Integrating Off-The-Shelf 3Gpp Access Networks in The Openepc Software Toolkit

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Competence Center NGNI Fraunhofer FOKUS

Integrating Off-the-shelf 3GPP Access


Networks in the OpenEPC Software Toolkit
- Realizing cost-efficient and complete small-scale-operator testbeds -

Marius Corici, Mihai Constatin, Dwianto Dana Satriya, Dragos


Vingarzan, Valentin Vlad, Lukas Wöllner
Fraunhofer Institute FOKUS, Germany

dragos.vingarzan@fokus.fraunhofer.de

www.FOKUS.fraunhofer.de/go/ngni
www.FUSECO-Playground.org
www.OpenEPC.net

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Overview

 The Problem
– Providing research infrastructure for both the academia and the industry
– Cost-effective solutions for NGN test-beds in the mobile domain
– Realizing realistic testing environments

 The OpenEPC Project


– Short overview

 Integrating off-the-shelf 2G/GPRS femto-cells in OpenEPC


– Interfaces and protocol stacks
– Procedures and implemented functionalities
– Lessons learned
– Validation

 Outlook
– 3G/UMTS progress status
– 4G/LTE short overview

 Q&A

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The Problem: Access to Mobile Technology

 Wireless testbeds
– Most deal with WiFi (e.g. open source WiFi drivers like MADWIFI have spurred the
creation of numerous test-beds and incredible innovation)
– Also numerous related to ZigBee or Bluetooth
– Yet for the most used today – GPRS, UMTS, LTE – very few

 Blocking issues
– Very complex interfaces and protocol stacks
– Education: how many here have learned about the GPRS protocols during university
courses?
– Equipment costs
– Proprietary/Specialized hardware
– Interoperability and vendor-locking
– “Secret” algorithms
– Spectrum license required

 Today mobile drives innovation in the telecommunication domain


–  Such test-beds are “must-have” for all universities and R&D organizations

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What is the 3GPP Evolved Packet Core

 An overlay over the operator core network


providing all-IP connectivity
– Over heterogeneous accesses (LTE, 3G, 2G,
non-3GPP, femto, …)
– Using the operator transport network
– Towards all IP based applications

 IP connectivity services include features for:


– Seamless mobility management
– Mobile device reachability
– QoS and charging control
– Secure access and authorization
– Based on the subscription profile
– Based on the application requirements
– With reduced OPEX for the operator
– Forwarding of IP data packets
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Background: The OpenEPC Project


www.openepc.net

 OpenEPC includes the main functions of 3GPP Evolved Packet Core (Rel. 8, 9, 10, 11, …)
 The principles of standard alignment, configurability and extensibility have been respected
in the overall architecture and in the specific components implemented
 OpenEPC Rel. 4 enables the establishment of small operator network testbeds including:
 Core network mobility support (GTP, PMIP)
 Integration with real LTE, 3G, 2G and WiFi
 AAA for 3GPP and non-3GPP accesses
 Policy and Charging Control
 Access network selection
 Common mobile equipment support

PLEASE NOTE: OpenEPC does not claim 100%


standard compliance, but allows for early prototyping

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OpenEPC Rel. 4 – Functions and Interfaces

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Open Source IMS Core and OpenEPC test-beds


around the world

Americas

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3GPP EPC – 2G/GPRS Architecture with EPC

 GPRS/EDGE RAN (GERAN) is connected to the core network through two interfaces:
– A interface
 for CS attachment, IDLE mode management, CS service establishment, …
– Gb interface
 for PS attachment, IDLE mode management, PS bearer establishment, …
 In 2G MSC attachment is mandatory for PS services!

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3GPP EPC – Gb – Signaling Plane

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3GPP EPC – Gb – User-data Plane

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3GPP EPC - Gb – BSS <-> SGSN Communication

 Network Service (NS)


 BSS GPRS Protocol (BSSGP)

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Network Service

 NS provides the services: – Network congestion indication


– Service Data Unit (SDU) transfer – – Status indication
exchange of upper layer protocol
data units

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BSS GPRS Protocol (BSSGP)

 Provisioning of parameters between:


– BSS - derived from RLC/MAC
– SGSN - received from higher layers
 Provisioning of functionality to enable two physically distinct nodes to operate management control
functions.

