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Control Servers in The Core Network: Andreas Witzel
Control Servers in The Core Network: Andreas Witzel
Control Servers in The Core Network: Andreas Witzel
Andreas Witzel
The horizontally layered architecture introduced by Ericsson is playing a development subsequently progressed to-
key role in the migration from earlier architectures into third-generation ward frame relay, which was faster.
multiservice networks. These networks existed in parallel—each
A central element in the horizontally layered architecture is the network of them tailored to its own specific pur-
control layer. Here, control servers perform call and session control. pose—and were run by specific operators.
Although in the early days various national
In this article, which describes Ericsson’s move away from the tradi-
authorities controlled these operators, the
tional, vertically integrated networks, the author gives a broad overview of trend toward deregulation in Europe opened
the new architecture supplied by third-generation networks. He also up the market for many new network oper-
emphasizes the central network control layer and the control server relat- ators. It also unleashed fierce competition
ed to it, by giving detailed examples of typical traffic cases for the differ- between them.
ent domains in the network control layer. The deregulated market dropped prices for
telecommunication services and boosted the
number of subscribers and the volume of traf-
fic. However, the growth of the network has
Introduction been outrun by the growth of the Internet,
which started and grew as a network of its
However stable it was throughout earlier own, mainly built on computer connections
decades, the architecture of telecommuni- between different local area networks (LAN).
cation networks has become subject to pres- If we put all these factors together, it be-
sure in recent years. Not only are new de- comes clear that the existing networks are
mands being put on the network, but also a vertically oriented, with almost no synergies
changing environment and greater aware- or interworking between them.
ness on the part of users are forcing telecom- Now that the third generation of mobile
munication network architects to change systems has emerged, it has at last become
some fundamental concepts. possible to combine computing, communi-
The first step was taken in the early 1990s, cation and broadcasting technologies. Like
when the GSM standard emerged in Europe. the fixed telephone networks, digital mo-
Although mobile access had already been bile systems started off as a conveyor of the
available via various analog systems, GSM human voice. However, along with unlim-
was the first digital system that allowed ited mobility, the third-generation systems
roaming between different countries in Eu- will offer a broad range of information and
rope. Today, with the GSM standard spread multimedia services.
around the globe, worldwide GSM roaming If this is to be achieved in a way that is
is becoming commonplace. economically feasible, the vertical structure
The GSM network was introduced in par- of the network architecture cannot be main-
allel to the existing networks for fixed line tained; it must be replaced by horizontal lay-
access and cable TV. At the same time, net- ering, which represents a more generic ap-
works dedicated to packet data traffic also proach. By being one of the initiators of this
emerged. Starting with X.25 in early 1976, approach, Ericsson has succeeded in anchor-
BOX A, ABBREVIATIONS
3GPP Third-generation Partnership Project GTP-C Gateway tunneling protocol, control PSTN Public switched telephone network
AAA Authentication, authorization and GTP-U GTP user plane RADIUS Remote authentication dial-in user
accounting HSS Home subscriber server service
API Application program interface IB Interface board RANAP Radio access network application part
APN Access point name IMSI International mobile subscriber RTP Real-time transport protocol
BICC Bearer-independent call control identity SCS Service capability server
CAMEL Customized applications for mobile IP Internet protocol SDL Specification and description
network enhanced logic ISDN Integrated services digital network language
CSCF Call state control function ISP Internet service provider SGSN Serving GSN
DNS Domain name server MAP Mobile application part SIP Session initiation protocol
DPE Distributed processing environment MGCF Media gateway control function SMS Short message service
EIR Equipment identity register MGW Media gateway SMS-C SMS center
GCP Gateway control protocol MIP Mobile IP SSF Service switching function
(for example, H.248) MPB Multiprocessing board TSC Transit switching center
GGSN Gateway GSN MSC Mobile switching center UDP User datagram protocol
GMSC Gateway MSC OSA Open service architecture UMTS Universal mobile
GPB General processing board PDP Packet data protocol telecommunications system
GPRS General packet radio service PEB Power and Ethernet board VHE Virtual home environment
GSN GPRS support node POP Point of presence VLR Visitor location register
Service
capability
servers
HSS
Packet-switched
domain
…
Network control layer
Circuit-switched
IP multimedia
domain domain
Figure 3
GCP GCP
Domains in the network control layer.
