Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Claudiu Chioariu
Helsinki University of Technology
Seminar on Internetworking 2004, T-110.551
claudiu_chioariu@yahoo.com
Abstract
telecommunication specific technologies, services, and environment collects new challenging problems, especially from
This paper sets out to explore the main challenges the end- the quality of service perspective. Further, this article introto-end quality of service (QoS) poses to the third generation duces the quality of service as seen in the 3G context and
(3G) telecommunication architecture and their solutions. We explains the difference between the classic circuit switched
assume the reader has basic knowledge about the 3G archi- (CS) and the packet switched (PS) approaches. We will contecture, however, the fundamental parts of the network will tinue by providing an overview of the IP and UMTS QoS
be shorly introduced in the context of this paper. We describe architecture and identifying the main challenges QoS puts
the requirements the telecommunication networks have to to the UMTS architecture. Identification of the main probmeet, identify the most important ones and present a criti- lems and their envisaged solutions is the core of our paper.
cal evaluation of the their solutions. A Critical approach! Finally, the conclusions are presented. What is the focus,
What the article does put here! KEYWORDS:
UMTS release, where to put? Many UMTS releases (99,
4, 5, 6) appeared as the work to enhance UMTS continues.
UMTS architecture, as defined by 3GPP release 99, is based
on a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
1 Introduction
Generally, Quality of Service (QoS) is the mechanism insuring that a service can be delivered to the end user in an acceptable time-frame and that the service properties are stable
over time within predefined boundaries. More specifically,
[4] defines QoS a the total outcome of the service performance, measured in terms of speed, accuracy and reliability.
From the network point of view QoS refers to the capability to provide different network services to different network
traffic. Different services translate into different characteristics for the network flows, for example: bandwidth, error
ratio, delay and jitter (delay variation). As such, QoS does
not create additional network resource - it does not create
additional bandwidth for example - but allow for the existing
network resources to be managed in order to provide predictable parameters for network resources
The traditional telecommunication networks (GSM) guarantee a high and fixed QoS by using circuit switching for
real-time applications, which consumes a lot of system capacity. This is due to the fact that a link is reserved for the
entire lifetime of a connection and the capacity is provided
even for times where no data is transferred. On the other
hand, packet switching allow for more efficient use of the
system capacity, user idle time and volume charging policy
[3]. Aslo in terms of packet-loss and packet-delay the packet
switching (PS) is the technology of choice over the radio interface [2]. Finally, packet switching allow for fast development of compelx services thus making the PS the main
evolution area in the telecommunication field.
End-to-end QoS means that the evaluation of the service is
done from the end-user perspective [5]. The end user could
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ments along the path from the sender to the receiver in order
for the resource reservations to be made. IntServ provides an
absolute QoS, admission control and per-flow statistics, but
scalability of the mechanism is a probem. IntServ identifies
three service categories:
From a QoS point of view the UMTS is a network of services. As defined by Third Generation Partnership Project
(3GPP)
UMTS relies on a layered Bearer Service (BS) arAs a best-effort delivery service with no guarantee for inchitecture,
where each layer is using the services of the laydividual packets, IP does not offer any qualities guarantees
ers
below
while
providing its services to the layers above, as
for the applications. Differentiated Services (DiffServ) [7]
shown
in
the
bearer
architecture diagram of Figure. 2 . Acis an IP-based QoS technology which attempts to solve the
cording
to
[9],
a
bearer
service is a service which provides
QoS problems without making any resource reservation for
the
capability
for
data
transmission
between user-network
flow establishment and maintenance. The control is based
access
points.
Each
bearer
service
is
defined using its QoS
on DiffServ Code Point (DSCP) which is contained in the IP
parameters,
which
define
such
things
as
traffic type, bit rates,
header. The DiffServ aware routers perform traffic differenerror
ratio.
tiation according to the DSCPs of the received packets. DiffNetwork elements introduction
Serv routers are not required to keep any state information
The entities involved the the UMTS packet data architecabout the traffic flows, different flows with the same DSCP
ture
which provide QoS services are the following:
value are treated in the same way.
