UMTS NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

RAN CN
Radio Access Network Core Network

GSM BSS CS Domain

Entities common External

to the CS & PS Domain Networks

UE UTRAN
PS Domain

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 UMTS NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
GSM BSS CS Domain
PSTN
BTS
T MSC /
B R
VLR GMSC
A IWF/ ISDN
S U TC
BTS C
EIR HLR AUC
UTRAN
Node B R X.25
(n x BTS)
UE N
Node B C SGSN GGSN IP
(n x BTS)

PS
R Domain
Node B
(n x BTS) N
C

UMTS NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

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 1-Core Network Domain

Structure of the CN.

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 1-Core Network Domain
Circuit Switching Domain
MSC Function

Signaling switching and call routing to or from MS.

Charging.

Control of connected RNC’s.

One MSC controls more than one RNC.

GMSC Function

Access to PSTN.

Provides the gateway functionality/Interface
to other networks.

1-Core Network Domain

Circuit Switching Domain
VLR Function

Associated with MSC

Subscriber Management in MSC area.

Authentication co-ordination.

VLR Data.
A temp data base that holding the following information

Services available and restrictions.

Temp subscriber information.
TMSI; LAI; triples2.etc. MSC/VLR
The VLR hold these data for the subscriber included in the
MSC area only.

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 1-Core Network Domain
Circuit Switching Domain

Supercharger
• Large database

• Periodic Auditing

• Dynamic subscription data deletation

1-Core Network Domain

Circuit Switching Domain

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

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

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 1-Core Network Domain
Circuit Switching Domain

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

• Interworking: TDM ↔ ATM

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

1-Core Network Domain

Circuit Switching Domain
ATM “Asynchronous Transfer Mode”

• cell-based switching technique

if small: high header-to-data overhead

if large: low utilization for small messages

• ATM exposes properties from both circuit switched and small packet switched
networking

• ATM is a core protocol used over the SONET/SDH backbone

• ATM uses a connection-oriented model and establishes a virtual circuit between

two endpoints before the actual data exchange begins
• Special switches and routers which is faster can be used as we use fixed length

5 48

Cell = 53 Byte

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 1-Core Network Domain
Register and Service domain
HLR Function
The HLR is a centralized (unique) network database that stores
and manages all mobile subscriptions.

IMSI, MSISDN

Services subscribed

Service restrictions (e.g. roaming restrictions)

Parameters for additional services

Authentication data

Temporary information

Current VLR address

Current MSC address

MSRN (if user outside PLMN)

1-Core Network Domain

Register and Service domain
Authentication
- It is a processor system that performs the authentication function

AUC

IMSI
Ki
Database
RAND IMSI,Ki Request for Triplet
from HLR,VLR
A3 A8

Triplet
RAND SRES Kc
Triplet

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 1-Core Network Domain
Register and Service domain

M HLR/AUC
S
IMSI
Ki RAND Ki

A3 A3
SRES

SRES VL
R
SRES

=? Continue
Yes ciphering
“Authentication Refused" No
message

1-Core Network Domain

Register and Service domain

Authentication Center AUC

A Key of 128 bit is used

K One way
Function X
RAND

For a try to take 1usec it needs

10790283070806014188970529.15499 year to get K

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 Authentication Vector AV
• consisting of 3 parts
Used for user Used for data Used for • Used for network
randomly generated,
authentication
i.e. non-predictable authentication encryption integrity check

RAND XRES CK IK AUTN

Random Number Expected Response Cipher Key Integrity Key Authentication Token
128 bit F2 F4 F3 F1+F5

USIM VLR / SGSN

Authentication Request
• generate RES(i) = [RAND(i), AUTN(i)]
f2(RAND(i),K) Authentication Response User Authentication:
• AUTN(i) for [RES(i)] Compare
Network Authentication XRES(i) & RES(i)

Data Integrity Check

Basic Principle

provides security against:

• unauthorised modification of control data
• change of data origin

Transmitter Receiver
Encrypted Encrypted
Control Data Control
Control
Data Data
check sum check sum

check sum
IK dependent Generator IK
check sum generator IK F9
F9
Equal?
Expected Encrypted
check sum check sum

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 1-Core Network Domain
Register and Service domain
USSD “Unstructured
“Unstructured Supplementary Service Data” Gateway

•USSD is generally associated with real-time

or instant messaging type phone services.

