IP QoS in LTE/EPS and HSPA

IP QoS in LTE/EPS and HSPA

This course describes how LTE/EPS and HSPA networks support QoS for various IP-based services from terminal (UE) to Gateway (GGSN/PGW). The course defines and describes QoS concepts and parameters, and examines how QoS is achieved end-to-end and in various parts of the network, such as Radio QoS, Backhaul QoS and Core Network QoS. It also outlines general IP QoS mechanisms and solutions such as Diffserv and MPLS.

The course accounts for 3GPP-style PCC (Policy and Charging Control) and how high-level QoS parameters, derived from e,g. service level signalling, are implemented in the network nodes such as GGSN/PGW, SGSN/SGW and RNC/NB/eNB. The mapping of service- or subscriber related QoS parameters to Bearer level QoS for PDP Contexts or EPS Bearers are examined.

PREREQUISITES:
General telecom and IP knowledge is strongly recommended. For background knowledge, the Apis’ course TCP/IP in Mobile Networks is recommended.

Note: the course is under development and the content is subject to changes.

Introduction/Overview
•    Network architecture
•    UMTS/HSPA nodes and interfaces
•    LTE/EPS nodes and interfaces (E-UTRAN and EPC)
•    Basic terminology and concepts: Sessions, PDN Connections, PDP Contexts, EPS Bearers, Service Data Flows etc
•    What do we mean with QoS? (scope of the course)

Service Setup Scenarios
•    QoS handling and Bearer Management models for
o    Internet-based services
o    IMS-based services
•    Story cases used during the course

IP QoS – General
•    QoS support in the IP header
•    IP QoS concepts: Classification, Queuing, Scheduling, Shaping, Filtering, Dropping, Admission Control, etc
•    Leaky Bucket and Token Bucket
•    Traffic Engineering and Planning

Policy and Charging Control – PCC
•    3GPP model for dynamic policy control
•    PCC architecture and nodes
•    PCC rules
•    QoS authorization and enforcement

QoS Concept and Architecture in HSPA and LTE/EPS
•    PDP context/PDN connection
•    Bearers: Primary/Secondary PDP Context vs Default/Dedicated Bearer
•    GBR and non-GBR bearers
•    Bearer Setup modes
•    QoS definition in HSPA: Conversational, Streaming, Interactive and background
•    QoS definition in EPS: MBR, GBR, ARP and QCI
•    TFT’s and its usage
•    Some real-life scenarios: mobility and handovers, conflict handling
Subscriber profiles
•    Subscriber data/profile in HLR/HSS
•    QoS related info in Subscriber profiles
•    Usage of QoS info in subscriber data for ensuring QoS

Radio QoS
•    General QoS handling on radio interfaces
•    HSPA Radio Bearers and Radio links
•    LTE Radio Bearers

QoS in IP Backhaul
•    L1/L2 technologies
•    topology and dimensioning
•    DiffServ architecture with DSCP, SLA, PHB, Assured Forwarding (AF), Expedited Forwarding (EF), etc
•    MPLS architecture, header, LER, LSR, LSP,FEC, Label distribution, etc

QoS in Core Networks
•    QoS handling and solutions in PS core network
•    SGSN/SGW and GGSN/PGW QoS related info and handling
•    Roaming Scenarios; QoS in GRX/IPX