Beyond IMS …
Evolution to a flat LTE network
EIMS 2019/2020
EPC (Evolved Packet Core)new core network for LTE
EIMS 2019/2020
Source: Alcatel-Lucent
All IP network for LTE
EIMS 2019/2020
Source: Alcatel-Lucent
EPC architecture – 3GPP Release 8
EIMS 2019/2020
SGi
PCRF
Gx
HSS
S2b
SWn
Ope rator's IP Services
(e.g. IMS, PSS etc.)
SWm
SWx
Untrusted Non - 3GPP IP
Access SWa
HPLMN
Non - 3GPP Networks
S6b
Rx
PDN Gateway
ePDG 3GPP AAA Server
Gxb
S2a
Gxa
Trusted Non - 3GPP IP
Access STa
Gxc
S5
S6a
3GPP Access
Serving Gateway
UE
SWu
EPC architecture
EIMS 2019/2020
Evolved Packet Core (EPC)
• Multi-access core network based on theInternet Protocol (IP) as one commonpacket core network for both
– Trusted networks including• 3GPP Access (LTE-E-UTRAN, UMTS-UTRAN, GPRS-
GERAN)• Non 3GPP Access (WIMAX, CDMA2000/HRPD)
– Untrusted networks including• Non-3GPP Access (WLAN)
• EPC provides connection to IP service domains
– IMS– Internet (or others, e.g. P2P etc.)
• Important EPC functions include:– NAS and security (AAA)– mobility and connectivity management– policy QoS control and charging (PCC)
EIMS 2019/2020
IMS Internet
3GPPaccess
non-3GPP access
EPC
Trusted Trusted/ untrusted
NFV – Network FunctionVirtualization
EIMS 2019/2020
A means to make the network more flexible and simple by
minimising dependence on HW constraints
v
Network Functions are SW-based over well-known HW
Multiple roles over same HW
ORCHESTRATION, AUTOMATION
& REMOTE INSTALL
DPIBRAS
GGSN/
SGSN
Firewall
CG-NAT
PE Router
VIRTUAL
APPLIANCES
STANDARD
HIGH VOLUME
SERVERS
Virtualised Network Model: VIRTUAL APPLIANCE APPROACHv
Network Functions are based on specific HW&SW
One physical node per role
DPI
BRASGGSN/SGSN
Session Border
ControllerFirewall CG-NAT
PE Router
Traditional Network Model: APPLIANCE APPROACH
The NFV Concept
Source: Adapted from D. Lopez Telefonica I+D, NFV
EIMS 2019/2020
BRAS
FirewallDPI
CDN
Tester/QoE
monitor
WAN
AccelerationMessage
Router
Radio Access
Network Nodes
Carrier
Grade NAT
Session Border
Controller
Network Virtualisation Approach
PE RouterSGSN/GGSN
Independent Software Vendors
Standard High Volume
Ethernet Switches
Standard High Volume Storage
Standard High Volume Servers
Orchestrated,
automatic &
remote install.
• Fragmented non-commodity hardware.• Physical install per appliance per site.• Hardware development large barrier to entry for new
vendors, constraining innovation & competition.
Classical Network Appliance Approach
Target
Source: NFV
EIMS 2019/2020
Network Functions Virtualization• Network Functions Virtualization is about
implementing network functions in software - that today run on proprietary hardware - leveraging (high volume) standard servers and IT virtualization
• Supports multi-versioning and multi-tenancy of network functions, which allows use of a single physical platform for different applications, users and tenants
• Enables new ways to implement resilience, service assurance, test and diagnostics and security surveillance
Source: Adapted from D. Lopez Telefonica I+D, NFV
EIMS 2019/2020
Network Functions Virtualization
• Provides opportunities for pure software players• Facilitates innovation towards new network functions
and services that are only practical in a pure softwarenetwork environment
• Applicable to any data plane packet processing and control plane functions, in fixed or mobile networks
• NFV will only scale if management and configuration of functions can be automated
• NFV aims to ultimately transform the way network operators architect and operate their networks, but change can be incremental
EIMS 2019/2020
Benefits & Promises of NFV
• Reduced equipment costs (CAPEX)– through consolidating equipment and economies of scale of IT industry.