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Logical Link Control (LLC)

 Provides a reliable link between the MS and SGSN

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Logical Link Control (LLC)

 Provides a reliable link between MS and SGSN


 Separate channels for GMM, SMS, IP, etc
 LLC transmission modes:
– Unacknowledged mode
– Acknowledged mode
 Modes of operations:
– Async. Disconnected Mode (ADM)
– Async. Balanced Mode (ABM)
 Functions:
– Error detection, recovery, reorder
– Congestion control, window management
– XID negotiation – parameter exchange
– Data cyphering

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3GPP EPC – 2G Integration


Signaling Plane – GSM Layer 3

 GPRS Mobility Management (GMM)


 Session Management (SM)

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GPRS Mobility Management and Session Management

 GPRS Mobility Management


– Enables the service continuity while the MS is mobile
– Procedures:
 Attachment/Detachment
 Authentication
 Paging (PS and CS)
 Location procedures – Routing area updates

 Session Management
– Establishes PDP Contexts, which provide the IP data paths
– Management of QoS parameters

 Short Message Service


– Delivery (SMS-MT) and reception (SMS-MO) of short messages to/from MS

 For future development


– Call Control – enabling CS call management

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UE-SGSN Interface – User-Plane Data

 Link Layer Connection (LLC) Protocol


 Subnetwork Dependent Convergence Protocol (SNDCP)

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Packet Transmission Protocol Stack

 The IP data packets are processed and


encapsulated by the SNDCP and LLC
 SNDCP:
– Maps IP packets to network
characteristics
– Packets are conveyed to Network
PDUs (N-PDUs)
– An SNDCP header is added
 LLC:
– Provides a reliable MS-SGSN link
– Adds an LL header
 RLC or BSSGP:
– Receive the LL PDUs
– Encapsulate them in RLC or BSSGP
PDUs

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The ip.access nanoGSM/nanoBTS Picocell


(model 165G)

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Working with Off-the-Shelf Devices

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Extensive OpenEPC Laboratory Test-bed

 OpenEPC can be deployed on multiple machines realizing a comprehensive small mobile


operator

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Personal OpenEPC Test-bed

 OpenEPC can be completely virtualized in a single box


– External connections are used for connecting base stations, to the
Internet or own components
– Some components can be disabled, if not required
 Excellent for development
– Each developer can have his/her own EPC test-bed instance

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Single-box OpenEPC Connectivity Solution

 OpenEPC can be minimized and run as separate functions in a single box


– Addressing micro-deployments which require complete or partial functionality
 Optimizing data paths and control while maintaining standard alignment
– Can be integrated with radio-access and offering IP connectivity
 For reduced areas - e.g. femto/nano-cell, “hotspots”, home
 With one or multiple radio (or fixed technologies)
in an enterprise wireless environment
– Especially useful in Professional Mobile Radio application

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1. Demo Scenario
CS Attachment

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2. Demo Scenario
SMS

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3. Demo Scenario
PS Attachment

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4. Demo Scenario
Operator Indicated Access Network Selection

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5. Demo Scenario
Seamless Handover

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Lessons Learned

 2G/GPRS was/is hard to implement!