The main advantage of the DiffServ architecture is its simplicity. On the other hand, as all the flows with the same
DSCP value are seen as a single flow with an unique per-hop
behavior (PHB) DiffServ provides just relative QoS, in the
sense that that the QoS for one flow depends on the behavior of other flows. Integrated Services (IntServ) architecture
[8], on the other hand, conveys the application requirements
to the network elements which have to contain QoS mechanisms to insure the promised QoS level. For resource reservation a signaling protocol is used, usually Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP), which transports the QoS require-
The User Equipment (UE) is the UMTS terminal. Mobile Terminal (Mobile Terminal) and Terminal Equipment (TE) are the functional blocks of the UE. MT is
the part which interfaces with the wireless domain, being responsible for handling of radio signals. TE provides the user interaface and the application.
The Radio Access Network (RAN) provides the interface to the core network and can be composed of
Base Stations (the UMTS evolution of the GSM Bast
Transceiver Station) and the Radio Network Controllers
Sjkulla, 2004-04-26/27
(the UMTS evolution of the GSM Base Station Controller). The BSs task is to transmit data over the radio
interface to and from the MT and to interface with the
RNCs.
The Core Network Edge Node (CN Edge Node) provides the interface between the RAN and the packet
switched core assuring session and mobility management.
The CN Gateway connect the PS core network to external networks. It maintains the routing information
necessary to tunnel the packet data between the networks, has mostly functions typicall for gateways in IP
networks.
In order to better control the QoS mechanisms, 3GPP demands application traffic differentiation into a finite number of profiles (four), named classes. The differentiation is
mainly done considering the delay sensitiveness of the information to be carried [5]:
1. Conversational Class: provides as its name implies conversational services. They comprise real-time symmetric services as voice over IP or videotelephon. Human perception of the maximum transfer delay defines
the characteristics of this traffic class. Suggestions exist [12] for a fixed resource allocation in the network
for Conversational Class services. Codec negotiation is
also important, as usage of different codecs by the two
peers will involve time-consuming transcoding [13]. A
codec is an entity used for compressing a specific type
of information (audio, video) into a smaller number of
bits and subsequent retrieval of the original information
with the purpose of raising the efficiency of the transmission.
2. Streamig Class: Comprise typically one-way real-time
services used by a human destination. Examples of this
services include video downloading, news stream, webradio. For this services low delay is not a stringent requirement due to application level buffering in UE and
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UTRAN. The buffering offers to the end user the appearance of a real-time service. Codec usage needs to
be negotiated as for the Conversational class.
3. Interactive Class: Provides an asymmetric non realtime service with more capacity for the downlink than
for the uplink. Interactive Web, database retrieval, are
examples of interactive services. If packet error happens the retransmission increases the delay thus diminishing the QoS; low bit error rate is essential for this
class.
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4. Background Class: Background class services are characterized by the fact that the destination is not expecting the data to arrive within a certain time. Examples
of this services include the background delivery of emails, files, SMS. This class requires to that the packets
should be transmitted with a low bit error rate.
"
descriptor" optimizes the service provided to source with statistical properties, like conversational speech. Signalling indication flags control traffic SDUs in order to perimit higher
priority for control plan application traffic. The other parameters are considered self-explanatory.
Translation parameters and mechanisms - Service difThe mapping of the UMTS Bearer Service Attributes to
ferentiation based on a set of traffic classes needs a sim- the Radio Access Bearer Service Attributes is straight forple and reliable translation mechanism between the dif- ward. Some of the UMTS Bearer Service parameters have
ferent domains involved [figure 1].
the same value for the Radio Access Bearer, for example the
"maximum bit rate", "delivery order", "maximum SDU size"
UMTS QoS Management - The network should be and other have different values, for example "SDU error ramonitored and managed to assure the implementation tion", "transfer delay". The parameters which have the same
of the user agreements. Negotiation and modification value describe the service independently of the network eleof the QoS available from the network should be possi- ment element positioning, there are more generic in nature.
ble.
