3rd Generation Partnership Project;

3GPP TR 23.919
Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects;
V15.0.0 (2018-06)
Direct tunnel deployment guideline
Technical Report
(Release 15)

The present document has been developed within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP TM) and may be further elaborated for the purposes of 3GPP.
The present document has not been subject to any approval process by the 3GPP Organizational Partners and shall not be implemented.
This Specification is provided for future development work within 3GPP only. The Organizational Partners accept no liability for any use of this
Specification.
Specifications and reports for implementation of the 3GPP TM system should be obtained via the 3GPP Organizational Partners' Publications Offices.
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Keywords
UMTS, LTE, GSM, Architecture

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Contents
Foreword..........................................................................................................................................................4
1 Scope......................................................................................................................................................5
2 References..............................................................................................................................................5
3 Abbreviations.........................................................................................................................................5
4 Direct Tunnel Feature.............................................................................................................................5
4.1 General.................................................................................................................................................................5
5 Impacts on Functions and Characteristics...............................................................................................6
5.1 Charging..............................................................................................................................................................6
5.2 Lawful Interception.............................................................................................................................................6
5.3 CAMEL...............................................................................................................................................................6
5.4 Error Handling.....................................................................................................................................................6
6 Impacts on 3GPP Network Entities, Features and Transport Network...................................................7
6.1 SGSN...................................................................................................................................................................7
6.2 GGSN..................................................................................................................................................................7
6.3 RNC.....................................................................................................................................................................8
6.4 IP Backbone Network..........................................................................................................................................8
6.5 IP versions...........................................................................................................................................................9
6.6 QoS Architecture.................................................................................................................................................9
7 Limitations of Direct Tunnel Solution....................................................................................................9
8 Upgrade considerations..........................................................................................................................9
8.1 Interworking with Pre-DT GGSN.......................................................................................................................9
8.2 Interworking with Pre-DT SGSN......................................................................................................................10
8.3 Interworking with Pre-Rel-7 RNC....................................................................................................................10

Annex A: Change history......................................................................................................................11

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Foreword
This Technical Report has been produced by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

The contents of the present document are subject to continuing work within the TSG and may change following formal
TSG approval. Should the TSG modify the contents of the present document, it will be re-released by the TSG with an
identifying change of release date and an increase in version number as follows:

Version x.y.z

where:

x the first digit:

1 presented to TSG for information;

2 presented to TSG for approval;

3 or greater indicates TSG approved document under change control.

y the second digit is incremented for all changes of substance, i.e. technical enhancements, corrections,
updates, etc.

z the third digit is incremented when editorial only changes have been incorporated in the document.

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1 Scope
The present document contains deployment guidelines for the use of direct tunnelling of user plane data between the
RNC and the GGSN (earlier known as the One Tunnel approach).

This report highlights the impacts of the 3GPP Release 7 Direct Tunnel solution to the current UMTS system in order to
guide equipment development and network deployment.

2 References
The following documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of the present
document.

- References are either specific (identified by date of publication, edition number, version number, etc.) or
non-specific.

- For a specific reference, subsequent revisions do not apply.

- For a non-specific reference, the latest version applies. In the case of a reference to a 3GPP document (including
a GSM document), a non-specific reference implicitly refers to the latest version of that document in the same
Release as the present document.

[1] 3GPP TS 23.060: "General Packet Radio Service (GPRS); Service description; Stage 2".

[2] 3GPP TS 23.107: " Quality of Service (QoS) concept and architecture".

[3] 3GPP TS 23.203: "Policy and charging control architecture".

[4] 3GPP TS 33.106: "Lawful interception requirements".

[5] 3GPP TS 33.107: "3G security; Lawful interception architecture and functions".

[6] 3GPP TS 33.108: "3G security; Handover interface for Lawful Interception (LI)".

3 Abbreviations
For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

DT Direct Tunnel
LI Lawful Interception

4 Direct Tunnel Feature

4.1 General
Direct Tunnel is an optional feature in Iu mode that allows the SGSN to establish a direct user plane tunnel between
RAN and GGSN within the PS domain.