• Increased speed of time to market– by minimising the typical network operator cycle of innovation.
• Availability of network appliance multi-version and multi-tenancy,
– allows a single platform for different applications, users and tenants.
• Enables a variety of eco-systems and encourages openness.
• Encouraging innovation to bring new services and generate newrevenue streams.
Source: NFVEIMS 2019/2020
Benefits & Promises of NFV• Flexibility to easily, rapidly, dynamically provision and
instantiate new services in various locations
• Improved operational efficiency• by taking advantage of the higher uniformity of the physical network
platform and its homogeneity to other support platforms.
• Software-oriented innovation to rapidly prototype and test new services and generate new revenue streams
• More service differentiation & customization
• Reduced (OPEX) operational costs: reduced power, reduced space, improved network monitoring
• IT-oriented skillset and talent
Source: Adapted from D. Lopez Telefonica I+D, NFV
EIMS 2019/2020
ETSI – NFV Architecture (2012)
EIMS 2019/2020
NFV layers
EIMS 2019/2020
NFV Infrastructure
End Point
End Point
E2E Network Service
Compute Storage NetworkHW Resources
Virtualization LayerVirtualization SW
Virtual Compute
Virtual Storage
Virtual Network
Virtual Resources
Logical Abstractions
Network Service
VNF VNF VNF
VNF VNF
Logical Links
VNF Instances
VNF VNF VNFSW Instances
VNF : Virtualized Network Function
VNF
Mobile Core Network and IMS• Mobile networks are populated with a large
variety of proprietary hardware appliances
• Flexible allocation of Network Functions on such hardware resource pool could highly improve network usage efficiency
• Accommodate increased demand for particular services (e.g. voice) without fully relying on the call restriction control mechanisms in a large-scale natural disaster scenario such as the Great East Japan Earthquake
EIMS 2019/2020
NFV components
• Network Function (NF)– Functional component with a precisely defined interfaces and
operation
• Virtualized Network Function (VNF)– Software implementation of a NF which can be deployed in a
virtualized infrastructure
• VNF Set– Connection between VNF, np. access gateway
• VNF Forwarding Graph– Arrangement of services when order of network connections matters
e.g. firewall, control of load balancing, NAT
• NFV Infrastructure (NFVI)– Hardware and software needed to deploy, manage and operate VNF
EIMS 2019/2020
NFV: general use cases
EIMS 2019/2020
Use Case Description
1. NFV IaaSInfrastructure as a Service
Computing, Storage and Network as a Service for end users
2. NFV SaaSVirtual Network Function as a Service
Software as a Service for end users
3. NFV PaaSVirtual Network Platform as a Services
Platform as a Service for end users
4. Virtual Network Forwarding NFV internetworking: defining the logical connectivity paths between virtual appliances
5. Virtualization of Mobile Core and IMS
Virtualization of Evolved Packet Core and IMS elements: MME, Gateways, CSCF, HSS
6. Virtualization of MobileBase Station
Baseband radio processing using IT virtualization techniques for signal processing capacity aggregation and centralization
7. Virtualization of Home Environment
Replacing customer premise residential gateway and set-top boxes with virtual services in the network
8. Virtualization of CDNs Running content delivery network nodes as virtual appliances on operator infrastructure
9. Fixed Access Network Functions Virtualization
Applying virtualization to reduce the complexity of access nodes, links and network services
Function virtualization in mobile networks
• Switches – MSC , Open vSwitch• Routers• Home Location Register (HLR)• Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN),• Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN),• Combined GPRS Support Node (CGSN),• Radio Network Controller (RNC),• Serving Gateway (SGW),• Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW),• Residential Gateway (RGW),• Broadband Remote Access Server (BRAS),• Carrier Grade Network Address Translator (CGNAT),• Deep Packet Inspection (DPI),• Provider Edge (PE) Router,• Mobility Management Entity (MME),• Element Management System (EMS)
EIMS 2019/2020
ETSI NFV ISG PoC Forum (Proof of Concept)
• Virtual Broadband Remote Access Server (BRAS) – British Telecom
• Virtual IP Multimedia System (IMS) - Deutsche Telekom
• Virtual Evolved Packet Core (vEPC) - Orange Silicon Valley
• Carrier-Grade Network Address Translator (CGNAT) DeepPacket Inspection (DPI), Home Gateway - Telefonica
• Perimeta Session Border Controller (SBC) - Metaswitch
• Deep packet inspection - Procera
Cloud Computing using e.g. OpenStack
EIMS 2019/2020
V-EPC
• Examples of Network Functions include MME, S/P-GW, etc.