Figure 4
The connectivity layer, based on ATM or
GCP
IP transmission.
MGW GCP
GCP ATM
IP router
ATM ATM ATM
MGW ATM switches ATM
ATM MGW
GCP
ATM
Figure 5
Example of a call originated from a mobile MGW selection
Selecting MGW
and codec selection.
with TDM trunks to the
terminal. Cotrol of speech coder
external network
via GCP.
MSC server TSC server
BICC
Network control layer
MAP
HSS
RANAP
GCP GCP GCP ISDN
Access
networks
MGW
MAP
HSS Network control layer
RANAP
GTP-C
GCP
Access
Foreign agent
networks Mobile IP
Internet,
Figure 6 ISP-POP
Example of PDP context activation initiat-
ed by a mobile terminal.
• MAP and RANAP control signaling— gateway at the edge facing the access net-
the SGSN server supports the RANAP work and orders it to create a GTP tunnel
protocol for control signaling over the transfer point. The media gateway sends a
RNC-SGSN interface for establishing request, via the GTP-C protocol, to the
and releasing radio access bearers. The GGSN, asking it to establish a GTP tunnel
SGSN server also supports MAP signal- and to allocate an IP address for the termi-
ing to the HLR, equipment identity reg- nal that will be used during the session.
ister (EIR), MSC server and SMS center The GGSN assigns a dynamic IP address,
(SMS-C). either from the range of IP addresses allo-
• media gateway control function—the cated to the public land mobile network
SGSN server supports the GCP protocol (PLMN), or from an external authentica-
for controlling the packet-handling func- tion, authorization and accounting (AAA)
tionality of the media gateway. server or remote authentication dial-in user
To illustrate the mechanisms in the network service (RADIUS) server. This IP address is
control layer, let us analyze a typical traffic returned to the SGSN server and, finally, the
case. Figure 6 shows the network level view GTP tunnel is established. As soon as the
of packet data protocol (PDP) context acti- PDP context activation is confirmed to the
vation initiated by a mobile terminal. Let us mobile terminal and the user’s own IP ad-
assume that the mobile terminal is roaming dress is received, IP-based communication
in a UMTS access network using the can start between the mobile user and the
WCDMA air interface. The mobile termi- external packet data network via the
nal has already been attached to GPRS in GTP user plane (GTP-U) tunnel.
the SGSN server, and the integrated VLR If global mobility is to be implemented
has fetched and stored the subscriber profile for roaming between various networks, the
from the HSS. mobile IP concept can be employed. To sup-
When the mobile user requests that a port global mobility, the GGSN must sup-
PDP context be activated, the SGSN server port “foreign-agent” functions. The corre-
receives a RANAP message. The message sponding “home agents” can be located any-
contains the requested QoS for the session where in the global Internet.
and the related access point name. The
SGSN server then identifies the target CSCF server
GGSN by checking the received access point The call/session control function (CSCF)
name (APN), and using the integrated do- server, which is located in the IP multi-
main name server (DNS), resolves the IP ad- media domain, handles control-layer func-
dress of the selected GGSN. tions related to SIP-based multimedia ses-
The SGSN server then selects a media sions. The CSCF server, which is currently
Figure 7
APIs
Example of a SIP call from a mobile termi-
Interrogating
HSS nal to the ISDN.
MAP CSCF server Serving CSCF server
SIP
SIP Home network
SGSN
server Proxy CSCF server SIP
Visited
MGCF
network
RANAP
GCP SIP
ISDN gateway
GTP-C network
Access
GCP ISUP
networks
ISDN, PSTN
Connectivity layer networks
CSCF server
The CSCF server, which is under develop-
ment on the APZ 303 platform, is based on
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