LEF BRIEFING SERIES

CSC GRANTS

IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS):

The Long and Winding Road

Richard Kaczmarek
September 11, 2008

© 2008 CSC 1
 Outline

 
• The business case for IMS
• 3GPP network architecture
• IMS architecture
• IMS variations
• IMS de lo ments

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What is IMS?

 
 – Developed by the Third Generation Partnership Project
(3GPP), an international Standards Development Organization
(SDO) associated with the Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM) service provider community
 – Developed on the principles of:
• Consistent look and feel to user independent of location
• ayere arc ec ure app ca on p ane, con ro p ane an ranspor
plane)
• Functional decomposition of each layer into entities
• Standardized interfaces between entities (both horizontal and
ver ca

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 The Business Case for IMS

  ’
Investment (ROI) by
 – Providing enhanced services to increase revenue and
customer loyalty
 – Providing a faster time to market due to a layered software
architecture and standardized interfaces
 – Reducing capital expenditures (capex) after IMS

 – Reducing operational expenditures (opex) after IMS

implementation due to simplified operations on a single
infrastructure

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 The Business Case for IMS

Potential Impediments to IMS

 
• Cost of IMS deployments
• Lack of a “killer application”
• IMS variations

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3GPP Network Architecture

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 IMS Architecture
egen
Basic Service Functionality

 Application Service Interdomain Functionality

Layer   AS Miscellaneous Functionality

Le end
 
Control Layer  SLF Signaling and Control
Interface
Bearer Interface
  D x   D x 

Mw Cx
I-CSCF S-CSCF HSS
  w
M  w     M  n
M x 
  r M    M  x  
   M  g  
Mw Mx
E-CSCF P-CSCF
Mx 
   I
   M
Mj
MRFC BGCF MGCF IBCF
LRF

  n
   M

Transport Mb
Layer  PCRF MRFP MGW TrGW

PCEF SGW

SEG
SEG

IP Network  AN IP Network IP Network PSTN IP Network

CSCF BGCF User Equipment

and Other IMS
Networks
UE
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 IMS Architecture — Basic Components
Legend
Basic Service Functionality

 Application Service Interdomain Functionality

Layer   AS
Serving Call Session Miscellaneous Functionality

Control Function  Appl ic ation Server 

    Le end
• Provides enhanced
Control Layer  Signaling and Control
available to user  SLF Interface services to user 
• Controls resources in its   D x   D x  Bearer Interface

domain
Mw Cx
I-CSCF S-CSCF HSS
  w
M  w     M  n  
  r
M x 
M    M  x   • Contains service and user
   M  g  
Mw
E-CSCF P-CSCF Mx information
Mx 
   I
   M
Mj
MRFC BGCF MGCF IBCF
LRF

  n
   M

Transport Mb
Layer  PCRF MRFP MGW TrGW
Proxy Call Session
Control Function PCEF SGW
• UE access into IMS
• Routes signaling to user’s SEG
SEG
home S-CSCF
IP Network  AN IP Network IP Network PSTN IP Network

CSCF BGCF User Equipment

and Other IMS
Networks
UE
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 IMS Architecture — Interdomain Components
Legend
Basic Service Functionality

 Application Service Interdomain Functionality

Layer   AS Miscellaneous Functionality

Multimedia Resourc e
Legend
Function Processor  Signaling and
Control Layer  Signaling and Control
SLF
• Mixes incoming media Interface
Bearer Interface
streams   D x
  D x 

• Transcoding,
Mw Cx
announcements I-CSCF S-CSCF HSS
M n   M  w
• Managing access rights M  w     M  n
to shared conferencing   r
M x 
   M
M   
 g   M  x  
Media Gateway
resources E-CSCF
Mw
P-CSCF Mx
Mx  • Packet conversion
   I
   M to circuit for bearer
Mj
LRF
MRFC BGCF MGCF IBCF packets
  n
   M

