhichthemobileter-minalisallocatedanIPaddresswhenturnedONsothatIPcommunicationscanbeperformedthesameasinthefixednetwork.TheEPCalsosupportspolicyandchargingrulestocontrolbillingandQoSandmobilitymanage-mentbetweendifferentradioaccesssystems.
tiontoaPDN(see*7),allocatingIPaddressesandtransportingpacketstotheS-GW.*4PCRF:AlogicalnodecontrollingQoS(see*8)andcharginginuserdatatransfers.
NTTDOCOMOTechnicalJournalVol.13No.1
NTTDOCOMOTechnicalJournalThisarticleprovidesanoverviewofEPCnetworkconfigurationandequip-mentanddescribesthebasicEPCfunc-tionsandsignalingflows.
2.OverviewofEPCNetworkNodeConfigurationThenodeconfigurationoftheEPCnetworkisshowninFigure1.ThisnewlydevelopedEPCconsistsoftheMMEandPCRFforprocessingonlycontrolsignalsandtheEPCServing
accordingtothatvalue.TheS-GW,meanwhile,relaysuserdatapacketsreceivedfromtheeNodeBtotheP-GWorviceversa,andfunc-tionsasananchorpointforuserdatapacketsontheoccasionofahandoverbetweenLTEand3Gradioaccess.Additionally,intheeventthatuserdatapacketshappentobereceivedfromtheP-GWforamobileterminalforwhicharadiobearerisnotcurrentlyestablished,S-GWinstructstheMMEtoperformpagingtoreestablisharadiobearer.
registration,pagingandthetransferofuserdatapacketson3Gasinthepast,theSGSNalsoperformsmobilityman-agementwithLTEandestablishesandreleasesbearerswiththeS-GW.2)AdditionalHSSfunctionsTheHSSmanagessubscriberpro-filesandauthenticationinformationforLTEusersandpassesthatinformationtotheMMEatthetimeoflocationreg-istration.Italsohasafunctionforlimit-ingtheuseofanLTEterminaltoonlytheLTEsubscriberbasedonthetypeof
andPDNGateWay(ESPGW)
*10
for
TheP-GWconnectsthemobileter-
userterminalandLTEsubscriberpro-
pagingprocessingthetransferofuserdata.TheMMEandPCRFarethesameastheonesin3GPPstandardarchitectureandESPGWcorrespondstoS-GW/P-GW.
2.1OverviewofNewlyDevelopedEquipmentTheMMEperformsmobilityman-agementsuchaslocationregistration,*11andhandoveraswellasbear-
minalwiththePDN.ItisalsoequippedwithfunctionsforallocatinganIPaddresstothemobileterminalandcol-lectingchargingdata.
2.2ExtensionsinExistingEquipment1)AdditionalSGSNFunctionsInadditiontoperforminglocation
file.
3.BasicFunctionsandSignalingFlows3.1Always-ONTheLTEsystemandEPCadopttheAlways-ONconceptwherebyabear-erisestablishedandanIPaddressisallocatedtothemobileterminalwhen
RNC/erestablishmentandrelease.Italsoper-formsuserauthenticationbasedonauthenticationinformationreceivedfromtheHSS,anditprovidesafunc-
S16IuNodeBSGSN
S3
Gr
HSS
S4
ControlsignalinterfaceUserdatatransferandcontrolsignalinterface
tionforencryptingthesignalbetween
mobileterminals.ThePCRF,inturn,providesfunc-tionsfordeterminingtheQoSand
S1-MME
MME
S10
S6a
S11
MME
PCRF
GxcGx
PCRF
chargingpolicytobeappliedtodatapacketssentandreceivedbytheuser.
eNodeB
EPC
S1-U
S-GWP-GWS5ESPGW
SGi
PDN(mopera,etc.)
OndeterminingaQoSvalue,thePCRF
passesittotheP-GW,S-GWandbasestation(eNodeB),eachofwhichper-formsQoScontrolonuserdatapackets
*AlphanumericcharacterssuchasS5arestandardinterfacenamesRNC:RadioNetworkControllerFigure1EPCnetworkarchitecture
*5SGSN:Alogicalnodehavingpacketcommu-nicationfunctionsspecifiedby3GPPstan-dards.*6HSS:Asubscriberinformationdatabaseina3GPPmobilecommunicationnetwork;it
workvisitinginformation.*7PDN:AnexternalnetworkconnectedtobyEPC.*8QoScontrol:Atechnologyforcontrollingthequalityofcommunicationsbyvarious
transmissions.*9Bearer:Inthisarticle,thepathtakenbyuserdatapackets.*10ESPGW:EquipmenthavingthecapabilitiesofS-GWandP-GW.
