IP Multimedia

Subsystem
Gaurav Gautam

University College Cork CS6316

History

Analog (Telephone Voice Switches)

Digital (Voice
IP
Concept softswitch emerged(i.e. Open
API to bridge a PSTN and VOIP)[1].
standardized reference architecture
IMS
emerging architectural framework,
based on SIP and IP, for offering
multimedia, VoIP services and fixed
mobile convergence.

University College Cork CS6316

Introduction
Defined by 3GPP and 3GPP2 standards
and organizations based onIETFInternet
protocols.
It is access independent as it supports IP
to IP session over wireline IP,802.11,
802.15,CDMA,packetdata along with
GSM/EDGE/UMTS and other packet data
applications.
standardized referencearchitecture

University College Cork CS6316

The IMS will provide a multi-service multiprotocol, multi-access, IP based network

secure, reliable and trusted

Multi-services: Any type of service may be
delivered by a common QoS enabled core
network,
Multi-access: diverse access networks
(WiFi, WiMAX, UMTS, CDMA2000,
xDSL,Cable, etc.) can interface with IMS

University College Cork CS6316

IMS Layers
Applications
(Voice , Video,Web,Messaging)

IP

CSCF
(SCTP,SIP,RTSP)

Transport
(Wi-Fi,IP,,GSM,CDMA,SS7)
Access
Network

University College Cork CS6316

Access
(PSTN)

Services

Control

Transport

Devices

High Level Functioning

Transfer Layer

responsible for the abstraction of the actual access networks.

doing initial IP provisioning

facilitating the registration of devices with the higher layers.

Control Layer

authentication, routing
distribution of IMS traffic between the transport layer and the service
layer.
For example, a pay-per-download service
Call Session Control Function (CSCF) which facilitates the correct
interaction between the application servers, media servers, and the Home
Subscriber Service (HSS)

University College Cork CS6316

High Level Functioning(cont)

Service Layer
Final

Level of Abstraction

provides

multimedia services to the overall IMS network

contains

network elements which connect to the

Serving-CSCF (Call Session Control Function) using the IP

multimedia Subsystem Service Control Interface (ISC).
Elements

of IMS Service layer :- SIP Application

Server,OSA Service Capability Server and IM-SSF

University College Cork CS6316

IMS Architecture Basics

Main Elements :User equipment: As the name implies, the user

equipment or UE is part of the IMS architecture
resides with the user - it is the endpoint.
Access network: This is the portion of the IMS
architecture through which the overall network is
accessed.
Core network: This is a major element within the
IMS architecture and provides all the core
functionality.
Application layer: The application layer contains
the web portal and the application servers, which
provide the end user with service and enhanced
service controls.

University College Cork CS6316

IMS architecture functional view

Simplified view of the functional IMS

architecture
University College Cork CS6316

Main Elements of IMS

IMS CSCF - Call Session Control Server
provides

the registration of the

endpoints
provides

routing for the SIP signalling

messages
links

to the interworking and transport

layer to provide QoS

University College Cork CS6316

10

Slide Title
HSS - Home Subscriber Server

subscriber data base for the home

network(Implemented using DIAMETER
protocol).

SLF (Subscription Locator Function)

Need

when there are more than a single

HSS(User address mapped to HSS).

University College Cork CS6316

11

BGCF - Breakout gateway control

function
SIP proxy which processes requests for
routing from an S-CSCF when the S-CSCF
has determined that the session cannot
be routed using DNS or ENUM/DNS
Iincludes routing functionality based on
telephone numbers

University College Cork CS6316

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Slide Title
MGCF - Media Gateway Controller

Function
interworks the SIP signalling
manages the distribution of sessions
across multiple media gateways
MSCF - Media server function control
This manages the use of resources on
media servers.
SIP-AS - SIP applications server
service execution platform on which one
or more services are deployed.
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Common IMS core overview

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CSCF Call Session Control

Function

Basic Features :-

Used to process SIP processing.

intercepts call signaling and passes it to
the application services for them to
handle.
Comprises all functional modules
required to manage signaling from enduser equipment, allocating application
servers, establishing emergency
connections and controlling the
communication with other networks[2].

University College Cork CS6316

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Proxy- Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF)

This SIP proxy is first point of contact for IMS

terminal.
Secure SIP signaling transmission.
Interface towards the Policy control architecture

for authorization of the media.

Detection of IMS Emergency services.

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Interrogating Call Session Control

Function (I-CSCF)

located at the edge of an administrative domain

Queries HSS to retrieve the address of the S-CSCF
and assign it to a user performing SIP registration.
Forwards SIP request or reponse to the S-CSCF.

University College Cork CS6316

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Serving Call Session Control Function (SCSCF)

Central node for the provision of the

SIP signaling.
Responsible for routing and translation of the
sessions.
Assists in authenticating the user upon
registration and retrieve the users service
profile[3].

University College Cork CS6316

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Role of SIP in IMS

Main signaling protocol used in IMS.

To establish, modify and terminate
multimedia sessions.
There is single protocol.Works end to
end.
Designed to enable additional
multimedia sessions.
SIP signaling packets within IMS are
normally processed by Call Session
Control Function(CSCF).

University College Cork CS6316

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References
[1]http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definiti

on/
[1] Lucent IP Multimedia Subsystem Overview
[2]

http://www.ericsson.com/fj/ourportfolio/products/cal
l-session-control-function-cscf
[3]White Paper : Introduction to IMS,Ericsson

(March 2007)

University College Cork CS6316

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