Release 9.1 The (VMM) performs the 3GPP mobility and session management control functions in the evolved packet core (EPC) network. The VMM delivers the deployment flexibility, reliability, high performance and scale needed to meet growing network signaling loads. The VMM draws on the field-proven Nokia 9471 Wireless Mobility Manager (WMM) as a common software code base that is network functions virtualization (NFV) design-optimized. It runs on commercial x86-based hardware server platforms. This common software feature set together with a seamless management and operations model enables mobile network operators (MNOs) to transition to NFV and software-defined networking (SDN) at their own pace. VMM features Deployment flexibility The VMM offers a range of configuration options to support the specific needs of each MNO. Subscriber and bandwidth capacity can be scaled rapidly and flexibly as service demands increase or change. The VMM software applications perform the following network functions: Mobility Management Entity (MME) Serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Node (SGSN) These virtualized applications can be deployed as separate network functions (MME or SGSN) or as combined network functions. The VMM delivers an enhanced 3GPP-compliant software feature set. Unique capabilities such as smart paging and tracking area management reduce control plane network signaling. The VMM also brings the benefits of NFV, providing flexible configurations and scalable virtual machines (VMs) to support an expanded range of services including mission-critical and disaster recovery for government, public safety and military, and machineto-machine and industrial communications for energy, transportation and mining companies. All VMM software applications run on any NFV infrastructure and are designed and optimized to operate in any open, multivendor NFV/SDN environment. This openness gives MNOs the freedom to select the supplier of choice for each domain. 1 Data Sheet
High performance and scalability The VMM is designed to provide exceptional performance and elastic scalability beyond the physical limits of a chassis in a dedicated hardware platform. Advanced software design and capabilities leverage technologies such as multi-threaded processing with multi-core CPUs to maximize performance and a native 64-bit operating system (OS) to maximize the access to multi-core memory. Nokia has partnered with Intel to collaborate on product development and the advancement of NFV. The VMM delivers excellent data plane performance on x86 platforms with virtual I/O (VIRTIO) devices and Intel s Data Plane Development Kit (DPDK). Other available advanced packet-processing techniques using Single-Root I/O Virtualization (SR- IOV) further improve throughput performance. Taking advantage of NFV, the VMM can flexibly scale to support a changing mix of call-processing and data plane VM resources. The mobility management VM can scale out by adding more VMs to support increasing signaling and call processing. Similarly, data plane capacity can be scaled by adding more packet processing VMs to support increasing user plane traffic. As subscriber growth patterns and traffic models change, the VMM can adjust call-processing and data-plane resources accordingly. VMM architecture The VMM virtual machine (VM) architecture is shown in Figure 1. Operations, Administration and Maintenance VM (OAM VM) - Provides the system configuration and system assurance of the VMM. It performs the alarm and performance monitoring of the VMM and overall virtual network functions (VNF) system control. The OAM VM also provides the external interface of the VMM to the operator s management network. It supports: NETCONF, SNMP, Telnet, SSH and CLI. Mobility Interface VM (MIF VM) - Distributes the user equipment (UE) call processing load across the Mobility Manager VMs and performs UE paging. The MIF VM supports 3GPP interface terminations for 2G/3G/Long Term Evolution (LTE) applications (S1AP, GTP, Diameter, M3UA). Mobility Packet Handler (MPH VM) Supports the external network interfaces for the VMM and terminates the signalling transport layers (SCTP, UDP and TCP). Mobility Manager VM (MM VM) - Hosts the MME and SGSN services and performs the 2G, 3G and 4G Control Plane Handling functions. It also performs the 3GPP mobility and session management and provides the 2G data forwarding functions. Packet Forwarding VM (PF VM) Provides the 3G bearer packet processing and forwarding. Reliability and resiliency The VMM leverages its field-proven carrier-class software, designed to support full VM 1+1 stateful redundancy, fault monitoring and recovery, In- Service Software Upgrades (ISSUs), and overload protection. Coupled with geo-redundancy, intraand inter-system load balancing and 3GPP network pooling capabilities, the VMM enables reliability and availability levels not easily achieved in IT/cloud networking environments (greater than 99.999%). With these features, the VMM supports the upgrade of an existing hardware-based MME or SGSN to NFV without compromising reliability or resiliency. 2 Data Sheet
