The Alcatel-Lucent Ultimate Wireless Packet Core

Transcription

1 T E C H N O L O G Y W H I T E P A P E R The Alcatel-Lucent Ultimate Wireless Packet Core A converged packet core that supports the bandwidth and capacity crunch of today and the network evolution of tomorrow With mobile broadband data usage growing at a rapid pace, mobile operators are struggling to support the increased bandwidth requirements of these services. Faced with capacity bottlenecks in their existing 2.5G/3G packet cores, operators are confronted with the following choice: Upgrade their existing network infrastructure to a more current Wideband Code Division Multiple Access/High Speed Packet Access (W-CDMA/HSPA+) release or, if spectrum is available, move to a new Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. In either case, it is unlikely that existing 2.5G/3G packet cores can deliver a cost-effective upgrade that meets the more demanding requirements of either HSPA+ or LTE. However, there is a solution that supports both options. The Alcatel-Lucent Ultimate Wireless Packet Core provides a converged, all-ip core that simultaneously supports 2.5G/3G and LTE ensuring that operators have the capacity, bandwidth and performance they need for delivery of HSPA+ today on platforms that are designed for the more stringent requirements of LTE, thus providing for a simple and cost-effective migration in the future.

2 Table of contents 1 The rise of mobile broadband 1 The mobile operator dilemma 2 Solving the dilemma: The Alcatel-Lucent Ultimate Wireless Packet Core Service Router 4 Wireless Mobility Manager Dynamic Services Controller Service Aware Manager 6 Alcatel-Lucent: Depth in network IP transformation 8 Acronyms

3 The rise of mobile broadband The massive explosion in mobile data usage has had a significant impact on mobile operators around the world. While mobile voice revenue has dipped, revenue from data services has increased significantly as people flock to new smartphones, netbooks and their associated mobile broadband services. According to the Global Mobile Suppliers Association s February 2010 GSM/3G Network Update, there are now more than 400 million W-CDMA mobile data subscribers, with an estimated 200+ million of these being HSPA subscriptions offering data download rates of either 3.6 Mb/s or 7.2 Mb/s. Subscriptions for HSPA/HSPA+ data services with rates of 21 Mb/s or 28 Mb/s are expected to steadily grow over the next four years. As the number of mobile data subscriptions and bandwidth continues to climb, so also do the number of applications using the mobile network. There are now over 100,000 applications available in the Apple App Store for the iphone alone and over 100 million iphones deployed worldwide. Not to be outdone, other smart mobile device manufacturers all have opened application stores so that they can capture some of the additional revenue that consumers are willing to spend in personalizing their devices and in receiving new media-rich services. While web browsing remains the most popular data application used on the mobile network today, other more bandwidth-hungry applications like video streaming, file sharing and downloads are gaining popularity. As a result, consumer expectations on what can be done on their mobile network is changing their mobile IP appliance is now always on, and they want any application or service that is provided on their wireline network to be also seamlessly available on their mobile network. This further drives up the need for additional bandwidth to support the applications and increases the number of subscribers who want these services. The mobile operator dilemma This dramatic growth in mobile broadband subscriptions and consumption is not necessarily all good news for mobile operators, as many are struggling to support the increased bandwidth and signaling loads on their existing 2.5G/3G packet core. Though they are deriving a greater proportion of their revenues from data services, the revenues are not keeping pace with the rising cost to deliver and manage these broadband services. This is due in part to the high cost of adding incremental capacity over their existing infrastructure and their inability to effectively insert themselves in the value-chain of applications running over their network. As a result, mobile operators are considering at least two options to address these limitations in their existing packet networks: Either upgrade to a more current Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) release (such as Release 7 or 8 HSPA+) or move quickly to deploy a next-generation LTE network. HSPA is a 3GPP packet data technology that has been widely deployed in over 300 mobile operator networks. Delivering downlink (DL) speeds of 3.1 and 7.2 Mb/s rates, HSPA is the current baseline for data services with a plethora of HSPA-enabled devices. When considering a migration to evolved-hspa (HSPA+), mobile operators are looking to offer higher speed broadband services over existing available spectrum. Through higher order modulation techniques and Multi-Input/Multi- Output (MIMO) antenna technology, DL data rates of 21 Mb/s, 28 Mb/s and even higher are possible. HSPA+ also provides improved battery life and better idle time response with enhanced signaling features. Because of these benefits and its seamless migration from HSPA, many mobile operators are considering HSPA+ as the next upgrade option in their networks. The concern, however, is that the investment in this upgrade may deliver only short-term benefits, as demand for newer and more powerful smart devices, netbooks and other IP-enabled appliances drives up bandwidth beyond even what HSPA+ has to offer. As a result, operators want assurances and investment protection in whatever they deploy today, for HSPA+ will also be fully upgradeable to LTE at a later date. The Alcatel-Lucent Ultimate Wireless Packet Core Technology White Paper 1