The SGSN handles the control plane signalling and makes the decision when to establish a Direct Tunnel. In case of
Direct Tunnel, the SGSN provides the RAN with the TEID and user plane address of the GGSN, and provides the
GGSN with the TEID and user plane address of the RAN. The detailed procedures are specified in TS 23.060 [1].

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Legend:
SGSN Two GTP User plane
tunnels GTP signalling
RNC Iu GGSN RANAP signalling
Gn
Gi Interface

Gi

Direct tunnel

Figure 4-1: Direct Tunnel concept

5 Impacts on Functions and Characteristics

5.1 Charging
When a Direct Tunnel is active, the SGSN will no longer be able to count data volumes associated with the PDP context
for which the Direct Tunnel is established. As a result of activating a Direct Tunnel for a specific PDP context, an
inconsistency in the data volumes captured by the SGSN and GGSN will arise for that PDP context.

Hence, if Direct Tunnel is active, volume based charging can no longer operate when relying on SGSN charging
information alone (e.g. CAMEL pre-paid service or charging only on S-CDRs).

During an upgrade phase when there exist Pre-DT GGSN or Pre-DT RNC in the network there may in some error
situations as described in clause 8 occur a discrepancy in CDR closure time between S-CDRs and G-CDRs.

However, no impacts on flow based charging, as defined in TS 23.203 [3], are foreseen.

5.2 Lawful Interception

If a Direct Tunnel is in use, the LI system can only collect the communication content from the GGSN.

When the LI function in the GGSN is used, some control plane related information, such as SMS and MM-related
information can only be collected from the SGSN.

Details for LI are specified in following documents: TS 33.106 [4], TS 33.107 [5], and TS 33.108 [6].

5.3 CAMEL
Direct Tunnel is not enabled for a subscriber that has controlling PS domain CAMEL services active.

5.4 Error Handling

With the Rel-7 Direct Tunnel feature, the GTP-U related error handling has been slightly changed in the GGSN and
RNC. For the Error Handling function to work fully correctly, the GGSN and RNC need to be upgraded to support
Direct Tunnel. During a deployment phase, the Direct Tunnel feature may however be used without the GGSN and/or
the RNC being upgraded. The shortcomings and issues related with this are mainly that the network may experience
hanging PDP contexts or inconsistent PDP context data in some rare error cases, e.g. at node failures or restarts. This is
further explained in clause 8.

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6 Impacts on 3GPP Network Entities, Features and

Transport Network

6.1 SGSN
The main principle is that whenever a RAB is assigned for a PDP context (or re-assigned) the SGSN decides whether to
use a direct user plane tunnel between RNC and GGSN, or, if it needs to handle user plane data and use two tunnels as
in earlier 3GPP releases. Further, when a Direct Tunnel was in use and the RAB assigned for a PDP context is released
(i.e. the PDP context is preserved) the GTP-U tunnel is (re)established between the GGSN and SGSN in order to be
able to handle the downlink packets.

The SGSN needs to decide before every RAB assignment and every SRNS relocation if direct tunnel will be used or
not.

RAB assigned PDP context is preserved

(direct tunnel is enabled) (associated RAB is released)

RANAP GTP-C RANAP GTP-C

SGSN SGSN GTP-U

User plane GTP

-U
RNC GGSN RNC GGSN

Figure 6-1: Connected mode and Idle mode handling

In the Intra SGSN Inter-system Change procedure from 3G to 2G, the SGSN needs to perform a PDP Context Update
Procedure to establish the tunnel between the 2G SGSN and the GGSN and release the Direct Tunnel between RNC and
GGSN.

In the Intra SGSN Inter-system Change procedure from 2G to 3G, the SGSN provides to the RNC the GGSN's
Address(es) for User Plane and TEID(s) for Uplink data in the RAB Assignment Request during the Service Request
Procedure. Then the SGSN performs a PDP Context Update Procedure to establish the Direct Tunnel between the RNC
and the GGSN and release the tunnel between SGSN and GGSN.

Toggling between 2G and 3G might (or might not) be frequent. This may effect the Gn signalling when Direct Tunnel is
deployed. It is implementation specific how this is addressed.