managesauthenticationinformationandnet-
NTTDOCOMOTechnicalJournalVol.13No.1
meanssuchasspecifyingthepriorityofpacket
27
NTTDOCOMOTechnicalJournalCoreNetwork(EPC)forLTE
(APN),andapplicationinuse.Thisprocessisdividedintopolicycontrolofradioresources.Thismeansthat,areestablishedinattach,thePCRFthepowertotheterminalisturnedON.ThisIPaddressisalwaysallocatedtothemobileterminalsothatserversontheservice-provisionsidecanprovideIPservicesthesameasinafixedcom-municationsnetworkwithouthavingtobeawarethattheaccessnetworkisactuallyamobilecommunicationsnet-work.Thealways-onbearerissituatedinsidetheEPC(betweentheS-GWandP-GW),butifanon-communicatingstatecontinues,theradiobearer(mobileterminaleNodeBS-GW)isreleasedtomakemoreefficientuse*12
whenanattempttocommunicatereoc-curs,onlytheradiobearerhastobereestablishedtoreopenthecommunica-tionslink,whichshortenstheconnec-
tiondelay(Figure2).
3.2PCCInEPC,aprocesscalledPolicyandChargingControl(PCC)achievesflexi-blecontrolofQoSandchargingwithrespecttopacketdataaccordingtotheuserscontract,AccessPointName*13*14
andchargingcontrol.InadditiontoQoSmanagement,policycontrolpro-videsgatecontroltoallowtheoutflowandinflowofpacketstoandfromthenetwork[4].ThecurrentEPCdevelopmentintroducedhereprovideschargingcon-trolinpart.Whenpacketconnections*15
referencesthechargingpolicyitstoresforeachAPN.Inthecaseofno-charge,thePCRFinstructsfortheP-GWtoperformno-chargecontrolandtosuppressthegenerationofdetailedbillingdataforthepacketsofthatAPN.
3.3AttachProcedureTheattachprocedureperformedwhenturningpowertothemobileter-minalONisshowninFigure3.Steps(1)-(4):ThemobileterminalsendsanattachrequestmessagetotheMME,whichperformsuserauthen-ticationbasedonauthenticationinformationreceivedfromtheHSSandobtainsandmanagessub-scriberscontractinformationfrom
PoweronAttach
eNodeBS-GWP-GW
Afterattach,theradiolinkisreleasedifnocommunicationsoccurforacertaintimeperiod
PDN
eNodeBS-GWP-GWBegincommunications
PDNeNodeBS-GWP-GWAfixedtimeperiodelapsesaftercommunicationsterminate
Afterafixedtimeperiod,theradiobearerisreleased
PDN
Detach
eNodeB
S-GWP-GW
Poweroff
eNodeBS-GWP-GW
Figure2Always-ON
28
*11Paging:Aprocessthatcallsallmobiletermi-nalsinunisonatthetimeofanincomingcall.*12Radioresources:Generaltermforresourcesneededtoallocateradiochannels(frequen-cies).
*13APN:Thenameofaconnectionpoint;thenameofanetworkconnectionpointpreparedbyacorporateuserasaconnectiondestination.*14Policycontrol:TechnologyforcontrollingcommunicationsasinQoSortheenabling/dis-ablingofpackettransfersbasedonnetworkor
subscriberinformation.*15Attach:Aprocessforregisteringamobileter-minalwiththenetworksuchaswhenturningterminalpoweron.
NTTDOCOMOTechnicalJournalVol.13No.1
NTTDOCOMOTechnicalJournalMobileterminaleNodeBMMEHSSS-GWPCRFP-GWPDN(1)Attachrequest
(2)Authentication,security,integritycontrol(3)Updatelocationrequest
C-PlaneU-Plane
(4)Updatelocationresponse(5)Createsessionrequest
(6)Establishbearerprocessing
(8)Initialcontext
(7)Createsessionresponse
(9)RRCconnectionreconfiguration
setuprequest(attachaccept)
(attachaccept)(10)RRCconnectionreconfigurationcomplete(11)Initialcontextsetupresponse(12)AttachcompleteFirstuplinkuserdatapackets(13)Modifybearerrequest
(14)Modifybearerprocessing(15)ModifybearerresponseFirstdownlinkuserdatapackets
Figure3LTEattachprocedure
DomainNameSystem(DNS),theHSStoestablishabearer.Steps(5)-(11):BasedontheAPNreceivedfromthemobileterminal,theMMEselectstheS-GWandP-GWtobeusedasdestinationswhenestablish-ingabearerinaccordancewiththe*16
andsendsacreatesessionrequestmessagetotheselectedS-GW.TheS-GWnowperformsestab-lishbearerprocessingwithrespecttotheP-GWspecifiedinthecre-atesessionrequestmessage.TheP-GWinterfaceswiththePCRFtogetinformationonwhatchargingneedstobeappliedandalsoper-
*16DNS:Asystemforassigningacorrespon-dencebetweenahostnameandanIPaddressonanIPnetwork.