4 Alternatively, there are other operators that have the available spectrum and are either trialing or planning to deploy an LTE network in the near future, which allows them to significantly increase capacity while delivering enhanced broadband packet data services over an advanced IP network. With LTE, they will benefit from radio technology improvements such as significantly higher peak and sustained data rates, better spectral efficiency, lower latencies and more flexible bandwidth allocation options. The overall LTE network architecture is a flatter, all-ip network improving beyond the 3GPP Releases 7 and 8 evolved HSPA standards with a significant change in the packet core. The Evolved Packet Core (EPC) differs from an existing 2.5G/3G packet core, featuring a more distributed packet core architecture which separates the control and data planes into independent functional elements. This provides both scalability and network design flexibility, and delivering only the specific control or user plane resources when and where they are needed. While LTE has obvious advantages and is the wireless technology of choice going forward, these same LTE early adopters also want to ensure that the EPC network elements they deploy today are interoperable with their existing network and can also provide the necessary packet core 2.5G/3G features and functions so that their older packet core network can eventually be replaced. Regardless of the network migration path chosen, mobile operators are ultimately looking for network solutions that help them reduce costs, increase revenues by enabling new business models, and simplify their operations by providing management and diagnostic tools that give them an end-to-end IP view of the network and the performance of individual services. The mobile packet core is a strategic infrastructure investment that is critical to the future success of the mobile operator, no matter which option is chosen. Solving the dilemma: The Alcatel-Lucent Ultimate Wireless Packet Core Alcatel-Lucent Ultimate Wireless Packet Core solves the investment dilemma facing mobile operators today by providing them with a single, converged mobile packet core that supports both LTE EPC and 3GPP packet core functionality. The result is a service-aware, all-ip core network that simultaneously addresses the immediate requirements for delivery of W-CDMA/HSPA+ services as well as the more stringent control and data plane requirements of LTE. By offering mobile operators the flexibility to support mobile broadband services using any 3GPP radio access technology (GERAN, UTRAN, E-UTRAN), the Ultimate Wireless Packet Core gives operators a scalable, high performance 3GPP core to address existing capacity constraints and provides the flexibility to migrate to LTE at their own pace while reducing overall packet core capital investment. Based on Alcatel-Lucent high performance, purpose-built LTE EPC, the Ultimate Wireless Packet Core (as shown in Figure 1) transforms the EPC network elements by adding Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) functions to the 7750 Service Router (SR) mobile gateways and by introducing the new Wireless Mobility Manager (WMM) an evolved Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) that can be upgraded to become a Mobility Management Entity (MME). The entire packet core is managed by the 5620 Service Aware Manager (SAM). Each element in the Alcatel-Lucent Ultimate Wireless Packet Core is purpose-built and optimized to support specific functions: Combined EPC gateway and 2.5G/3G GGSN functions are delivered through a field-proven, industry-leading, service-aware IP/MPLS routing platform, which provides advanced per service data flow quality of service (QoS), 10GigE line rate packet inspection and packet processing, and unparalleled scalability and throughput capacity. LTE and 2.5G/3G packet core control plane functions are realized through an in-house optimized Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (ATCA) platform with scalable, high performance processing hardware and mobility management software that enables a combined SGSN/MME. 2 The Alcatel-Lucent Ultimate Wireless Packet Core Technology White Paper

