UMTS Fixed Network Interfaces

UMTS Fixed Network Interfaces

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UMTS Fixed Network Interfaces

Contents and Session Aims

This session aims to explore the
General Protocol Model Fixed Network Interfaces in UMTS
in more detail
! A general model for the interfaces
IP vs ATM
! ATM in UMTS
ATM
! The Fixed Network Interfaces

Iub
Iur
Iu

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UMTS Fixed Network Interfaces
General Protocol Model for UTRAN
Terrestrial Interfaces

Radio Network Control Plane User Plane

Layer Application
Data Stream(s)
Protocol

Transport Network Transport Network

Transport Network
Transport User Plane Control Plane
User Plane
Network Layer

ALCAP(s)

Signalling Signalling Data Bearer(s)

Bearer(s) Bearer(s)

Physical Layer

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UMTS Fixed Network Interfaces
Horizontal Layers in the General Protocol
Model
All UTRAN related issues are only visible in the Radio Network
Layer
The Transport Layer simply represents standard transport
technology for use in UTRAN
! e.g. ATM and appropriate adaptation layers

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Vertical Planes in the General Protocol
Model
The Control Plane is for all UMTS specific control signalling including:
! Application Protocol
! Signalling Bearer
The User Plane is for all data sent and received by the user including:
! Data Streams
! Data Bearers
Transport Network Control Plane contains all signalling within the Transport
Layer
Transport Network User Plane contains the Signalling and Data Bearers for
the Radio Network Layer Protocols

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UMTS Fixed Network Interfaces

IP vs. ATM
One of the major uncertainties over the fixed network interfaces
in UMTS is whether IP or ATM will be used
ATM is a mature technology and specified in the release 99 of
the 3GPP standards
IP v6 is required, if IP is to be used by UMTS, due to its QoS
improvements

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UMTS Fixed Network Interfaces

ATM
ATM is the default transport network layer for a UMTS network
There are two types of ATM interconnections defined
! NNI Network-Network Interfaces
" Interfaces between two ATM switches
! UNI User-Network Interfaces
" Interfaces between a user terminal and an ATM switch

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UMTS Fixed Network Interfaces

ATM Layer
ATM provides the data link
connection across a network
An ATM cell consists of: OSI
! A five octet header containing: Higher Layer
3 Protocols
"Virtual Path Identifier
"Virtual Channel Identifier ATM Adaptation
Layer
! A 48 octet payload 2 Data Link Layer
ATM Layer

Physical Layer
1 Physical

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ATM Service Classes

ATM Adaption Layer Connection Bit Rate Example Use
Mode
AAL 1 Connection Constant Digital voice
Based
AAL 2 Connection Variable Variable rate
Based video
AAL 3 Connection Variable X.25, Frame
Relay
AAL 4 Connectionless Variable TCP/IP, SMDS
AAL 5 Connectionless Variable TCP/IP

UMTS uses:
! AAL2 to provide a synchronous connection based service
! AAL5 to provide an asynchronous connectionless service

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Major Interfaces in UMTS

There are four major new
interfaces defined in UMTS CN
! Iu
Iu
"The interface between UTRAN
and the CN Iur
! Iur RNC RNC
"The Interface between different
RNCs Iub
! Iub Node-
"The interface between the Node B
and the RNC B
! Uu Uu
"The air interface
UE

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Iub
The Iub is the interface between the RNC and the Node-B
The Node B effectively performs a relay function between the
Iub and the Uu
Thus the Iub needs to carry:
! Layer 2+ signalling between the UE and the UTRAN
! Signalling directly to the Node B
" To control radio resource allocation
" General control of the Node-B
" O&M Functionality

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Iub Protocol Stack

In the Iub the Application Protocol is
the Node B Application Protocol
(NBAP) Radio Network Control Plane User Plane

RACH FP
FACH FP
DSCH FP
DCH FP

PCH FP
Layer NBAP
This is carried over the Signalling
ATM Adaptation Layer UNI (SAAL-
Transport Network Transport Network
UNI) which itself comprises Transport User Plane User Plane
Network Layer
! Service Specific Co-ordination
Function - UNI (SSCF-UNI) SSCF-UNI
SSCOP
! Service Specific Connection AAL5 AAL2
Orientated Protocol (SSCOP)
ATM
! AAL5
Physical Layer
A dedicated AAL2 connection is
reserved for each User Plane
service

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Iub Radio Network Layer User Plane

The DCH Frame Protocol (FP) consists of:
! Iub DCH Data Frames
" The Iub interface provides means for transport of uplink and downlink DCH
Iub frames between RNC and Node B.
" The DCH Iub frame header includes uplink quality estimates and
synchronisation information
! Iub DCH Control Frames
" These are used to carry control information such as power and timing
control

Iub RACH FP, FACH FP, PCH FP and DSCH FP carry the
equivalent channels

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Iub Radio Network Layer Control Plane

The Iub interface allows the RNC and the Node B to negotiate about radio resources
! The protocol used is the Node B Application Part (NBAP)
Main Functions
! Radio Channel Management
! Radio Resource Management
! Radio Network Performance Measurement
! Cell Configuration Management
! Operations and Maintenance
! Iub Link Management
Example NBAP messages are:
! measurement request
! radio link set-up
! cell set-up
! cell delete