• This use case aims at applying virtualization to the EPC, the IMS, and these other Network Functions mentioned above
EIMS 2019/2020
Virtualization of Mobile Base Station
• Mobile network traffic is significantly increasing by the demand generated by application of mobile devices, while the ARPU (revenue) is difficult to increase
• LTE is also considered as radio access part of EPS (Evolved Packet System) which is required to fullfill the requirements of high spectral efficiency, high peak data rates, short round trip time and frequency flexibility in Radio Access Network (RAN)
• Virtualisation of a mobile base station leverages IT virtualisation technology to realize at least a part of RAN nodes onto standard IT servers, storages and switches
EIMS 2019/2020
Virtualization of Mobile Base Station
LTE RAN architecture evolution by centralized BBU pool (Telecom Baseband Unit)
Functional blocks in C-RAN
EIMS 2019/2020
Ongoing Proof of Concepts• CloudNFV Open NFV Framework Project
– Telefonica - Sprint - 6WIND - Dell - EnterpriseWeb –Mellanox - Metaswitch - Overture Networks - Qosmos -Huawei - Shenick
• Service Chaining for NW Function Selection in Carrier Networks
– NTT - Cisco - HP - Juniper Networks
• Virtual Function State Migration and Interoperability
– AT&T - BT - Broadcom Corporation - Tieto Corporation
• Multi-vendor Distributed NFV
– CenturyLink - Certes - Cyan - Fortinet - RAD
• E2E vEPC Orchestration in a multi-vendor open NFVI environment
– Telefonica - Sprint - Intel - Cyan - Red Hat - Dell -Connectem
• Virtualised Mobile Network with Integrated DPI
– Telefonica - Intel - Tieto - Qosmos - Wind River Systems -Hewlett Packard
• C-RAN virtualisation with dedicated hardware accelerator
– China Mobile - Alcatel-Lucent - Wind River Systems - Intel
• Automated Network Orchestration
– Deutsche Telekom - Ericsson - x-ion GmbH -Deutsche Telekom Innovation Laboratories
• VNF Router Performance with DDoS Functionality
– AT&T - Telefonica - Brocade - Intel - Spirent
• NFV Ecosystem
– Telecom Italia - DigitalWave - SunTec - Svarog Technology Group - Telchemy - EANTC
• Multi-Vendor on-boarding of vIMS on a cloud management framework
– Deutsche Telekom - Huawei Technologies -Alcatel-Lucent
• Demonstration of multi-location, scalable, stateful Virtual Network Function
– NTT - Fujitsu - Alcatel-LucentEIMS 2019/2020
NFV-based architecture virtualized-IMS (vIMS)
EIMS 2019/2020
NFV-based architecture merge-IMS
EIMS 2019/2020
Mobile Cloud Networking Architecture
EIMS 2019/2020
Architecture model for IMSaaS
EIMS 2019/2020
Cloud based open source implementation of IMS
EIMS 2019/2020http://www.projectclearwater.org/
EIMS
Project is co-financed by European Union within European Social FundEIMS 2019/2020