Packet switching concepts

Mahmoud Farid

Contents

Brief introduction.
GPRS network structure.
Mobility management.
Session management.
EPC overview.

What is packet switching?

Packet switching is a digital networking
communications method that groups all
transmitted data into suitably sized blocks,
called packets, that are transmitted via a
medium that may be shared by multiple
simultaneous communication sessions.
Packet switching increases network
efficiency, robustness and enables
technological convergence of many
applications operating on the same network.

Evolution of mobile
generation

GSM (2G): Circuit switching with data rate 9.6 Kb/s.

HSCSD(2.15G): Circuit switching with data rate 14.4
Kb/s.
GPRS (2.5G): the first generation to introduce the packet
switching, with a data rate up to 21.4 Kb/s per physical
channel, also it introduced the new extension to the
network with the new nodes i.e. (SGSN, GGSN, and CG).
EDGE (2.75G): data rate up to 69.2 Kb/s.
UMTS (3G): data rate up to 2 Mb/s.
HSPA: 14 Mb/s.
HSPA+: 84 Mb/s.
LTE: 150 Mb/s.
LTE+: 1 Gb/s.

GPRS network structure

GPRS network structure (SGSN)

Important Entity Function: SGSN
Mobility management
The MM functions are used to keep track of the
current location of an MS within the PLMN or within
another PLMN.
Session management
SM function manages the PDP context of MS.
Routing and transfer
SGSN performs routing and forwarding of service
data between MS and GGSN.
Charging
SGSN can generate, store, convert and send CDRs.
NTP

GPRS network structure (GGSN)

Important Entity Function : GGSN
Session management
SM function manages the PDP context of MS.
Routing and transfer
GGSN performs routing and forwarding of service

data between MS and internet.

Charging
GGSN can generate, store, convert and send CDRs.
Dynamic IP allocation
Service management
Manage APN

GPRS network structure (CG)

Important Entity Function: CG

Real-time collection of GPRS CDRs
Temporary storage and buffering of GPRS CDRs
Pre-processing of GPRS CDRs
Sending GPRS CDRs to the billing center

GPRS network structure (DNS)

Resolve the APN to a GGSN IP in the PDP active procedure

Resolve the RAI to a SGSN IP in the inter-SGSN RAU procedure
Resolve the RNCID to a SGSN IP in the relocation procedure (UMTS)

Mobility management
GPRS mobility management states
GPRS attach and detach
Security function

Mobility management states

(GSM)

Mobility management states

(UMTS)

GPRS Attach

GPRS Detach-MS initiated

Dependi
ng on
the type

GPRS detach

Results after any Detach procedure:

The SGSN shall not service the detached MS, unless
reattach
The MS is in idle or PMM-DETACHED state

The MS is detached either explicitly or implicitly:

Explicit detach: The network or the MS explicitly requests
detach
Implicit detach: The network detaches the MS, without
notifying the MS, a configuration-dependent time after the
mobile reachable timer expired, or after an irrecoverable
radio error causes disconnection of the logical link.

Security function
Authentication

Authentication types:
GSM Authentication
Using triplet: RAND, SRES, Kc
Using GPRS Encryption Algorithm (GEA)
UMTS Authentication
Using quintet: RAND, XRES, AUTN, CK, IK
AUTN: for UE authenticate network
IK: for data integrity function
Using UMTS Encryption Algorithm (UEA)

Security function
Authentication
MS

BSS/UTRAN

SGSN

HLR/Auc

1a. Send Authentication Info

1b . Send Authentication Info ack
2a. Authentication and Ciphering Request
2b. Authentication and Ciphering Response

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Security function-Identity Check

MS

BSS/UTRAN

SGSN

EIR

1. Identity Request
1. Identity Response
2. Check IMEI
2. Check IMEI Ack

Function
Get IMSI from MS
Check the IMEI
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Security function
PTMSI Reallocation

Function
The SGSN may reallocate the PTMSI at any time
The reallocation procedure can be performed by the PTMSI
Reallocation procedure
The PTMSI can be included in the Attach or Routeing Area
Update procedures.

