VAS & its role

VAS nodes in Airtel Nigeria GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)

GPRS call flow

VAS or the Value Added Services, as the name suggests are not the bearer services but the supplementary services. These services allow the operator to generate heavy revenue from the end user. In the modern era, in order to attract the end user the call rates are getting cheaper day by day, so there is a need to generate revenue for maintenance of networks, thus this revenue comes from VAS.

SGSN GGSN SASN USSD RBT SMSC MMSC WAP Gateway VSMS & Voice Mail Roamware DMP & DMC EIR MPBN (Switches, Routers & Firewalls)

 Part of GSM phase 2+ General Packet Radio Service General -> not restricted to GSM use (3rd generation

systems also). Packet Radio -> enables packet mode communication over air . Service, not System -> existing BSS (partially also NSS) infrastructure is used . Provides connections to external packet data networks (Internet, X.25) Main benefits Resources are reserved only when needed and charged accordingly. Connection setup times are reduced. Enables new service opportunities. Volume-based (or session duration based) charging.

GPRS uses packet switched resource allocation Resources allocated only when data is to be sent/received.
Flexible channel allocation One to eight time slots. Available resources shared by active users. Up and down link channels reserved separately. GPRS and circuit switched GSM services can use same time slots alternatively. Traffic characteristics suitable for GPRS Intermittent, bursty data transmissions. Frequent transmissions of small volumes of data. Infrequent transmission of larger volumes of data.

Class A

Simultaneous GPRS and conventional GSM operation. Supports simultaneous circuit switched and GPRS data
transfer.

Class B

Can be attached to both GPRS and conventional GSM services simultaneously. Can listen circuit switched and GPRS pages (via GPRS). Supports either circuit switched calls or GPRS data
transfer but not simultaneous communication.

Class C

Alternatively attached in GPRS or conventional GSM. No simultaneous operation. GPRS only mobiles also possible (e.g. for telemetric
applications).

SMS-GMSC SMS-IWMSC MAP-H Gd MSC/VLR A TE R MT Um BSS Gs Gb SGSN Gp GGSN Other PLMN Signalling Interface Signalling and Data Transfer Interface Gn
MAP-D

SM-SC MAP-C HLR Gc Gi GGSN MAP-F EIR PDN TE

Gr

PCU SGSN GGSN GPRS Register GPRS Backbone Border Gateway DNS Server Charging Gateway Radius Server DHCP Server

It stands for Packet Control Unit. Can be a part of BSC or act as a standalone unit. There will be at least one PCU that serves a cell in which GPRS services will be available. Frame Relay technology is being used at present to interconnect the PCU to the GPRS core. Main functions Separates the circuit switched & packet switched traffic from the user & sends them to the GSM & GPRS networks respectively. Performs radio resource management functions of GPRS network.

Functionally connected with BSC/PCU, physically can be at MSC or BSC site. One for few BSCs or one (or few) per every BSC. One SGSN can support BSCs of several MSC sites. Main functions Authenticates GPRS mobiles. Handles mobiles registration in GPRS network. Handles mobility management, packet routing & data transfer. Relays MO and MT data traffic. Delivers data packets to mobile stations & vice-versa. Maintaining subscriber profiles. Collect charging information of air interface usage.

Typically located at one of the MSC sites. One (or few) per operator. Main functions

Interfaces GPRS backbone network & external packet data networks. Resembles to a data network router. Forwards end user data to right SGSN. Routes mobile originated packets to right destination. Converts the GPRS packets from SGSN to the PDP format. Stores the current SGSN address and profile of the user in its location register. Collects charging information for data network usage.

Integrated with HLR. Maintains subscriber data through lists. Black List: Contains MS that are reported stolen or whose operation on the network will adversely affect network operation. Grey List: Contains MS that are reported non-conforming, but may be used on the network. White List: Contains MS that conform to requirements set down by the network operator.

Enables communication between GPRS Support Nodes. Based on private IP network.

Intra-PLMN backbone.

IPv6 is the ultimate protocol. IPV4 can be used as an intermediate solution. Connects GPRS Support Nodes of one operator. Operator decides the network architecture. LAN, point-to-point links, ATM, ISDN Connects GPRS operators via BGs. Provides international GPRS roaming. Operators decide the backbone in the roaming agreement.

Inter-PLMN backbone.

Routes packets from SGSN/GGSN of one operator to a SGSN/GGSN of an other operator Provides protection against intruders from external networks

Domain Name System (DNS) servers provide mapping of domain names to IP addresses & vice versa. Translates addresses from ggsn1.oper1.fi format to 123.45.67.89 format & vice versa.

Collects charging information (CDRs) from SGSNs and GGSNs. Interface to transfer charging information collected from VAS providers to the Billing System. Acts as storage buffer for real-time CDR collection. Perform consolidation of CDRs and preprocessing of CDR fields before sending to Billing system.

It stands for Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS). Provides centralized Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA). RADIUS serves three functions:
To authenticate users or devices before granting them access to a network. To authorize those users or devices for certain network services. To account for usage of those services.

It stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). DHCP server automatically assign an IP address to a MS from a defined range configured for a given network. A dynamic and different IP is provided each time a session is requested.

Ga: Interface between the GGSN & Charging Gateway. It is used for sending CDRs generated by GGSN to CG. The protocol used is GTP (GPRS Tunneling Protocol).
Gb: Interface between BSC/PCU & SGSN (IuPS in case of 3G). It carries the GPRS traffic and signaling between the GSM radio network (BSS) and the GPRS network. Frame Relay based network services is used for this interface. Gc: Interface between GGSN & HLR. GGSN requests the location of MS via this interface. Gd: Interface between SMS- GMSC & SGSN. It is used for exchanging SMS & providing more efficient use of SMS services.

Ge: Interface between SGSN & SCP (Service Control Point). It makes use of CAP protocol.
Gf: Interface between SGSN and EIR. This interface gives SGSN the access to GPRS user equipment information i.e. SGSN queries the IMEI from EIR when an MS tries to register to the network. Gr: Interface between SGSN and HLR. This interface gives SGSN the access to subscriber information (IMSI) in the HLR i.e. which GPRS service the subscriber is allowed to use. Gs: Interface between SGSN & MSC. The SGSN can send location data (Routing Area- RA) to the MSC or receive paging requests from the MSC via this interface. Thus this interface provides combined LA/RA update & greatly improve the effectiveness of the radio and network resources in the combined GSM/GPRS network.

Gn: Interface between intra PLMN GSNs ( SGSN- SGSN, SGSNGGSN) and inter PLMN SGSNs. It provides the data & signaling interface. It uses GTP protocol over IP based backbone network. This interface is used for exchanging user profiles when user roams to Intra/Inter PLMN GSNs. Gp: Interface between SGSN & GGSN in different PLMN. The functionality is same as Gn interface. In addition it performs security related operations along with BG for Inter PLMN networking. Gi: Interface between GGSN & PDN ( Packet Data Networkinternet). It uses IP as protocol.

APN PDP CONTEXT SESSION MANAGEMENT MOBILITY MANAGEMENT MOBILITY LOGS SESSION LOGS

It stands for Access Point Name. APN is the point where a mobile device can enter an IP network. MS chooses the APN according to the settings present in the SIM. The APN is then resolved by the DNS server to give the IP address of the GGSN that will serve the access point. Example: airtel.mnc012.mcc345.gprs APN consists of two parts Network ID: Defines the external network to which the GGSN is connected. Operator ID: Defines the specific operators packet domain network in which the GGSN is located. MNC- Mobile Network Code. MCC- Mobile Country Code.

Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context indicates a logical association between an MS & PDN running across a GPRS network. After APN is resolved, requests goes from SGSN to GGSN of the corresponding APN in a PDN. Thus a PDP context is activated between MS & PDN i.e. MS becomes visible to that PDN. An MS can have several PDP contexts activated simultaneously.

After PDP context activation a session is made between MS & PDN. Every time a session is made a new dynamic IP is provided by the DHCP server for the duration of the session. Successfully attached MS gets a unique PDP address for a particular session. PDP address consists of: PDP Type (IPv4/IPv6). PDP address assigned to MS (IP). Requested Quality of Service ( Speed, reliability, delay). Address of the corresponding GGSN. Session Management comprises of procedures for the PDP context activation, deactivation and modification.

Analogues to Location Area (LA) in BSC there is a Routing Area (RA) in SGSN. Each Routing Area (RA) is divided into number of cells. In Mobility Management the MS sends the Routing Area update to the SGSN. Mobility Management is required so that the current location of the subscriber be monitored & there should be no session dropping while roaming. It can be a Intra SGSN Routing Area Update or Inter SGSN Routing Area Update. Mobility Management messages: Cell Update: When MS changes the cell within the same Routing Area. Routing Area Update: When MS changes the cell between two different Routing Areas (Either Intra SGSN or Inter SGSN). Location Area Update: When MS changes the Location Area (as a result Routing Area as well as Cell will be changed).

Sometimes MS is not able to update the SGSN of its current location i.e. MS becomes invisible to the SGSN. Due to that there will be no new attach to the GPRS network or the existing session will break. The error shown will be Cannot connect to the network. For such MSISDN, Mobility Logs are formed on the SGSN.

When MS requests a PDP session to a particular APN following problems may occur: APN name can be wrong. DNS server not able to resolve the APN and provide the IP of the GGSN to MS. DHCP server not able to allocate dynamic IP address for making a session. In all such cases Session Logs will be formed for that MSISDN on the SGSN. The error shown will be The page cannot be displayed.

GPRS network introduces many new protocols designed to convey user data in a reliable and secure way. Information is passed between the existing GSM network and the GPRS network by employing protocols on two separate planes: Transmission Plane protocols are used for the transmission of user data and control functions. They convey user data in the form of IP datagrams from the MS to external networks (PDN). Signaling Plane protocols are used to convey signaling information that controls and supports the transmission plane functions. These protocols are already employed in GSM network elements.