NTTDOCOMOTechnicalJournalVol.13No.1
formsconnectionprocessingwithaPDN.OncompletingbearersetupbetweentheS-GWandP-GW,theS-GWsendstotheMMEinforma-tiononpropagationconditionsfortheeNodeB.TheMMEsendsthispropaga-tioninformationreceivedfromtheS-GWtotheeNodeBasaninitialcontextsetuprequest,whichincludesanattachacceptmessageforthemobileterminal.TheeNodeBnowestablishesaradiobearerwiththemobileterminalandsendsittheattachacceptmessage,andthenreceivesanRRCconnec-tionreconfigurationcompletemes-
sagefromthemobileterminalandpassespropagationinformationfortheS-GWtotheMME.Steps(12)-(15):Onreceivinganattachcompletemessagefromthemobileterminal,theMMEsendsthepropagationinformationreceivedfromtheeNodeBtotheS-GW.Finally,basedonthepropaga-tioninformationsoreceived,theS-GWcompletestheestablishmentofabearerbetweentheeNodeBandS-GW.Thiscompletestheestab-lishmentofabearerinthemannerofmobileterminaleNodeBS-GWP-GW.
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NTTDOCOMOTechnicalJournalCoreNetwork(EPC)forLTE
3.4MobilityManagementbetweenDifferentRadioAccessSystemsTherearetwomethodsformanag-ingmobilitybetweendifferentradioaccesssystems:thehandovermethod,whichestablishesabearerforthemobileterminalatitsnewlocationbeforehand,andtheReleasewithRedi-rectionmethod,whichcutsoffthebear-eratthemobileterminalsoldlocationandswitchesthecommunicationspathonregisteringthemobileterminalsnewlocation.NTTDOCOMOisadopt-ingthelattermethodforitsLTEservicelaunch,sincethemethodisamandatoryfunctioninthe3GPPstandard.
TheprocedureofReleasewithRedirectionfromLTEto3GisshowninFigure4.Steps(1)-(2):ThemobileterminalsendsaMeasurementreporttotheeNodeB,whichusesthatinformationasabasisforreleasingtheRRCconnec-tionandinstructingaswitchto3G.Steps(3)-(4):Basedontheswitchinginstruc-tionsreceivedfromtheeNodeB,themobileterminalselects3GandsendsaroutingareaupdaterequestthatincludesMMEidentificationinformationtotheSGSN.
Steps(5)-(8):TheSGSNspecifiesaMMEbasedontheMMEidentificationinformationreceivedfromthemobileterminalandobtainsbearercontext(S-GWIPaddress,bearerinformation,etc.).Steps(9)-(11):Basedonthebearercontextsoreceived,theSGSNsendstheS-GWaModifyBearerRequestmes-sagethatincludesbearerinforma-tion(SGSNIPaddress,etc.).TheS-GW,inturn,interfaceswiththeP-GWandPCRFbasedonthebearerinformationreceivedandperformsmodifybearerprocessing.Itthen
MobileterminalRNCeNodeBSGSNMMES-GWP-GWPCRFHSS(1)MeasurementreportUserdatapackets(2)RRCconnectionrelease
(3)Reselectcellandestablishradiolink(4)Routingareaupdaterequest(5)Contextrequest(6)Contextresponse(7)Authentication/security(8)Contextacknowledge(9)Modifybearerrequest
(10)Modifybearerprocessing(11)Modifybearerresponse(12)Updatelocationrequest/answer(13)Routingareaupdateaccept(14)Routingareaupdatecomplete
(15)Sequenceforreestablishingradiobearer
Figure4ReleasewithRedirectionprocedure
C-PlaneU-Plane
30
NTTDOCOMOTechnicalJournalVol.13No.1
NTTDOCOMOTechnicalJournalswitchesthecommunicationspathtotheSGSNandreturnsamodifybearerresponsemessagetotheSGSN.Steps(12)-(14):TheSGSNperformsaupdatelocationrequest/answerprocesswithHSSandsendsaroutingareaupdateaccepttothemobiletermi-nal.Thiscompletestheswitchingoftheuser-data-packettransferpathinsidethecorenetworktothe3Gside.Step(15):Finally,aprocedureforreestab-lishingtheradiobearerisper-formedtoinitiate3Gcommunica-
tions.