6.2 GGSN
In order to inform the GGSN of the IP address of the RNC and the TEID for the active PDP context, the SGSN will
send an Update PDP Context Request message to the GGSN during every PDP Context Activation procedure for which
a Direct Tunnel is established. This message, which is an optional message in two-tunnel system, increases the
signalling load on SGSN and GGSN.

RAB release and re-establishment procedures, which become visible to the GGSN in a Direct Tunnel system, also
increase the signalling load on SGSN and GGSN. If the radio-link is bad, and the RNC releases the Iu connection, the
frequent RAB release and re-establishment increases the signalling load on SGSN and GGSN. One consequence is that
it is useful if the RNC utilises URA-PCH state.

Some Intra SGSN procedures, such as Intra SGSN inter RNC, Intra SGSN Inter-system change, and possibly other
procedures, which are invisible to the GGSN in two-tunnel system, will become visible to the GGSN and increase the
signalling load on both SGSN and GGSN.

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Receipt of the Direct Tunnel Indicator makes the GGSN aware that the SGSN is using a Direct Tunnel.

When using Direct Tunnel, if the GGSN receives a GTP-U Error Indication (from the RNC) it shall not release the
related PDP context locally but the GGSN shall notify the SGSN that the RAB in RAN is invalid. This needs the GGSN
to be updated.

NOTE: During a deployment phase, the Direct Tunnel feature may however be used without the GGSN being
upgraded. This is further explained in clause 8.1.

If, when using two tunnels transport network QoS was used on Iu-PS but not on Gn then moving to Direct Tunnel
requires the GGSN to implement transport network QoS.

6.3 RNC
RNCs that only support ATM transport should support IP transport for the Iu-PS interface. Alternatively a solution as
described below in clause 6.4 can be used.

Due to this Direct Tunnel feature, the Error Handling Behaviour of Rel-7 RNC is changed.

NOTE: During a deployment phase, the Direct Tunnel feature may however be used without the RNC being
upgraded. This is further explained in clause 8.3.

If, when using two tunnels transport network QoS was used on Gn but not on Iu-PS then moving to Direct Tunnel
requires the RNC to implement transport network QoS.

6.4 IP Backbone Network

Within the network area where Direct Tunnel is used, the Iu-PS and Gn transport networks must be made visible to each
other, this is a network configuration issue.

This is minor security drawback. The risk could be reduced by using firewall between Iu-PS and Gn networks instead of
simple router (this might impact user-plane latency). Only IP traffic to predefined IP-addresses/ports from predefined
addresses/ports would be allowed between Iu-PS and Gn networks. Considering network security, a firewall can be
deployed between the RNC and the IP network.

For an ATM based Iu-PS, the ATM connection needs to be terminated and "interworked" to IP. The location of the
interworking may be within the Iu-PS network or at the edge of the Iu-PS network.

Figure 6-2 shows the connectivity between the Iu-PS network and the Gn (backbone) network.

SGSN

RNC GGSN

Iu-PS network Gn IP network

Figure 6-2: Connectivity with Iu-PS

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6.5 IP versions
The Iu-PS and Gn transport networks need to be using the same IP version.

6.6 QoS Architecture

Currently, UMTS QoS architecture is defined in TS 23.107 [2], which is based on the two tunnel architecture. However,
it is believed that this QoS architecture should be updated due to this Direct Tunnel feature.

The deployment of Direct Tunnel requires consistent QoS treatment on Iu-PS and Gn interfaces.

7 Limitations of Direct Tunnel Solution

Direct Tunnel shall not be used in following traffic cases:

1) In roaming cases when the GGSN is not in the VPLMN

- The SGSN needs to know whether the GGSN is in the same or different PLMN.

2) SGSN has received CAMEL Subscription Information in the subscriber profile.

- If Direct Tunnel is established then volume reporting from SGSN is not possible as the SGSN no longer has
visibility of the User Plane. Since a CAMEL server can invoke volume reporting at anytime during the life
time of a PDP Context, the use of Direct Tunnel shall be prohibited for a subscriber whose profile contains
CAMEL Subscription Information.

3) GGSN does not support GTP protocol version 1.