The Physical Layer between MS and BSS is divided into the two sub layers: the Physical Link Layer (PLL) & the Physical RF Layer (RFL). The PLL provides a physical channel between the MS & the BSS. Its includes detection of transmission errors, forward error correction (FEC), interleaving & detection of physical link congestion. The RFL operates below the PLL. It includes modulation and demodulation. The Data Link Layer between the MS and the network is divided into two sub layers: the LLC Layer (between MSSGSN) and the RLC/MAC Layer (between MS- BSS).

The Logical Link Control (LLC) Layer provides a highly reliable logical link between an MS and its assigned SGSN. It includes sequence control, flow control, detection of transmission errors & retransmission. The RLC/MAC Layer at Um includes two functions. The main purpose of the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer is to establish a reliable link between the MS & BSS. This includes the segmentation and reassembly of LLC frames into RLC data blocks. The Medium Access Control (MAC) layer controls the access attempts of an MS on the radio channel shared by several MS. The Subnetwork Dependent Convergence Protocol (SNDCP) is used to transfer data packets between SGSN and MS. It includes Multiplexing of several connections of the network layer onto one virtual logical connection of the underlying LLC layer, Compression and decompression of user data and redundant header information.

The Gb interface allows many users to be multiplexed over the same physical link. GPRS signaling and user data are sent in the same transmission plane, therefore no separate dedicated physical resources are required. The Network Services layer is based on Frame Relay. Frame Relay virtual circuits are established between the SGSN and BSS. LLC PDUs from many users are statistically multiplexed onto these virtual circuits. The Base Station System GPRS Protocol (BSSGP) transfers control & signaling information & user data between BSS & SGSN. It provides QoS & routing information.

The L1 and L2 protocols carry the IP datagrams for the GPRS backbone network between SGSN & GGSN. The Internet Protocol (IP) datagram is only used in the GPRS backbone network. The GPRS backbone network and the GPRS subscribers use different IP addresses. This makes the GPRS backbone IP network invisible to the subscribers and vice versa. All data from the mobile subscribers or external networks is tunneled in the GPRS backbone. TCP or UDP are used to carry the GPRS Tunnelling Protocol (GTP) PDUs across the GPRS backbone network. TCP (reliable) is used for user X.25 data and UDP (non- reliable) is used for user IP data. The GPRS Tunnelling Protocol (GTP) allows multi-protocol packets to be tunnelled through the GPRS backbone between GPRS Support Nodes (GSNs). To summarize, in the GPRS backbone we have an IP/X.25over-GTP-over-UDP/TCP-over-IP transport architecture.

Between MS & SGSN, the GPRS Mobility Management and Session Management (GMM/SM) protocol supports Mobility & Session Management when performing functions such as GPRS attach/detach, security functions, PDP context activation & routing area updates. Between SGSN & HLR as well as between SGSN & EIR, Mobile Application Part (MAP) is employed. It transports the signaling information related to location updates, routing information, user profiles & handovers. The exchange of MAP messages is accomplished over the Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) & the Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP). The Base Station System Application Part (BSSAP+) is applied to transfer signaling information between SGSN & VLR. It includes combined GPRS and non-GPRS location update, combined GPRS/IMSI attach, or paging of an MS via GPRS for an incoming GSM call.

On top of the physical channels, a series of logical channels are defined to perform a multiplicity of functions: signaling, broadcast of general system information, synchronization, channel assignment, paging & payload transport. The Packet Data Traffic Channel (PDTCH) is employed for the transfer of user data. It is assigned to one MS. One MS can use several PDTCHs simultaneously. The Packet Broadcast Control Channel (PBCCH) is a unidirectional point-to-multipoint signaling channel from the base station subsystem (BSS) to the mobile stations. It is used by the BSS to broadcast information to all GPRS MS of a cell. The Packet Common Control Channel (PCCCH) is a bidirectional point-to-multipoint signaling channel that transports signaling information for network access management, e.g., for allocation of radio resources and paging.

PCCCH consists of four sub-channels: The Packet Random Access Channel (PRACH) is used by the mobile to request one or more PDTCH. The Packet Access Grant Channel (PAGCH) is used to allocate one or more PDTCH to a mobile station. The Packet Paging Channel (PPCH) is used by the BSS to find out the location of a mobile station (paging) prior to downlink packet transmission. The Packet Notification Channel (PNCH) is used to inform a mobile station of incoming PTM messages (multicast or group call).

The Dedicated Control Channel is a bidirectional point-topoint signaling channel. It contains the channels PACCH and PTCCH: The Packet Associated Control Channel (PACCH) is always allocated in combination with one or more PDTCH that are assigned to one MS. It transports signaling information related to one specific MS. The Packet Timing Advance Control Channel (PTCCH) is used for adaptive frame synchronization.

Communications: E-mail, fax, unified messaging and intranet/Internet access etc.

Value-added services: Information services and games etc. E-commerce: Retail, ticket purchasing, banking and financial trading etc. Location-based applications: Navigation, traffic conditions, airline/rail schedules and location finder etc. Advertising: Advertising may be location sensitive. For example, a user entering a mall can receive advertisements specific to the stores in that mall.