UMTS Architecture

UMTS Architecture
GSM, UMTS & LTE Fundamentals

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Module Objectives

Explain the architecture of each subsystem with different

Network Elements and functionalities
Give information about transport network within the different
Network Elements

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Module Contents

Introduction
User equipment
UTRAN
Core Network
Transport Technologies

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General Architecture

IN/SCE APSE

PSTN/ISDN
A HLR

BICC CS-2, SIP-T

GSM BSC MSS Gateway Control
A Server (GCS)
H.248

Other
PLMN
Iu-CS
MGW
MGW IP/ATM
Backbone
WCDMA RNC
Iu-PS
Ext. IP
Networks
SGSN
GGSN

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Node B Support of 1 or several cells

WCDMA Transmission
ATM Termination
Forward Error Correction FEC
RNS Radio Interface Measurements U
Radio RNC (Quality & Strength) T
Network Radio Network RNC R
Sub Controller
A
system N
Iub
Node Node Node Node
B B B B

Uu
UE

Sector-Cell

Omni-Cell Node Node

Sector-Cell
B B
Sector-Cell
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100% autonomously RRM

Radio Network (e.g. Radio Resource Control, Access Control,
Admission Control, Handover Control,)
Controller (De-)Ciphering & BEC (Layer 2 tasks)
storing UEs location information
RNS-Control (RNC & Node Bs)
MSC / ATM Switching SGSN
VLR (Iu, Iur & Iub: ATM Interfaces)
WCDMA specific tasks
CS PS
Domain IWF/ TC Domain

Iu(CS) Iu(PS) UTRAN

RNS
Radio Iur
Network RNC RNC
Sub Radio Network
system Controller
Iub Iub

Node Node Node Node

B B B B

Uu UE
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UMTS Network Summary (Rel. 99)

GSM BSS CS Domain

A PSTN
BTS T MSC /
B R VLR E
GMSC
Abis A IWF/ ISDN
S U TC C/D
Um BTS C Gb CAP F

CSE EIR HLR AuC

UTRAN
Gf
Node B R CAP Gr Gc X.25
Uu (n x BTS) Iu(CS)
Iub N
UE Iu(PS) Gn Gi
IP
Node B C SGSN GGSN
(n x BTS)
Iur PS Ga
CGF
Billing
R Domain System
Node B N
(n x BTS) Gd SMS-GMSC
C SMS-IWMSC
SM-SC

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HLR AuC
Home Location Register Authentication Center

Subscriber Registration Storing secret Keys

Storing/Management CS Domain (counterpart: USIM) &
subscriber profiles Security Algorithm
Deliver profiles to VLR/SGSN Generating Security Parameter
Storing Location Information MSC / (GSM: Triples; UMTS: Quintets)
(VLR / SGSN) VLR GMSC Deliver Parameter to VLR /
MTC: Deliver Routing SGSN (via HLR)
information to GMSC / GGSN D C Associated with HLR
Associated with AuC

HLR AuC

Gr Gc

SGSN GGSN

PS Domain
BS: Bearer Service
Subscriber data (Examples): TS: Tele Service
SS: Supplementary Service
Semi-permanent Data: MSISDN, IMSI, Services CSI: CAMEL Subscription Information
(BS, TS, SS), QoS Profile, CSI, Service Restrictions,.. QoS: Quality of Service
Temporary Data: VLR / SGSN address, IMSI: International Mobile Subscriber Identity
MSISDN: Mobile Station ISDN Number
MS Non-Reachable flag, MSRN, SMS flags,.. MSRN: Mobile Station Roaming Number
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EIR
Equipment Identity Register Storing IMEIs
(counterpart: ME)
on White / Gray / Black List
CS Domain Performing IMEI Check
on VLR / SGSN request
MSC / optional network function
VLR

EIR
Gf

SGSN
IMEI
International
PS Domain Mobile station
Equipment
Identity

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SMS-GMSC
TS 23.002
SMS-IWMSC

External
CS MSC / Networks
all or some designated
MSCs can act as Domain VLR
SMS-GMSC/IWMSC
(Network operator
dependent) E

SMS-GMSC SM-SC
SMS Gateway MSC
Short Message
SMS-IWMSC Service Center
SMS Interworking MSC

Gd

PS SGSN
Domain

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VLR Main
Visitor Location Register VLR
tasks:

VLR as MSCs Data Base: for all UEs in MSC Area

storing Subscriber profiles
Subscriber Profile, Mobility Management
e.g. IMSI, MSISDN,
Services (TS, BS, SS),.. storing Location Information
Temporary Subscriber Data controlling
e.g. LMSI, TMSI, MSRN, Security Features*
Security Parameter,
Location Information,
IMSI attach/detach,..

B
MSC
VLR
* e.g. Authentication, Authorization,
Cipher & Integrity Start
Location
LocationUpdates
Updates D
Subscriber Profiles
SubscriberProfiles VLR
VLR
Security
Security Parameter
Parameter
(via HLR VLR)
(via HLR VLR)
Interrogation
Interrogation
(MSRN HLR AuC
(MSRNvia
viaHLR
HLRtotoGMSC)
GMSC)
TS: Tele Services
BS: Bearer Services
SS: Supplementary Services IMSI: International Mobile Subscriber Identity
MSRN: Mobile Station Roaming Number LMSI: Local Mobile Subscriber Identity
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TC BSC CN
T
Transcoding R A Core Network

& A B
U VLR
IWF MSC E
InterWorking RAN
Function Radio Access IWF/
Network
Iu(CS) TC Gs F
C