– Many and very complex protocols
– Lots of testing and learning needed to develop them
– Unfortunately has some “secret” parts
 The A3/A8 GSM algorithms with the COMP128 authentication – secret
but reverse engineered
 Using instead the USIM fallback with public AKA/Milenage
transformation
– Or “expensive”/impractical protocols
 The A interface should use MTP to transport SCCP
 Using vendor proprietary SIG-IP to transport SCCP as pure-IP solution
(cell was probably developed before 3G/UMTS brought the M3UA over
SCTP standard alternative)

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Lessons Learned

 3G/UMTS seems simpler now


– Reusing protocols and interfaces towards the Core Network
– Reusing many state-machines in the SGSN and MSC components
– Fortunately over-IP from day 1
– CS parts mostly optional, but not entirely eliminated as initially scoped

 4G/LTE even simpler


– More intelligence in eNodeB  less components between the Access Point
and the Core Network
– Much simpler to integrate with a Core Network, yet a different type of
complexity
– Finally no PS  requires IMS for calls, but that exists already in test-beds

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The ip.access nano3G Picocell Access Points

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Cost-effective Mobile Network Testbeds

 OpenEPC enables the establishment of small scale networks


– Reduced number of subscribers, reduced number of base stations
– Re-using standard 3GPP radio equipment designed for micro-deployments
– Including all security, efficiency, subscriber oriented characteristics
 Deployment examples besides research test-beds:
– isolated regions, enterprise networks, specialized networks
– Professional Mobile Radio: security, M2M (energy, gas), trains, logistics, military

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Competence Center NGNI Fraunhofer FOKUS

2G/GPRS References
 3GPP TS 23.060 - General Packet Radio Service (GPRS); Service description; Stage 2
 3GPP TS 48.016 - General Packet Radio Service (GPRS); Base Station System (BSS) - Serving GPRS
Support Node (SGSN) interface; Network service
 3GPP TS 48.018 - General Packet Radio Service (GPRS); Base Station System (BSS) - Serving GPRS
Support Node (SGSN); BSS GPRS protocol (BSSGP)
 3GPP TS 44.064 - Mobile Station - Serving GPRS Support Node (MS-SGSN); Logical Link Control
(LLC) Layer Specification
 3GPP TS 44.065 - Mobile Station (MS) - Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN); Subnetwork
Dependent Convergence Protocol (SNDCP)
 3GPP TS 24.008 - Mobile radio interface Layer 3 specification; Core network protocols; Stage 3
 ITU-T Q.711 - Functional description of the signalling connection control part
 ITU-T Q.712 - Definition and function of Signalling connection control part messages
 ITU-T Q.714 - Signalling connection control part procedures
 ITU-T Q.715 - Signalling connection control part user guide
 ITU-T Q.716 - Signalling System No. 7 - Signalling connection control part (SCCP) performance
 3GPP TS 48.006 Signalling Transport Mechanism Specification for the Base Station System - Mobile
Services Switching Centre (BSS-MSC) Interface
 3GPP TS 48.008 - Mobile Switching Centre - Base Station system (MSC-BSS) interface; Layer 3
specification
 3GPP TS 29.272 - Evolved Packet System (EPS); Mobility Management Entity (MME) and Serving
GPRS Support Node (SGSN) related interfaces based on Diameter protocol

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Acronyms

 BSS – Base Station Subsystem  NS – Network Service


 BSSGP – BSS GPRS Protocol  PDP – Packet Data Protocol
 BTS – Base Transceiver Station  PGW – Packet Data Network Gateway
 CC – Call Control  PS – Packet Switched
 CS – Circuit Switched  RAN – Radio Access Network
 EPC – Evolved Packet Core  SGSN – Serving GPRS Support Node
 GERAN – GSM EDGE RAN  SGW – Serving Gateway
 GGSN – Gateway GPRS Support Node  SIM – Subscriber Identity Module
 GMM – GPRS Mobility Management  SM – Session Managements
 GPRS – General Packet Radio Service  SMS – Short Messaging System
 GTP – GPRS Tunneling Protocol  SNDCP – Sub-network Dependent
 HLR – Home Location Register Convergent Protocol
 HSS – Home Subscriber Server  USIM – UMTS SIM
 LLC – Logical Link Control
 ME(or MS) – Mobile Equipment (Station)
 MSC – Mobile Switching Centre

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Backup Slides

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OpenEPC is not a product!