3.5RadioBearerReestablish-mentProcedureIntheeventthatthemobileterminalsendsorreceivesuserdatapacketswhenaradio-bearerisreleased,itwillreestablishtheradiobearerfollowingtheproceduredescribedbelow(Figure5).Steps(1)-(3):Thisprocedurewillbeper-formedonlywhenthePDNsendsuserdatapacketstothemobileter-minal.IftheS-GWreceivesuserdatapacketsfromtheP-GWandthe
radiobearerhasbeencutoff,ittem-porarilyholdsthepacketsandsendsadownlinkdatanotificationtotheMME.TheMMEnowpagesthemobileterminal.Subsequentpro-cessingbeginswithstep(4)oftheprocedure.Steps(4)-(8):Therestoftheprocedureisper-formedwhenthemobileterminalsendsuserdatapacketstothePDNorwhenthePDNsendsuserdatapacketstothemobileterminal.Tobeginwith,themobileter-minalsendsaservicerequesttotheMME.Afterperformingauthentica-
MobileTerminaleNodeBMMES-GWP-GWPCRFHSS
RadiobearerreleasedstateAlways-ONstate
(1)DownlinkdataPerformedonlywhenuserdatapackets
(4)Servicerequest
(2)Downlinkdatanotification(3)Paging
Bufferedpackets
destinedforthemobileterminalemergeinthenetwork
C-Plane
U-Plane(5)Authentication/security(6)Establishradiobearerrequest(7)EstablishradiobearerFirstuplinkuserdatapackets(8)Establishradiobearerresponse(9)Modifybearerrequest
(10)Modifybearerprocessing(11)ModifybearerresponseFirstdownlinkuserdatapackets
Figure5Radiobearerreestablishmentprocedure
NTTDOCOMOTechnicalJournalVol.13No.1
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NTTDOCOMOTechnicalJournalCoreNetwork(EPC)forLTE
tionandsecurity-relatedproce-
naltotheS-GW.Atthispoint,thepro-
bysupportingCSFallback
*17
[5]to
32
dures,theMMEsendsanestablishradiobearerrequestincludingtheS-GWIPaddressandbearerinfor-mationtotheeNodeB.TheeNodeBnowestablishesaradiobearerwiththemobiletermi-nalandcreatesapathuptotheS-GW.ItalsoreturnsanestablishradiobearerresponsethatincludestheeNodeBIPaddressandbearerinformationtotheMME.Steps(9)-(11):TheMMEsendsamodifybear-errequesttotheS-GWtransferringtheeNodeBIPaddresstoit.TheS-GWestablishesapathtotheeNodeBandreturnsamodifybear-erresponsetotheMME.
Theaboveprocedurereestablishestheradiobearerfromthemobiletermi-
cedureforestablishingabearerinsidethecorenetworkcanbeomittedthere-byshorteningconnectiondelaywhenreinitiatingcommunications.
4.ConclusionNTTDOCOMOhasintroducedEPCasacorenetworkincombinationwithitsdeploymentofLTEradioaccess.Thisarticledescribedthecon-figurationoftheEPCnetwork,overviewedtheequipmentused,andexplainedthebasicfunctionsandsig-nalingflows.TheEPCnetworkconsistsoftheMME,PCRF,S-GWandP-GWfunctionalnodesandprovidesAlways-Onbearercontrol,chargingcontrolandmobilitymanagementbetweendifferentradioaccesssystems.Lookingforward,ourplanistofur-therenhancetheEPCnetworksuchas
enableanLTE-compatibleterminaltomakevoicecallsvia3Gradioaccess.
References[1]K.Nishidaetal.:BasicSAEManagementTechnologyforRealizingAll-IPNetwork,NTTDOCOMOTechnicalJournal,Vol.11,No.3,pp.4-12,Dec.2009.[2]3GPPTS23.401V8.12.0:GeneralPack-etRadioService(GPRS)enhancementsforEvolvedUniversalTerrestrialRadioAccessNetwork(E-UTRAN)access,Dec.2010.[3]3GPPTS23.402V8.9.0:Architectureenhancementsfornon-3GPPaccesses,Jun.2010.[4]3GPPTS23.203V8.11.0:Policyandchargingcontrolarchitecture,Sep.2010.[5]I.Tanakaetal.:CSFallbackFunctionforCombinedLTEand3GCircuitSwitchedServices,NTTDOCOMOTechnicalJour-nal,Vol.11,No.3,pp.13-19,Sep.2009.
*17CSFallback:TheprocedureforswitchingtoaradioaccesstechnologythatsupportsCSdomainwhenoriginatingorterminatingcir-cuit-switchedservicessuchasvoicecallswhileinLTE.
NTTDOCOMOTechnicalJournalVol.13No.1