5 The same ATCA platform is used to deliver advanced policy control functions, thus enabling new business models, subscriber personalization and new revenue streams. Operations, administration and maintenance (OAM) and management planes are supported with a common IP service-aware, end-to-end network management. Figure 1. Alcatel-Lucent Ultimate Wireless Packet Core converged network 2G/3G and LTE Wireless IP Transformation All-IP packet core, access and backhaul transport, policy control and end-to-end network management GSM/GPRS EDGE W-CDMA HSPA/HSPA+ LTE BTS/NodeB/ Cell site Ethernet/ enodeb BTS, NodeB, access Cell sitempls/ enodeb access Transport SGW SGSN/MME PCRF PGW/GGSN IMS Access and backhaul Ultimate Wireless Packet Core IP/MPLS core Web 2.0+ Converged IP Network Management and OAM 7750 Service Router Already field-proven in large-scale IP/MPLS service provider networks more than 43,000 units have been deployed in over 300+ customer networks in a variety of applications (including multiservice edge, IPTV triple play, IP-VPN, backbone and mobile backhaul networks) the Alcatel-Lucent 7750 SR can be configured as a mobile gateway to support GGSN functions, Signaling Gateway (SGW) and the Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN-GW) on the same platform. As a 2.5G/3G GGSN, the 7750 SR delivers the greater capacity, throughput and performance needed for W-CDMA/HSPA+, as well as the more demanding bearer plane requirements of an EPC gateway. It provides advanced hierarchical quality of service (H-QoS) capabilities (which ensures QoS treatment at a per service data flow (SDF) level), and performs the policy and charging enforcement function (PCEF) when supporting flow-based charging to online and offline billing systems. When a new or upgraded packet core is required, the 7750 SR mobile gateway can be initially configured as an advanced GGSN/PGW in an existing 3GPP (pre-release 8) packet core network, delivering the increased bearer plane throughput, packet data protocol (PDP) contexts scalability, QoS, and billing and charging functions in support of both EDGE and HSPA+ networks. As the network migrates to LTE, the same 7750 SR gateway can then be reconfigured to provide more PGW capabilities. By providing a single IP anchor for all data services, mobile operators are given the flexibility to migrate to LTE at their own pace while reducing their packet core investment. For operators going directly to LTE, the 7750 SR provides a high performance platform that meets the stringent set of 3GPP Release 8 bearer plane specifications for EPC gateways. It can be configured either as an SGW or PDN-GW using the same hardware as the GGSN, giving mobile operators flexibility in designing their packet core networks while reducing their capital investment. The Alcatel-Lucent Ultimate Wireless Packet Core Technology White Paper 3

6 7750 SR: BENEFITS AND ADVANTAGES Enables reduced costs and operational efficiencies with its ability to be used as a security gateway, backhaul aggregation or backbone router Delivers high performance line-rate packet inspection for lawful intercept and per subscriber/per application specialized treatment Provides fine grain, per service data flow H-QoS and policy enforcement for differentiated service treatment, billing and charging Features mobile gateway hardware that can be flexibly configured to support 2.5G/3G and LTE bearer plane requirements Wireless Mobility Manager Based on the field-proven Alcatel-Lucent ATCAv2 hardware platform, the new Alcatel-Lucent WMM is an enhanced SGSN that significantly improves the performance of the current SGSNs by offering higher mobile subscriber capacity, bearer contexts and data throughput. The flexible design of the WMM and its high performance processing capabilities provide dynamic and independently scalable 2.5G/3G or LTE mobility and session management. This gives mobile operators the flexibility to address the increased signaling, mobility management and control requirements for 3G/HSPA+ network renovations and/or expansions or LTE services on the same system. The WMM utilizes the most current generation of high performance network processor blades, enabling it to not only meet the stringent signaling and control plane requirements of LTE, but also to support the increased bearer capacity and throughput requirements that are necessary when initially deployed as a 2.5G/3G SGSN for HSPA+ projects. In addition, the WMM provides mobile operators with key SGSN feature enhancements that enable additional service revenue opportunities, increased IP address scaling, and improved network reliability, monitoring and security. For mobile operators looking to immediately deploy an LTE overlay network, the Alcatel-Lucent WMM can be seamlessly configured as the MME. The WMM, configured as an MME, is the centralized nodal element performing the signaling and control functions that manage the User Equipment/Application Terminal (UE/AT) access to network connections and the assignment of network resources, while maintaining mobility management state to support tracking, paging, roaming and handovers. The WMM also performs selection of the EPC gateways, the signaling to the GSNs for handovers in 2.5G/3G networks, and the management control functions to establish the bearer paths used by the UE/ATs. The WMM is designed for high volume computing and performance, and to support the signaling load and direct control plane management of thousands of enodebs. Its software code is based on field-proven assets used in over 350 wireless network deployments across all radio technologies. WMM: BENEFITS AND ADVANTAGES Enables flexible configuration and independent scaling of SGSN and MME functions Lowers operating costs with a common ATCAv2 chassis used across the packet core and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Provides market-leading per chassis capacity throughput, mobile subscription attachments, and PDP-context scaling Minimizes signaling loads with ISR Idle Mode Signalling Reduction Delivers enhanced paging techniques to minimize UE location attempts and improve battery life Optimizes cell and device performance through the use of sophisticated performance analysis tools 4 The Alcatel-Lucent Ultimate Wireless Packet Core Technology White Paper