 Or at least not yet ;-)

 Targeted at test-beds and technology trials


 Driven by your demand

 Implementing 90% of the standards with 10% efforts


– All the required security mechanisms, but unsecure for the
real-life deployments
– Functionality wins over stability
This is not a “proper” car
– No high-availability
either, but it beats the Ferrari
– Basic provisioning but not proper management
– Decent performance, without deep acceleration

 No 100% compliance
– Yet doing very well on interoperability
– Always going for the latest concepts (think 3GPP Rel.10-11, IETF drafts, crazy new ideas
to make-it-work)

 But nothing wrong with not-a-product


– It takes just days to get a new concept working
– Sometimes it’s actually faster and better

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OpenEPC in Quick Numbers

 7700 revisions
– And this is just the internal development tree
– 20+ external/project-specific development trees

 8.5 commits / week-day (again just internal tree)

 Wharf source code statistics (our platform)


– 120 Mbytes
– 4000 files
– 450K lines of C code
– 64K lines of comments
– 75K lines of PHP (GUI and provisioning)

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Integration of Access Networks

 OpenEPC integrates with all 3GPP and non-3GPP access networks:


– LTE – interfaces towards third party eNodeB, common UE (S1-U, S1-MME)
– HSPA/UMTS – interfaces towards third party NodeB/RNC, common UE (Iu-PS)
– EDGE/GPRS – interfaces towards third party BTS/BSC, common UE (A, Gb)
– Trusted non-3GPP – AAA and IP connectivity interface
– Untrusted non-3GPP – AAA, IPsec, and IP overlay connectivity interface

 Access Network Integration Use Cases:


– Deployment of realistic testbeds
– Perceiving the effect of the radio
communication on applications
– Trustfully evaluations of new features

 As backup solution, OpenEPC includes its


own emulation of the 3GPP accesses
– Using public spectrum (WiFi)
– Enables replication without RAN equipment

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OpenEPC as an EPC functional reference

 OpenEPC enables functional testing


– End-to-end scenarios
 Most standard functions implemented
 Most reference points exported
 Completing the testbed ecosystem by integrating with other technologies:
– RAN, transport, IP, applications, etc.
UTRAN

SGSN
GERAN HSS
S3
S1-MME S6a
MME
PCRF
S12 Rx
S11 Gx
S4
LTE-Uu S10
Serving S5 PDN SGi Operator's IP
UE E-UTRAN Gateway Gateway Services
S1-U (e.g. IMS, PSS etc.)
(From 3GPP TS 23.401)

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OpenEPC as an EPC functional reference (cont.)

 Validation of standards
– Vendor independent implementation
– All features have been demanded and used
– If it’s not there, chances are that you don’t need it

 Identification of weak spots


– E.g. PDN GW handovers not so seamless
– E.g. AAA Server S6b functionality not usable in the current state (TS 29.273)

UTRAN

SGSN
GERAN HSS
S3
S1-MME S6a
MME
PCRF
S12 Rx
S11 Gx
S4
LTE-Uu S10
Serving S5 PDN SGi Operator's IP
UE E-UTRAN Gateway Gateway Services
S1-U (e.g. IMS, PSS etc.)

3GPP TS 23.401 OpenEPC Realization


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Education

 Today students still do not have enough access to Telco technologies


– Never heard of SS7 in school
– IMS is slowly making its way in the curriculum
– The average Telecommunication graduate might know how to design an antenna, but
rarely how IP routing works
– Computer Science/Engineering degrees give you a lot of insight into TCP/IP though
 This hurts also the industry
 NG(M)Ns should be built now for the NGStudents

 OpenEPC offers and independent and extensive implementation of a mobile network


 Empowering students to try their ideas
 Affordable, comprehensive, trouble-free start-up test-bed
 EPC-in-a-bottle + University-wide licensing = low cost/student

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Operators and Service Providers

 Technology field-trials
 Understand & evaluate the new architectures
 Early estimations
 Fast functionality gap-filling

 Trial new service concepts without major investments


– Invest <1% in an independent test-bed
– Major vendors give bigger trials for free, but:
 There are ulterior motives
 You don’t get the sources
 Ensure correctness, feasibility and “charging” method
– E.g. can IPv6 be deployed now?
– E.g. can charging support fair split of costs between subscribers, content/service
providers, advertisers, etc