•SMSC is not present in the processing

path).

A USSD Gateway routes USSD messages

from the signaling network to service
applications and back

Media Gateway

Media gateway server.

server.

This translates media traffic between different

types of network.

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 1-Core Network Domain
Register and Service domain
Other nodes for the register domain.

EIR: equipment identity register.

IN: intelligent network.

SMSC: short message service center.

1-Core Network Domain

Packet switching domain
SGSN Function

Forwards incoming and outgoing IP packets addressed
to/from a mobile station that is attached within the SGSN
service area.

Provides packet routing and transfer to and from the
SGSN service area.

Ciphering and authentication

Mobility management

Output of billing data.

SGSN

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 1-Core Network Domain
Packet switching domain

GGSN Function

The interface towards the external IP
packet networks.

Acts as a router

Address mapping

Tunneling

Output of billing data.

2. Access Network Domain

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 2-Acess Network
RNC function
Function of the RNC.

Control several node Bs/ interface with the core network (MSC/SGSN).

Radio resources management.

Admission (access) and congestion control.

Handover and power control (outer loop).

Ciphering/deciphering.

2-Acess Network
Node B function
Function of the Node B.

Contains the RF equipment that provide
the radio link in the air interface.

More intelligent than BTS.

Perform spreading/dispreading, channel
coding, also responsible of a part of the
power control (inner loop).

Records and passes to the RNC the Signal
strength measurements

Mapping of Transport channels into
physical channels

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 2-Acess Network
Node B function

2-Acess Network
Node B function

Quite widely referred to as the driver receiver (DRX). Basically does transmission
and reception of signals

Amplifies the signal from DRX for transmission through antenna; may be integrated
with DRX.

Combines feeds from several DRXs so that they could be sent out through a single
antenna.

For separating sending and receiving signals to/from antenna.

This is also considered a part of the BTS.

Collects working status alarms of various units in the BTS and extends them to
(O&M)

Frequency hopping, signal DSP, etc..

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 2-Acess Network
Node B function

Cell’s Types

Pico Cell Micro & Macro Repeater Cells

Cells

Indoor Street Level Outdoor Indoor

Roof Top COW Green Field

Stup tower Poles Tower Monopole

2-Acess Network
Node B function

Outdoor repeater:

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 2-Acess Network
Node B function

Indoor repeater:

2-Acess Network
Node B function

Green filed:

Equipment
Equipment

Antennas
Antennas

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 2-Acess Network
Node B function

• Roof top:

Antennas

2-Acess Network
Node B function

• COW (Cell on Wheels):

Used as a temporary solution to provide

Coverage or Capacity for certain duration
(Events).

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 2-Acess Network
Node B function

• Street level:

2-Acess Network
Node B function

• Indoor:

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 3- User Equipment domain

Function of the User Equipment domain .

The end user node; that provide the services/application to the users.

The new generation of UMTS phones will combine the advantages of
wireless communication with the demand for multimedia applications

Consists of.

User Terminal.

UMTS Subscriber Identity Module (USIM)

UE

3- User Equipment domain

User Terminal
Multimode user equipment

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 3- User Equipment domain
User Terminal
USIM function.

Stores user addresses

IMSI,TIMSI, rooming, etc
Authentication and encryption features

subscriber’s secret authentication key (Ki and K)

Security Algorithm & Keys (for Authentication, Ciphering,..).
Personalization

SIM stores user profile (subscribed services)

SMS, short numbers, etc

Protection codes PIN ,PUK

Vodafone Coverage

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Mobinil 3G Coverage

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