7 5780 Dynamic Services Controller The Alcatel-Lucent 5780 Dynamic Services Controller (DSC) is a purpose-built, 3GPP-compliant Policy Charging and Rules Function (PCRF) network element that dynamically adjusts network resources and QoS of individual subscriber services for better use of infrastructure assets. It provides authorization during user equipment attachment to the network and the dynamic session management for LTE (Release 8) and EDGE/HSPA networks. Based on the 3GPP policy and charging control (PCC) architecture that controls the attributes and parameters of the service delivery across the EPC, the 5780 DSC acts as a service policy gateway for the network, receiving all service/application requests initiated either by the service layer or by the network. It matches these requests against subscription profiles, performs the authorization and negotiation of service attributes (such as bandwidth and QoS), and enforces them through PCC rules that are enforced by the SGW/PDN-GW. The 5780 DSC also defines the charging attributes, allowing the PDN-GW to authorize service usage with the credit control system and subscriber usage to the charging system. The 5780 DSC utilizes the same ATCAv2 chassis as the WMM, providing a common control plane platform across the Ultimate Wireless Packet Core DSC: BENEFITS AND ADVANTAGES Enables customized data plans that create value for the subscriber and generates new streams of revenue Monetizes network resources by creating new business models with application and content providers Optimizes network resources through flexible per subscriber/per application/per cell site congestion control techniques Enables personalized choice for their valued subscribers with guaranteed performance A carrier-grade platform offering exceptional reliability, performance and scalability, with no single point of failure Designed with a future-proof path that supports the convergence of wireless and wireline networks 5620 Service Aware Manager The Alcatel-Lucent 5620 SAM enables integrated element, network and service-aware management of the products not only within the Ultimate Wireless Packet Core, but it also extends out to the cell site (enodeb), providing operators with an end-to-end IP management within the e-utran, backhaul and core networks. The 5620 SAM manages both the mobile layer (bearers, QoS of traffic flows, GTP/PMIP tunnels) and the underlying transport layer attributes (bandwidth, pseudowires, LSPs) to provide cross-layer coordination and correlation. The 5620 SAM also features enhanced advanced monitoring and service assurance capabilities to simplify the management of IP/MPLS-based networks. In particular, its automated troubleshooting functionality integrates physical, network routing and service topologies to simplify the process of fault isolation, minimizing service interruptions and reducing the possibility of human error. Through a powerful, standards-based Operatons Support System (OSS) interface, the 5620 SAM provides open, standards-based interfaces that easily adapt to their existing OSS environments for faster and more cost-effective integration. The Alcatel-Lucent Ultimate Wireless Packet Core Technology White Paper 5

8 To further enhance their service assurance capabilities, mobile operators can deploy the 5620 SAM along with the Alcatel-Lucent 5650 Control Plane Assurance Manager (CPAM), which enables operators to proactively assure network and service availability against control plane misconfigurations, malfunctions and undetected routing updates. The 5650 CPAM offers real-time control plane visualization, proactive control plane surveillance, configuration validation and control plane diagnosis. In addition, by seamlessly integrating with the 5620 SAM, the Alcatel-Lucent 5650 CPAM gives carriers unprecedented manageability by unifying service, routing, MPLS and physical infrastructure management SAM: BENEFITS AND ADVANTAGES Integrated end-to-end management of all components of the UWPC Application and service-aware network management Comprehensive provisioning and fault management capabilities Unique integrated route analytics capability for control plane management Standard northbound OSS interfaces and certification of interoperability with leading OSS applications reduce the cost, time and risk of integration into back office systems UTRAN UMTS, HSPA WMM SGSN/MME 5780 DSC PCRF E-UTRAN LTE 7750 SR SGW Ultimate Wireless Packet Core 7750 SR PGW/GGSN Mobile backhaul GERAN GPRS, EDGE 5620 SAM OSS/BSS integration Alcatel-Lucent: Depth in network IP transformation Alcatel-Lucent has extensive experience in wireless network IP transformation and integration, offering an end-to-end solution with with Radio Access Network (RAN), backhaul transport and packet core products, services and support that provides mobile operators with a single-vendor, one-stop 3GPP network. A market leader in service-aware IP networking and recognized for its wireless radio expertise, Alcatel-Lucent is a desirable partner for mobile operators looking to upgrade their existing packet core infrastructure or to quickly deploy LTE. 6 The Alcatel-Lucent Ultimate Wireless Packet Core Technology White Paper