MS

BSS/UTRAN

SGSN

1. P-TMSI Reallocation Command

2. P-TMSI Reallocation Complete

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Session management
Important concepts
PDP context activation/modification/deactivation

Important concepts- PDP

Context
The PDP context is Packet Data Protocol context
PDP context contains all the information needed to
transfer user data between MS and GGSN.
The context includes parameters such as Routing, QoS
(Quality of Service), Charging ID etc.
PDP context exists in MS, SGSN, GGSN and RNC.

Important concepts PDP

state
INACTIVE

Activate PDP
Context

Deactivate PDP Context

or
MM state change to IDLE
or PMM-DETACHED

ACTIVE

PDP state
inactive cannot transmit data
active can transmit data

Important Concepts __ QoS

QoS is quality of service
It is a group of parameters that can
define the network ability, such as the
bit rate for downlink or uplink data
transmission and the reliability class
and so on

Important Concept __ APN

APN structure: APN_NI+APN_OI
ericsson.com.cn.mnc<MNC>.mcc<MCC>.gprs

APN
Network ID

APN
Operator ID

PDP activation in 2G

PDP activation in 3G

PDP deactivation

EPC overview
EPC highlights
EPC network structure

Evolution from 3G to LTE

3GPP Rel-99

nodeB

User plane
traffic through
all nodes

RNC

3GPP Rel-7

SGSN

GGSN

PDN

User plane
outside of
SGSN

PDN

SGSN
nodeB

GGSN

RNC

3GPP Rel-8

User plane directly

between RAN and
GW for all LTE
traffic.

MME
EnodeB

SAE
GW

PDN

EPC Highlights

Separati
on
Access

All IP

Bandwid
th

EPC Highlights
Separation of control plane from user plane, thus providing a
flattened architecture with less latency on the user plane and less
cost to scale whether its more bandwidth or more users required,
We have seen how the control plane and user plane have been
separated: MME becoming a sole signaling node and the eNodeB
connecting directly to the Serving GW for the user plane.
All IP, non-existent CS domain in core network. The interfaces in the
EPC are all IP, there are no ATM, Frame Relay, SS7 interfaces. Its a
entirely data centric architecture.
Maximum downlink rate > 400Mbps, with the introduction of LTEAdvanced.
Access agnostic, supporting multiple access modes of 3GPP and
non-3GPP. We now have a Packet Core architecture that can
communicate and talk to many access typesfrom our usual 3GPP
networks such as 3G/LTE and non-3GPP networks like Wi-Fi for
example.

EPC Terminology
EPS Evolved Packet System
LTE Long Term Evolution
EPC Evolved Packet Core
SAE System Architecture Evolution

LTE/EPC Architecture

LTE/EPC interfaces

Voice service overview in LTE

network

Voice service overview in LTE

network
SVLTE (Simultaneous Voice and LTE):
The UE supports CS and LTE at same time. CS provides voice service,
LTE provides data services. CS is at 2G/3G network, so in SVLTE, UE
both attach in 2G/3G and 4G. this method all depends on UE capacity,
network side has no requirement.
CSFB (circuit switched fall back):
The UE fall back to 2G/3G for MO (Mobile Originated) and MT (Mobile
Terminated) voice service.
VoLTE and SRVCC(Single Radio Voice Call Continuity ):
UE establishes LTE bearer and IP connection to IMS domain. The service
is between UE and IMS, includes establishment, modification, release.
Besides voice between Mobile subscribers, IMS can provide mobile
voice to traditional fixed voice, different operators voice call too.
The 4G doesnt cover all areas, During voice call, the SRVCC or eSRVCC
support handover from 4G to 2G/3G.
OTT(Over The Top):
The web browsing, video in mobile network is all OTT service. From the
encapsulation view, PS is a tunnel and all service is in it.

CSFB quick look

Thank you..