8 Upgrade considerations

8.1 Interworking with Pre-DT GGSN

A Pre-DT GGSN is unaware of the Direct Tunnel feature. Therefore, the Pre-DT GGSN cannot differentiate a Direct
Tunnel case from a two-tunnel case. If the Pre-DT GGSN receives a GTP Error Indication from the RNC, it will treat
this indication as if it came from the SGSN. This means that the Pre-DT GGSN marks the related PDP context as
invalid without informing the SGSN. This may result in the PDP Context being deleted in the GGSN and, if the PDP
context is the last context for that IP address, the release of the related IP address. When downlink data arrives at this
GGSN, the GGSN will discard the data locally if no valid PDP context is found that is able to route the data (e.g. as
dictated by allocated UE IP address or by packets filters belonging to installed TFTs). This means e.g. Push services
will be blocked in this situation.

In the case that the GGSN marks the related PDP context as invalid, any effected PDP contexts that use Direct Tunnel
and have an invalid tunnel in the GGSN will be recovered when the SGSN receives an Iu connection establishment
request from the MS as specified in clause "Handling of Un-synchronous States in the UE and the Network" in
TS 23.060 [1]. This may take a relatively long time and lead to the services re-establishing on the effected PDP
contexts.

In the case that the GGSN deletes the PDP context and releases the related IP address, the effected PDP contexts have
to be re-established, which leads to the service re-establishing.

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8.2 Interworking with Pre-DT SGSN

In the scenario of Inter-SGSN SRNS Relocation, if the source SGSN is a Pre-DT SGSN, the source SGSN does not
include the Direct Tunnel Flags in the Forward Relocation Request message sent to the target SGSN. If the Direct
Tunnel Flags are absent, then the target DT enabled SGSN cannot know if a GPRS CAMEL Subscription Information
was present in the subscriber's profile in the old SGSN.

How a target DT SGSN should react in this case needs to reflect the operator's preferences. For example:

- an operator using CAMEL for PS domain pre-pay might want the target SGSN to wait for the subscriber's profile
from the HLR before the Direct Tunnel decisions is made; while

- an operator that does not use CAMEL in the PS domain, might want the target SGSN to automatically establish a
Direct Tunnel (for non-roaming subscribers).

8.3 Interworking with Pre-Rel-7 RNC

If a Pre-Rel-7 RNC receives a GTP Error Indication from the GGSN, it will treat it as if it came from the SGSN. This
means that the RNC locally releases the RAB without informing the SGSN. The GGSN sent the GTP Error Indication
because that PDP Context is not valid at the GGSN, so, when downlink data arrives at the recovered GGSN, the GGSN
will discard this data locally. Any such effected PDP contexts that use Direct Tunnel and have no related RAB in the
RNC will be recovered when the SGSN receives an Iu connection establishment request from the MS as specified in
clause "Handling of Un-synchronous States in the UE and the Network" in TS 23.060 [1]. This may take a relative long
time and lead to the services re-establishing on the effected PDP contexts.

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Annex A:
Change history
Change history
Date TSG # TSG Doc. CR Rev Subject/Comment Old New
2007-05 SP-36 SP-070404 - - MCC editing of draft for presentation to TSG SA for approval 0.1.0 1.0.0
2007-06 - - - - Approved at SP-36 and updated to version 7.0.0 1.0.0 7.0.0
2008-12 SP-42 - - - Update to Rel-8 version (MCC) 7.0.0 8.0.0
2009-12 SP-46 - - - Update to Rel-9 version (MCC) 8.0.0 9.0.0
2011-03 SP-51 - - - Update to Rel-10 version (MCC) 9.0.0 10.0.0
2012-09 - - - - Update to Rel-11 version (MCC) 10.0.0 11.0.0
2014-09 SP-65 - - - Update to Rel-12 version (MCC) 11.0.0 12.0.0
2015-12 - - - - Update to Rel-13 version (MCC) 12.0.0 13.0.0
2017-03 - - - - Update to Rel-14 version (MCC) 13.0.0 14.0.0
2018-06 SP-80 - - - Update to Rel-15 version (MCC) 14.0.0 15.0.0

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