Transport Mb
Layer  PCRF MRFP MGW TrGW Transition Gateway
SGW
• IPv4 to IPv6 packet
PCEF
conversion for
SEG bearer packets
Security Gateway SEG
• Enforces security policy
with other domains IP Network  AN IP Network IP Network PSTN IP Network

User Equipment
Signaling Gateway
CSCF BGCF
and Other IMS • SIP signaling to
Networks SS7 signaling
UE

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 IMS Architecture — Interdomain Components
Legend
Basic Service Functionality
Subscription Locator 
Interrogating CSCF  Application Service Interdomain Functionality
Function
• Used by P-CSCFs to Layer   AS Miscellaneous Functionality
• Used by I-CSCF to
determine user’s S-
determine HSS associated
CSCF Le end
   
• Access point for session Control Layer  SLF Signaling and Control
Interface
requests from other Bearer Interface
  D x   D x 
domains’ P-CSCFs Interconnection Border 
I-CSCF
Mw
S-CSCF
Cx
HSS
Control Function
  w
• Interworking between SIP
M  w     M  n
M x 
and other protocols (e.g.,
Multimedia Resourc e   r
   M
M   
 g   M  x  
H.323)
Mw Mx
Function Controller  E-CSCF P-CSCF
Mx  • Can be used in place of I-
   I
• Controls the MRFP    M CSCF
Mj
MRFC BGCF MGCF IBCF
LRF

  n
   M

Breakout Gateway Transport Mb

Control Function Layer  PCRF MRFP MGW TrGW
Media Gateway Contr ol
• Determines network on
SGW Function
which PSTN PCEF
•
interworking is to occur 
SEG bearer channels between
SEG
the PSTN and the IMS
core network
IP Network  AN IP Network IP Network PSTN IP Network

CSCF BGCF User Equipment

and Other IMS
Networks
UE
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 IMS Architecture — Miscellaneous Components
Legend
Basic Service Functionality

 Application Service Interdomain Functionality

Layer   AS Miscellaneous Functionality

Le end
 
Control Layer  Signaling and Control
SLF Interface
Emergency (911) CSCF Bearer Interface
  D x   D x 
• Routes call to emergency
provider as opposed to Mw Cx
I-CSCF S-CSCF HSS
user’s home network   w Policy and Charging
M  w     M  n
M x 
Rules Functio n
  r M    M  x  
Mw
   M  g  
Mx
• Selects applicable
E-CSCF P-CSCF
Mx  rules for session
   I
   M
Mj
MRFC BGCF MGCF IBCF
LRF

  n
   M

Transport Mb
Layer  PCRF MRFP MGW TrGW

PCEF SGW
 
Function SEG Policy and Charging
• Identifies location of user  SEG Enforcement Functi on
• Enforces applicable
IP Network  AN IP Network IP Network PSTN IP Network rules for session

CSCF BGCF User Equipment

and Other IMS
Networks
UE
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 IMS Variations

 
development
• Some 3GPP assumptions do not carry over to other SDO

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 IMS Variations

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 IMS Variations

 
Grouping of IMS
entities into higher
level components

Use of Service Bro ker to

al low i nter-a l icati on
server communications

More security functions,

since networks do not
have same level of
 
networks

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 IMS Variations

European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)

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 IMS Variations

European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)

 Added a PSTN/ISDN
Emulation Subsystem
to the signaling layer 

 Added Resource and

 Added Networ k Attachm ent  Admi ss ion Cont rol
Subsystem to transpor t layer  Subs stem to
transport layer 

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 IMS Variations

vances o u me a u sys em -

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 IMS Variations

vances o u me a u sys em -

Service Broker – manages

ea ure nvoca ons an
interactions across
Both SIP and no n-SIP sessions
based application s

 Appl ic ation Manager – SIP

entity handling CSCF and
PSTN routing
Servi ces Data Manager –
HSS and AA A
functionality
Bearer Manager – polic y
enforcement for QoS,
security
Policy Manager – unified
 
