IMS Overview

Vincente DIngianni Director of Professional Services Binary Systems, Inc. vincente@binary-systems.com

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DUE 402356

Contents

What is IMS? Basic Principles IMS building blocks IMS Architecture Why all the excitement? Who needs IMS Problems Conclusions
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What is IMS?

IMS is an architecture, it is not a protocol. Open-systems architecture that supports a range of IP-based services over both Private and Carrier networks, employing both wireless and fixed access technologies. IMS is defined by 3GPP.

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Basic Principles

Access Independence Different Network Architectures Terminal and user mobility

Extensive IP-based services

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IMS Building Blocks

1.

An all-IP Core Network (CN) An all-IP Radio Access network (RAN) Multimedia call control based on SIP

2.

3.

4.

Quality of Service (QoS) support for IP

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IMS Architecture
Application Layer
SIP / OSA / CAMEL
AS AS

Management Control Layer

MRF

Provisioning

SIP, IP

HSS CSCF SG/MGCF

Charging

Connectivity & Access Layer

IP/MPLS PSTN/PLMN

MGW

Number Mapping

GERAN, UTRAN, WLAN, xDSL,...

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IMS Architecture
HSS: Home Subscriber Server CSCF: Call Session Control Function: S-CSCF: Serving CSCF I-CSCF: Interrogating CSCF P-CSCF: Proxy CSCF BGCF: Breakout Gateway Control Function MGCF: Media Gateway Control Function AS: Application Server SCP: Service Control Point
AS SGW SCP MRFC MRFP SGW

Applications and Services

Operator 1

Operator 2 HSS CSCF BGCF

Multimedia IP Networks

IM-SSF
BGCF CSCF

OSA-SCS

MGCF

MGW

CS Domain - or PSTN - or Legacy - or External

GGSN

MGW: Media Gateway

MRFC: Multimedia Resource Function Controller MRFP: Multimedia Resource Function Processor

Mobile
GERAN UE UTRAN SGSN

Alternative Access Network

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Vertical vs. Horizontal Architecture

Service 2

Service 3

Service 1

Service 1

Common functions Routing

Terminal

Network logic Replicated - not reusable

Application logic Common functions

Terminal

Terminal

Network logic

Service 2

Service 3

Terminal

Replication of common functions

Routing

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Why all of the excitement?

Imagine starting a voice call on you home phone and transferring it seamlessly to your mobile as you drive to work. Imagine sending a multimedia message from your car that later appears on your TV screen. Imagine watching a movie on that same TV, pausing it in midshow and then watching it on a wireless PDA as you relax in the garden. Imagine having a cell phone conversation with two or three friends and simultaneously sharing a video of the football match you are attending. Imagine that all of the above can be done with a single account, on a single log-in with multiple devices over any number of access networks These are only a few examples of seamless multimedia services that IMS will allow users to access anywhere at anytime
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Who needs IMS?

Fixed Network Users want Multimedia Conferencing Voice over IP Streaming Services
Mobile Network Users want Push-to-X Location Based Services Mobile Gaming

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Who needs IMS?

Network Providers want

Fixed Mobile Convergence One service - one implementation for all access types New Business Models

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An everyday scenario
Vincente
Mobile phone Daniel Mobile phone

Mobile phone call

Mobile phone call

In a taxi from the airport... Gerry

Walking to the office... Jacqueline

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An everyday scenario
Vincente
Mobile phone Daniel Mobile phone

Activates Video mode

Views Images on his mobile

In a taxi from the airport... Gerry

Walking to the office... Jacqueline

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An everyday scenario
Vincente
Mobile phone Daniel Mobile phone Buddy list > select project work group Initiate PTT session Join PTT session

In a taxi from the airport... Gerry

Walking to the office... Jacqueline

Join PTT session

Join PTT session

In the office...

Office PC

In the office...

Fixed line phone

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An everyday scenario
Vincente
Laptop Computer Daniel Mobile phone Buddy list > personal list Invite others to Videoconference Join Videoconference

At the hotel... Gerry

Walking to the office... Jacqueline

Join Videoconference

Join Videoconference

In the office...

Office PC

In the office...

Fixed line phone

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An everyday scenario
Vincente
Laptop Computer Daniel Mobile phone

Participates in Videoconference

Participates in Videoconference

At the hotel... Gerry

Walking to the office... Jacqueline

Opens presentation and shares it with his colleagues

Participates in Videoconference

In the office...

Office PC

In the office...

Fixed line phone

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An everyday scenario
Vincente
Laptop Computer Daniel Office PC

Participates in Videoconference Switches from Mobile to PC

At the hotel... Gerry

Arrived in the office... Jacqueline

Participates in Videoconference

Participates in Videoconference

In the office...

Office PC

In the office...

Fixed line phone

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Problems and open issues

Architecture complexity. Guarantees of QoS. IETF and 3GPP standardisation co-operation. SIP and IMS architecture are not mature enough to guarantee fully functioning network. Terminal complexity.

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There is still work to be done....

The current work in 3GPP is still unfinished and the discussion with IETF has just been started. The specification work still continue now.

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Selected Acronyms
3G Third Generation 3GPP(2) Third Generation Partnership Project (2) API Application Programming Interface AS Application Server BGCF Breakout Gateway Control Function CAMEL Customised Applications for Mobile Enhanced Logic CSCF Call Session Control Function BICN Bearer Independent Core Network GGSN Gateway GPRS Support Node GPRS General Packet Radio Service GSM Global System for Mobility IMS IP IP-CAN ISIM IWF LAN QoS RACS RAN SCM SGSN SIP SLA UMTS IP Multimedia Subsystem Internet Protocol IP- Connectivity Access Network IMS Subscriber Identity Module Inter-Working Function Local Area Network Quality of Service Resource and Admission Control Subsystem Radio Access Network Session Control Manager Serving GPRS Support Node Session Initiation Protocol Service Level Agreement Universal Mobile Terrestrial Access

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