Comprehensive NFV/SDN portfolio Nokia offers a broad NFV/SDN portfolio that combines the industry-leading CloudBand NFV platform and Nuage Networks Virtualized Services Platform for SDN with a broad ecosystem of cloud partners, providing MNOs with a complete, fully integrated NFV/ SDN virtualized Evolved Packet Core (vepc) solution. The combined solution provides smart multi-layer Figure 1. Virtualized Mobility Manager distributed architecture VMM monitoring and alarming and correlated events allowing the 5620 SAM to trigger scaling and other VNF management actions. CloudBand also enables the automated management of a geo-distributed NFV infrastructure with coherent policies. This gives MNOs the ability to quickly deploy the VMM while reducing the network integration support and interoperability risks in a multivendor environment. NFV management and orchestration Scale up Scale up Scale up Scale up Scale up Scale up Scale up Scale up Sync Scale Scale OAM OAM MPH MIF MM MM PF PF out out Inter VM communication (control, management, data) NFV compute and network infrastructure Service-aware management The VMM is managed by the Nokia 5620 Service Aware Manager (SAM), the same network management system (NMS) that manages the 9471 WMM and the Nokia IP Mobile Core network. 5620 SAM provides the Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance and Security management (FCAPS) capabilities for the VMM network functions. It also is the Virtualized Network Function Manager (VNFM) for the Nokia vepc solution, providing life-cycle management of underlying VMM VMs. The 5620 SAM VNFM is an optional component that can be deployed as a standalone fucntion or integrated with the 5620 SAM. Alternatively, the VMM can be orchestrated and managed with any OpenStack open source based NFV software and OpenFlow SDN controller software. This gives MNO/MSOs complete flexibility to select the vendor of choice for their NFV/SDN environment. Network functions overview The VMM supports the MME and SGSN functions and interfaces as shown in Figure 2. 3 Data Sheet
Figure 2. Virtualized Mobility Manager in 3GPP core network MSC-S/VLR HSS UTRAN/ GERAN BSC/RNC Gb/IuPS SGs/Gs S6ad/Gr S102 ernc S2a ehrpd/cdma HSGW S16 S10 MME/SGSN Gx PCRF OFCS S1-MME S11 S4 Gn/Gp S12 Rf/Ga OCS Gy e-utran S1-U SGW S5/S8 PGW/GGSN Gi/SGi Packet data network: IMS, VoLTE, Internet Non-3GPP trusted/untrusted access (Wi-Fi) epdg/twag S2a/S2b = VMM Virtualized Mobility Manager (MME, SGSN, MME/SGSN) As an MME and/or SGSN (Gn/S4-SGSN), the VMM performs mobility and session management functions in a 2G/3G and/or 4G network: Manages UE/MT registration, authentication, mobility and charging Manages UE bearer setup and management for data and Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services Manages UE Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context/ bearer setup and management for data services Supports Inter-Radio Access Technology (I-RAT) handovers between and within LTE and 2G/3G 3GPP networks and non-3gpp networks to provide and maintain UE services as users move about the network Feature highlights 3GPP-compliant MME and/or SGSN deployed in large-scale 2G/3G/LTE networks Support for 2G/3G/4G core convergence with a common SGSN/MME visitor location register (VLR) Increased PDP context/bearer scaling and system capacity with the addition of VMs 4 Data Sheet
MME and/or SGSN pooling across physical and virtualized MMEs and SGSNs Subscriber load-balancing across call processing VMs Smart paging and tracking area management Advanced UE session restoration procedures to preserve IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) subscriber services Unique LTE network analytics tool that provides per-device, per call measurement data (PCMD) records Benefits Field-proven software de-risks deployments and reduces the potential for network outages and signaling storms Converged MME/SGSN simplifies network design and reduces network signaling Horizontal scaling of call-processing VMs to support the expansion of macro, metro and small cell networks Distributed load prevents network- and functional-level congestion and overload conditions Reduces network signaling loads and improves UE battery life Keeps services up and running without customer impact Maintains customer service satisfaction and reduces churn Per Call Measurement Data (PCMD) provides advanced user and network troubleshooting capabilities and reduces network drive testing Ordering information To create one pool of VMMs, each instance of the VMM requires one Application Software License (ASL). Additional ASLs are required to license the VMMs in the pool to scale to support MME and/or SGSN subscribers. For ordering questions, contact your Nokia sales representative. Technical specifications Standards and protocols 3GPP standards TS 23.003 TS 24.171 TS 24.301 TS 29.274 TS 29.280 TS 36.414 TS 36.444 TS 23.007 TS 29.060 TS 29.303 IETF standards TS 23.216 TS 29.118 TS 32.426 RFC 1034 (DNS) TS 23.271 TS 29.168 TS 33.107 RFC 1035 (DNS) TS 23.246 TS 29.171 TS 33.401 RFC 4960 (SCTP) TS 23.272 TS 29.172 TS 36.412 RFC 6241 (NETCONF) TS 23.401 TS 29.280 TS 36.413 RFC 6733 (Diameter) 5 Data Sheet
VMM qualified specifications The NFV infrastructure specifications for the VMM vary based on the engineering required to support the necessary configuration and number of subscribers. NFV infrastructure requirements Host OS: OpenStack Juno/KVM Learn more For more information about the Nokia VMM product, please visit: www.alcatel-lucent.com/products/virtualized-mobility-manager Packet Acceleration: VIRTIO or SR-IOV and Intel 82599 NIC drivers Intel Virtualization Technology (VT)/Hyper- Threading NFV infrastructure recommendations No VM over-subscription Host OS: Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 6.5 Nokia is a registered trademark of Nokia Corporation. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks or trade names of their respective owners. Nokia Oyj Karaportti 3 FI-02610 Espoo Finland Tel. +358 (0) 10 44 88 000 Product code: PR1507012783EN 6 Nokia 2016 Data nokia.com Sheet