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Implementation of the Iub

Transmission sharing between the GSM/GPRS Abis interface
and the Iub interface is allowed
The functional division between RNC and Node B has as few
options as possible
Neither the physical structure nor any internal protocols of the
Node B are visible over Iub and are thus not limiting factors, e.g.
! When introducing future technology
! In multi vendor networks

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Iur
The Iur is the interface between two RNCs
It enables the transport of air interface signalling between an
SRNC and a DRNC
Thus the Iur needs to support:
! Basic Inter RNC Mobility
! Dedicated Channel Traffic
! Common Channel Traffic
! Global Resource Management

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Iur Protocol Stack

In the Iub the Application Protocol is the Radio
Network Subsystem Application Protocol (RNSAP)
This is carried over the Broad Band SS7 (BB SS7)
Radio Network Control Plane User Plane
protocols comprising

DCH FP

CCH FP
Layer RNSAP
! Signalling Connection Control Part (SCCP)
! Message Transfer Part (MTP3-b)
! Service Specific Co-ordination Function - NNI Transport Network Transport Network
(SSCF-NNI) Transport User Plane User Plane
! SSCOP Network Layer SCCP
MTP3-B M3UA
! AAL5
SSCF-NNI SCTP
An alternative IP based signalling protocol can be SSCOP IP

used comprising AAL5 AAL2

! SS7 MTP3 User Adaptation Layer (M3UA)
! Simple Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) ATM
! Internet Protocol (IP)
Physical Layer
A dedicated AAL2 connection is reserved for each
User Plane service

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Iur Radio Network Layer User Plane

The DCH Frame Protocol (FP) consists of:
! Iur DCH Data Frames
" The Iur interface provides means for transport of uplink and downlink DCH
Iur frames between RNCs.
" The DCH Iur frame header includes uplink quality estimates and
synchronisation information
" Sometimes called Iur/IubDCH Data Frames as they are the same as on the
Iub
! Iub DCH Control Frames
" These are used to carry control information such as power and timing
control
" Sometimes called Iur/IubDCH Control Frames as they are the same as on
the Iub

Similarly for CCH FP

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Iur Radio Network Layer Control Plane

The Iur interface allows the RNCs to communicate regarding the
! The protocol used is the Radio Network Subsystem Application Part (RNSAP)
Split into 4 parts
! Iur1: Basic Inter-RNC Mobility
" SRNC Relocation
" Inter RNC cell and URA Update
" Inter RNC Packet Paging
" Reporting of Protocol Errors
! Iur2: Dedicated Channel Traffic
" Support of DCH transfer across the Iur
! Iur3: Common Channel Traffic
" Transport of CCH transfer across the Iur
! Iur4: Global Resource Management
" Transfer of Cell Measurements
" Transfer of Node B Timing Information

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Implementation of the Iur

Some Vendors are suggesting collocated RNCs to remove the
necessity for high data rate Iurs

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Iu
The Iu is the interface between the Core Network and the
UTRAN
There are two instances of the Iu:
! The Iu-ps connecting UTRAN to the Packet Switched Network
! The Iu-cs connecting UTRAN to the Circuit Switched Network

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Iu-ps Protocol Stack
In the Iu-ps the Application Protocol is the Radio
Access Network Application Protocol (RANAP)
This is carried over the Broad Band SS7 (BB SS7)
Control Plane User Plane
protocols comprising Radio Network
Layer RANAP
Iu User Plane
! SCCP
protocol
! MTP3-b
! SSCF-NNI Transport Network Transport Network
! SSCOP Transport User Plane User Plane
Network Layer SCCP
! AAL5
MTP3-B M3UA GTP-U
An alternative IP based signalling protocol can be SSCF-NNI SCTP
UDP
used comprising SSCOP IP
IP
! M3UA AAL5 AAL2
! SCTP
! IP ATM

A User Plane Protocols are carried over Physical Layer

! GPRS Tunneling Protocol - User Plane (GTP-U)
! User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
! IP
! AAL2

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Iu-cs Protocol Stack

In the Iu-cs the Application Protocol
is the RANAP
Radio Network Control Plane User Plane
This is carried over the BB SS7 Layer RANAP
Iu User Plane
protocols comprising protocol

! SCCP Transport Network

Transport Network
Transport User Plane
User Plane
! MTP3-b Network Layer SCCP
MTP3b
! SSCF-NNI SSCF-NNI
SSCOP
! SSCOP AAL5 AAL2
! AAL5
ATM
A User Plane Protocols are carried Physical Layer
over AAL2

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UMTS Fixed Network Interfaces

RANAP Protocol
The RANAP functions are:
! SRNS Relocation and Hard Handover
! Radio Access Bearer Management
! Reporting Unsuccessfully Transmitted Data
! Common ID Management
! Paging
! Management of Tracing
! UE-CN signalling transfer
! Security mode control
! Management of Tracing
! UE-CN Signalling Transfer
! Security Mode Control
! Management of Overload over the Iu interface
! Reset of the Iu interface
! Location Reporting

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Questions
What functions does the Iur have other than transporting data
and control channels to the SRNS?
What are the two horizontal layers of the General Protocol
Model and how do they differ?
Which ATM Adaptation Layers are used in UMTS and what are
their properites?

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UMTS Fixed Network Interfaces

Session Summary
In this session we have looked at the major UMTS interfaces
! Iu
! Iub
! Iur
We have also seen how these interfaces are split into a general
model and how this applies to specific instances

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