Interworking: TDM ATM

all classical CN-Interfaces (A-G):
IWF TDM based (E1/T1 PCM30/PCM24)
RNC Iu(CS): ATM based

BlaBla BlaBla
Bla
TC Bla
Transcoding
CN function in UMTS:
part of MSC or standalone N.E.
64 kbit/s (ISDN)
4.75 12.2 kbit/s Conversion of Speech Data (CN RAN):
using AMR speech codec
AMR: Adaptive MultiRate
CN: 64 kbit/s (ISDN)
UTRAN RAN: 4.75 12.2 kbit/s (AMR) CN

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UMTS CN R`4 R`4

TS 23.002
CS Domain Applications and Services

MEGACO: IETF Media Gateway Control protocol

H.248: ITU protocol for Media Gateway Control
CAP CAP
BICC: Bearer Independent Call Control
CDR: Call Data Records
(G-)MSC Server:
MGW: Media Gateway HLR Call Control Call Control
Mobility Management
Level MGW Control
PS
PSDomain
Domain VLR functionality
unchanged
MSC GMSC CDRs
unchanged D C
compared (HLR-Interrogation)
comparedto
toR`99
R`99
Nc (e.g. BICC)

Iu Mc Mc (H.248/MEGACO)
A
Bearer Level
GERAN
CS-MGW CS-MGW
A
Nb (e.g. ATM, IP) PSTN/
UTRAN Iu ISDN

MGW:
Bearer Control
Transmission Resource Management
Data Format Conversion
Transcoding
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ATM Principle

Adaptation X
Voice

SWITCH
Adaptation Y
Video ATM Cells

Adaptation Z
Data

Services Adaptation Layer ATM Layer Physical Layer

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ATM Cell

53 bytes

Header Payload
5 bytes 48 bytes

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ATM Interfaces

ATM is employed

Uu Iub Iu-CS A B

NNI NNI
UE BS RNC MGW MSC

Iur NNI

NNI Iu-PS

Iub

UNI
BS Iub RNC

UNI
Gn Gi

BS SGSN GGSN

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ATM Cell
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Header (5 bytes) 1 GFC VPI 1 VPI

2 VPI VCI 2 VPI VCI
3 VCI 3 VCI
CL CL
4 VCI PT P 4 VCI PT P

5 HEC 5 HEC
6 6
Payload (48 bytes)

7 7

8 8
Payload Payload

52 52

53 53

User Network Interface Network Network Interface

(UNI) (NNI)
GFC Generic Flow Control PT Payload Type
VPI Virtual Path Identifier CLP Cell Loss Priority
VCI Virtual Channel Identifier HEC Header Error Control
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Virtual Channel and Virtual Path

VC VP
Transmission Path
VC VP

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VC Switch / Cross Connect

Endpoint
of VPC
VPI 1 VPI 3 VPI 2

VPI 2 VCI 24
VCI 21
VPI 1
VCI 22 VPI 3 VCI 23

VCI 21 VCI 21
VCI 22 VPI 4 VPI 5 VCI 22

VP Switch / Cross Connect

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VCI 21 VCI 23
VPI 1 VPI 4 VCI 24
VCI 22

VCI 23 VCI 25
VPI 2 VPI 5
VCI 24 VCI 24

VCI 25 VCI 21
VPI 3 VPI 6
VCI 24 VCI 22

VP Switch / Cross Connect

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#1 #2 #2 #3

Street A Crossing Street B

Network A Network B

Router

Host 1 Host 2 Host 2 Host 3

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IP Network C

Router 1

IP Network B
Router 2

IP Network A

Router 3

Internet

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Router
Router:
Layer 3 switch
Routing is the process of selecting Decides where to transmit
the next destination using routing the IP packet next, after
table. analyzing the IP header
information.
Application Depends on data link and
physical layer,
segmentation or
TCP/UDP reassembly may be
necessary.

Relay
IP IP IP

L2 L2 L2

L1 L1 L1

Router

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Some Well Known Port Numbers

TCP/IP

RLOGIN

BOOTP/
RLOGIN

BOOTP/
Telnet

SNMP
DHCP
SMTP

LDAP
HTTP
POP3
Telnet

SNMP
TFTP

DHCP
IMAP
SMTP

LDAP
HTTP
POP3

TFTP
IMAP

DNS
FTP

DNS
Layers
FTP

44

Port
20/21 23 513 25 110 143 80 389 53 69 67/68 161/162
Numbers

33 TCP
TCP UDP
UDP

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DNS Root DNS Server

.com DNS Server

.nsn.com DNS Server

2
3

.ntc.nsn.com DNS Server

5
Local DNS Server

1 gprs = 192.168.0.15
192.168.0.15
gprs.ntc.nsn.com?
6

Client Host

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DHCP

DHCP Server DHCP Offer (B)

DHCP Offer (A)
IP Address : 192.168.0.51 IP Address : 192.168.0.52
Netmask : 255.255.255.0 Netmask : 255.255.255.0
Gateway : 192.168.0.1 Gateway : 192.168.0.1
Lease Time : 5 hours Lease Time : 30 minutes

Host Remote Access Server

(DHCP Client) (DHCP Client)

Remote Host

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HTTP

Client A HTTP Server Client B

IP Addr.:10.27.51.3 IP Addr.:10.27.51.1 IP Addr.:10.27.51.2
Port Number: 1127 Port Number: 80 Port number: 1084

TCP TCP
10.27.51.3:1127 10.27.51.2:1084
10.27.51.1:80 10.27.51.1:80

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Firewall

Internet

Firewall

Secure Private Network

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