Security Manager –
detects anomalies

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 IMS Variations

Common IMS
 
by all SDOs
• Defined as the Core IMS plus selected additional IMS-
 

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 IMS Variations

Common IMS

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CSC’s Role in IMS Standards Development

• CSC supports the National Communications System (NCS)

in defining National Security / Emergency Preparedness
(NS/EP) requirements and functions for the IMS
arc ec ure an n a vanc ng ese requ remen s an
functions in the following standards organizations:
 –  Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS)
 –  n erne ng neer ng as orce
 – Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)
 – MultiServices Forum (MSF)
• CSC runs an eXperimental Testbed Environment (XTE) for
the NCS, which determines the feasibility / practicality of
various approaches to supporting NS/EP requirements
 – CSC uses Radvision’s SIP Server Development Platform to
prototype and demonstrate NS/EP functionality to industry

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 IMS Deployments

Telecommunic ations Equipment Manufacturers

IMS vendors Softswitch, IM/Presence,

Media Server, SBC
End-to-end IMS Solution CSCF, MGCF, BGCF, End-to-end IMS Solution PDF, HSS, AS, NASS,

• Some failures / consolidation has MGW, SGW MRFC/MRFP, CSCF

occurre End-to-end IMS Solution

End-to-end IMS Solution

 AS, CSCF, HSS, MGCF,
End-to-end IMS Solution PDF

End-to-end IMS Solution

IMS product interoperability testing Information Technol ogy Suppliers

• Multiservices Forum (MSF) Global

MSF Interoperability (GMI) WebLogic SIP Server
(Service Broker) Tivoli Netcool IMS Manager,
WebSphere IMS Connector (AS) SDP Tools

exercises OpenCall (Media Server,

 AS and Servi ce Br oker ,
HLR, HSS, Signali ng Networking, Communications Networking, Communications
Gateway, Location Server) and Application Processors and Applications Servers

 – The XTE will be a host site in  

October 2008
• IMS Forum Plugfest SBC
 AS  AS, Medi a Server  Media Gateway,
Multiservices Platform (AS)

• GSM Association SIP Trials

IMS Test Suite  AS, Medi a Server  Softswitch and AS AS

Resource Controller (QoS) Media Server 

Location Server, Security
CSCF, SBC
Server, OpenWeb (AS)

  ,  AS  AS, CSCF, SMS

IMS Software Development IMS Test Suite
Tools, IMS Test Suite CSCF

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IMS Deployments

• Carrier Field Trials

 – Underway, but results are carrier-proprietary
•   -
• First “full” IMS solutions anticipated to occur from 2009 – 2011. Reasons
cited:
 – Need for the IMS s ecifications to be finalized and stable
 –  Availability of complete IMS systems at reasonable price points
 –  Availability of IMS revenue-generating data services
 –  Ability to provide IMS-like services through more cost-effective non-IMS

 – Justifying IMS capex when existing networks have not yet been sufficiently
amortized
 – Determining how to operate hybrid IMS/non-IMS networks for maximum ROI
 – Identifying “killer applications”
•  An additional 10+ years will be needed to fully convert to “IMS-only”
networks

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 IMS Applications

• The basic structure of IMS can be found in today’s hybrid

networks
 –    , ,
transport
 – Separation of functions into functional entities
• Not necessaril IMS functional entities
• Service Delivery Platforms from various vendors make use
of the separation of layers to create enhanced services in
hybrid networks
 – These platforms provide “user friendly” application
programming interfaces into the signaling and control layer 

 Application developers are creating enhanced services today!

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 Summary

• IMS is an evolving set of standards that defines an

enhanced services architecture for telecommunications
 –  ere are erent var at ons o
 – IMS Products exist
 – Field trials are occurring
 – Hybrid IMS / non-IMS networks exist
 – Migration to “IMS-only” networks depends on the business
case / ROI for IMS and may take years
 
Development Platforms
 – Will work in existing hybrid networks and future IMS networks

Have an IMS issue? Contact CSC

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