9 As shown in Figure 2, the Alcatel-Lucent end-to-end wireless solution strengths include: Service routing (the 7750 SR has been deployed in more than 300 customer networks, including multiservice edge, IPTV triple play, IP-VPN, backbone and mobile backhaul networks) Global leadership in designing and building large-scale IPTV triple play networks (more than 55 TPSDA deployments worldwide with over 5 million IPTV subscribers) IP network policy management expertise with over 25 customer deployments An end-to-end LTE solution that includes comprehensive testing and integration of marketleading IP and wireless products and experience Extensive experience in completing the mobile operators IP network transformations, including IP backhaul and transport through Mobile Evolution Transport Architecture (META) and IMS solutions Expertise in all radio technologies, including CDMA/EVDO, GSM/EDGE, W-CDMA/HSPA and WiMAX networks (having been deployed in over 350 wireless networks) A full range of professional services to assist mobile operators in designing, engineering, managing and supporting the renovations, expansions and the migrations of their network The Alcatel-Lucent Ultimate Wireless Packet Core effectively meets the challenges faced by mobile operators by providing them with support for all 3GPP radio network technologies today, while allowing them to seamlessly and cost-effectively upgrade to a backward-compatible LTE network when they are ready. Figure 2. Alcatel-Lucent Ultimate Wireless Packet Core summary 350+ networks worldwide across all radio technologies Mobility Management Service-aware IP Network Management 270+ service providers networks WMM SGSN/MME 5780 DSC PCRF 7750 SR SGW Ultimate Wireless Packet Core 7750 SR SGW 40,000+ service routers in 300+ customers worldwide Service-aware IP Routing 5620 SAM (NMS) Policy Management 25+ customer deployments The Alcatel-Lucent Ultimate Wireless Packet Core Technology White Paper 7

10 Acronyms 3GPP ATCA CDMA CPAM DSC EDGE EPC E-UTRAN GGSN GPRS GSM GSN GTP H-QoS HSPA IMS ISR LSP LTE META MIMO MME MPLS OAM OSS PCC PCRF PDN-GW PDP PMIP QoS RAN SAE SAM SDF SGSN SGW SR TPSDA UE/AT UMTS VPN W-CDMA WMM Third Generation Partnership Project Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture Code Division Multiple Access Control Plane Assurance Manager Dynamic Services Controller Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution Evolved Packet Core Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network Gateway GPRS Support Node General Packet Radio Service Global System for Mobile Communications GPRS Support Node GPRS Tunneling Protocol Hierarchical Quality of Service High Speed Packet Access IP Multimedia Subsystem Idle Mode Signalling Reduction Label Switched Path Long Term Evolution Mobile Evolution Transport Architecture Multi-Input/Multi-Output Mobility Management Entity Multi-Protocol Label Switching Operations, Administration and Maintenance Operations Support System Policy and Charging Control Policy and Charging Rules Function Packet Data Network Gateway Packet Data Protocol Proxy Mobile IP Quality of Service Radio Access Network Service Architecture Evolution Service Aware Manager Service Data Flow Serving GPRS Support Node Signaling Gateway Service Router Triple Play Service Delivery Architecture User Equipment/Application Terminal Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Virtual Private Network Wideband Code Division Multiple Access Wireless Mobility Manager 8 The Alcatel-Lucent Ultimate Wireless Packet Core Technology White Paper

11 Alcatel, Lucent, Alcatel-Lucent and the Alcatel-Lucent logo are trademarks of Alcatel-Lucent. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The information presented is subject to change without notice. Alcatel-Lucent assumes no responsibility for inaccuracies contained herein. Copyright 2010 Alcatel-Lucent. All rights reserved. CPG (04)