The parameters which are different are typically evaluated
having the access points as references, and consequently are
End-to-end QoS has two dimensions: a vertical one which
additive. The UMTS Bearer Service SDU error ration reprereferrs to the mapping of high level bearer service attributes
sents the fraction of the lost or erroneous SDUs between the
into lower level bearer service parameters and a horizontal
MT and CNGateway, and is naturally the sum of the SDU erone which implies translation of the QoS attributes and QoS
ror ratios exhibited by the Radio Access Bearer Service and
management mechanism between the domains.
the CN Bearer Service. The "Transfer delay" is also relative
In the context of vertical mapping the paper describes the
to the access point at which is measures, an consequently its
UMTS Bearer Service attributes and reports the extent to
value differs when mapping from the UMTS BS to the lower
which the standards elucidate the mapping towards the unlayers.
derlying bearer services. We will explore proposed mechaWhile, as described before, the Radio Access Bearer Sernisms to map the UMTS service classes to attributes typical
vice attributes are well specified the mapping to the Radio
for IP based bearer services. (stress in the beginning that
Bearer Service is declared [5] to be a task of Radio Acthe focus is on IP, not ATM, not Frame Relay). Horizontal
cess Network Work(ing?) Group Two, but no information
mapping will be illustrated with examples, underlying the
about the specification which defines the Radio Bearer SerUTMS network functional requirements and the means they
vice parameters is provided. However, [15] defines a number
could be fulfilled.
of (radio ) "configurations" which describe the RadioBearer
Attributes, for example maxDat - the number of retransmission after which a SDU will be discarded, inSequenceDeliv3.2 Vertical Mapping
ery, receivingWindowSize. The configurations provide for
Figure 3. 3 presents the UMTS Bearer Service parameters foundation for RadioAccessBearer Service parameters confor each class. The traffic class is itself an attribute [5].
trol. As such, 3gpp does not describe the mapping between
Table 3: UMTS bearer service attributes defined for each the param.
bearer traffic class
The attributes for RAN Access Bearer Service and Core
Service Data Unit (SDU) represents the payload of user Network Bearer Service are not listed, as they depend on
data and the "Delivery order" specifies if the UMTS bearer the transport technology . The operator has the choice of
has to deliver the SDUs in order or not. The Alloca- transport technology and the mapping mechanism. For IP
tion/Retention priority is used to distinguish between bear- RAN Access and CoreNetwork bearer services 3gp maners when allocating or retaining resources. "Source statistics dates the usage of DiffServ as defined by IETF. The map-
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ping is controlled by the operator as it depends on the resource provisioning among different DiffServ classes. The
freedom left to to the operators in mapping the attributes of
the above bearer attributes is justified by the fact that the operators have complete control over their network, and usually the CNEdge Node and the wired part of the RAN typically belong to the same operator. However, if this is not the
case then DiffServ semantics should solve the interoperability challenges.
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3.4 Network level QoS Translation management on the external network interface
[5] does not elaborate the External Bearer Service due to the
diversity of external networks to which the UMTS network
should be able to connect. Instead, it provides ([16], [5] a
functional architecture for the QoS management functions
of the network entities. Inteworking requires interworking
between the QoS UMTS mechanisms and the one of the external IP network, typicall based on IntServ of DiffServ architecture.
FIGURE 5. QoS management functions for UMTS bearer
service in the control plane (picture should be modified).
Each BS Manager controls the corresponding Bearer Service
properties.
Further we describe the control procedures necessary to
assure an application QoS. In the UE the application layer requirements are translated into the IP Bearer Service requirements by using application specifig mechanisms which are
out of the scope of this paper. By using the Translation function the IP BS Manager transates the IP specific QoS mechanisms into the the PDPContext properties. By using the service of the underlying bearer service managers the UMTS
BS Manager sends the PDPContex request to the UMTS BS
Manager serving the Gateway. As the external network is
an IP based network the PDPContext information is translated back into the IP Bearer Service properties using the
Translator functionality residing in the Gateway. The Translator functions need information about mapping between the
UMTS and the external IP QoS.
If the external IP network is DiffServ enabled then the
Tranlator should be connected to a Service Level Agreement (SLA) repository. The SLA is a contract between the
provider of a service (in this case the external IP network)
and the customer (the UMTS network) which specifies the
services offered to the customer. The IntServ equivalent of
the SLA is Trafiic Specification (TSpec).
The "uplink" case, data flowing from the UE to the GGSN,
has been decribed above. The "downlink" case typically
follows ther reverse path. UE is reposnible for controlling
the demanded PDPContext (sent to the Gateway node), but
the finally provided PDPContext could be controlled by the
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other end of the communication did not allocate enough resources in their SLAs The user of the low loaded network
could not distinguish the cause of the service degradation
and he would unfairly penalize his own network.