 Prevent vendor-locking by challenging vendors to export and integrate on standard


reference points

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Openness

 Open = Source code and full control


– For trying new concepts and ideas
– For implementing missing functionality
 Independent, Comprehensive, Flexible

patents
ideas

standards

research pre-products/prototypes
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Hardware and Software Requirements

 OpenEPC is designed to work on COTS hardware


– Standard x86 would do, other platforms also feasible
– Could be optimized for a specific platform

 Running on standard Linux


– Reference setup realized on the most used and most user-friendly distribution today,
Ubuntu Linux
– Other Debian-based distros should be usable out of the box
– With Rel.4 we are adding Fedora Core and other RedHat-based distros
– For the rest, it’s just a matter of extending some installation scripts

 Low memory foot-print, easy on CPU usage


– Typically using Intel® Atom™ small-form-factor, inexpensive systems

 Scalable multi-process architecture


– C-based platform, optional C++ modules

 Using standard libraries, tools and enablers


– MySQL, Apache, PHP, BIND9, …

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Just add Radio, Devices and Applications

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Small-to-Medium Size Operator Network Testbeds

 OpenEPC enables the establishment of small scale networks


– Reduced number of subscribers, reduced number of base stations
– Re-using standard 3GPP radio equipment designed for micro-deployments
– Including all security, efficiency, subscriber oriented characteristics
 Deployment examples:
– Small countries, isolated regions, enterprise networks, specialized networks
– Professional Mobile Radio: security, M2M (energy, gas), trains, logistics, military

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Competence Center NGNI Fraunhofer FOKUS

Trialing Radio Technologies

 OpenEPC provides the network functionality for various radio technologies


– No need for emulations of core network
– Radio technology developers can concentrate on radio technology
 Developing new LTE-A, 3G, and 2G equipment
 Carrier Aggregation
 Separation of Base Band Units from Radio Heads
 …

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Trialing Applications

 Realizing real network conditions in which applications can be


tested
– Mirroring the look-and-feel of network operator
environment
– Reproducible network conditions
– Using multiple access networks
– Can be developed and evaluated over multiple mobile
devices
– Effects of wireless communication can be determined

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OpenEPC at Deutsche Telekom

 Telekom Innovation Laboratories established an OpenEPC testbed at their premises for


enabling the further research in the area of various access technologies, access and
core network energy efficiency, as well as in other innovation areas related to the
Operator Infrastructures for the Future Internet.
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VoLTE

 A cost and effort efficient VoLTE testbed presumes putting together the following
functionality:
– A VoLTE mobile device application – e.g. FOKUS RCS Client for Android
– An LTE capable smartphone
– An LTE Radio Access Network
– OpenEPC core network providing default and dedicated bearers
– Open IMS Core
– (Optional) IMS Application Servers, Session Border Nodes, Media Servers, …

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SRVCC

 A typical OpenEPC testbed setup including VoLTE features


 Integration of CS voice
 A new CS-PS handover module for mobile devices
 CS-PS voice translation SRVCC
AS
 SRVCC AS + specific interfaces CS Voice CS-PS
Translation
A MSC Sp
OpenIMSCore

BTS BSC HSS/SPR


Gb S6d
GPRS Sp Rx
SGSN
S6a
Iu-PS PCRF Charging
CS NodeB RNC System
Voice UMTS MME S4 Gxx Gx Gy/Gz
Stack S11 S12
S1-MME
Mobility CS-PS SGi
Manager Control
eNodeB S1-U S-GW S5/S8 PDN GW
Mobile Phone
LTE
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Emulating LTE over Public Spectrum

 Emulating LTE-Uu – eNodeB simulation with WiFi


– Spectrum-license free
– Full protocols, but no real radio
– Emulating RRC, PDCP, RLC and MAC
– Mobile Station and eNodeB prototypes

LTE-Uu Emulation

WiFi
802.11

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