In the same time, as mentioned in [17] the use of Dense
Wavelight Divison Multiplexing (DWDM) in core networks
relaxes the need for complicated QoS mechanism. Overprovisioning alone, or as part of other mechanisms is also
mentioned in [16] as a possible QoS mechanism. The author endorses the usage of monitored overprovision as a QoS
mechanism. Overprovision of UMTS networks and dedicated interfaces between direct interconnected UMTS networks which do not make use of Translation functions will
improve the overall user experience while abandoning complex and expensive software optimizations for cheap and
readily available hardware.
Gateway node.
The Gateway is required to support DiffServ Edge functions although RSVP functions and service-based local policy enforcement functions are also allowed.
4 Conclusion
As described in [16] the current foucus is on external IP
networks supporting DiffServ interworking with UMTS net- Dont use diffserv. Where are we, alternatives (stressing less
works which contain Gateways with DiffServ Edge function- that in point 4).
ality. DiffServ Edge function comprises classification and
conditioning as supported by the DiffServ boundary nodes
5 Conclusion
[7].
DiffServ defines three classes: expedited forwarding (EF)
[RFC 3246], assured forwarding (AF) [RFC 2597] and best- References
effort. Feng, in [17] endorses a mapping of UMTS Conversational and Streaming classes to EF, as they both should
[1] Bijan Jabbari, Esmael H.Dinan. Performance Analysis
provide hard QoS guarantees, while UMTS Interactive class
of a Multilink Packet Access for Next Generation Wireis mapped to AF and UMTS Background will be offered just
less Cellular Systems. In Personal, Indoor and Mobile
best-effort (BE) type of services.
Radio Communications. The Ninth IEEE International
Some QoS issues in 3g Wireless Networks, mapping beSymposium, Volume: 1, 8-11,Sept. 1998 Pages:131tween UMTS and DiffServ internet.
135
Figure 4
[17] proposes the following mapping: as EF guarantees [2] S.Gruhl, T.Rachidi, A.Echihabi, M.Link, and
M.Sllner.
Real-Time Multimedia Applications
the delay and bandwidth the mapping between EF to Conover
3rd
Generation
Wireless Networks. In IEEE
versational and Streaming is mandatory, and AF. Other proCircuits
and
Systems
Society
Newsletter. Volume 11,
posals [18] match ConversationalClass to EF, Streaming to
Number
3,
Third
Quarter
2000
Pages:16-24
AF4, Interactive to AF3 while Background could be AF2 or
AF1 or just BE.
[3] 3GPP TS 22.060 v6.0.0. Technical Specification Group
The proposed mappings of the UMTS classes to DiffServ
Services and System Aspects; General Packet Radio
framework diminish the level of end-to-end QoS control.
Servivce(GPRS); Service Description, Stage 1
The class maping between the UMTS and DiffServ architecture is artificial leding to unfair distribution of resources:
[4] 3GPP TS 23.107 v6.0.0. Technical Specification Group
in Figure 4, both Conversational and Streaming class will
Services and System Aspects; Quality of Service (QoS)
enjoy actually the same performances, and keeping in hand
concept and architecture
the "relative" nature of the DiffServ mechanisms assuring
the class diferentition, this actually means that the Conversa- [5] Sotirios Maniatis, Constantin Grecas, Iakovos Venieris.
End-to-end Quality of Service Issues Over Next Genertional classes are degraded in the favor of Streaming classes.
ation Mobile Internet. In Communications and VehicuIn the author viewpoint there is a also a principial contradiclar Technology. SCVT-200, Symposium, 19 Oct 2000
tion between UMTS and one of the DiffServ classes: the
Pages:150-154
most demanding UMTS class, the Conversational is sym
metric by nature while DiffServ "[E] architecture provides [6] S.Blacke, D.Black, M.Carlson, E.Davies, Z.Wang,
service differentiation in one direction of traffic flow and
W.Weis. An Architecture for Differentiated Services
is therefore asymmetric" [7]. As a consequence, the QoS
RFC 2475, IETF Network Working Group, December
for each direction will have its own controlling mechanisms,
1998
dictated by the Service Level Agreements (SLA) between
[7] R.Braden, D.Clark, S.Shenker. Integrated Services in
the packet generating network and packet receiving network.
the Internet Architecture: an Overview RFC 1633,
One end-user of a low loaded UMTS network could experiIETF Network Working Group, June 1994
ence low quality services because the UMTS network of the
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