5G in a nutshell

Grup de formació 5G Barcelona

5G System Architecture
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Syllabus
 Architecture reference model – Main features
 5G Core Network
 Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN)
 Standalone and non-standalone operation
 Functional splits
 High level features
 QoS model
 Policy control
 Support of network slicing
 Data analytics

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Architecture Reference Model
 Like in previous systems (e.g. LTE), the 5G system architecture encompasses
three big constitutive blocks:
 User Equipment
 Next Generation - Radio Access Network (NG-RAN)
• Responsible for all the radio-related functionality of the system
 5G Core Network (5GC)
• Responsible of the non-radio access related functions such as authentication,
charging, set-up of end-to-end connections, mobility management, etc.

Architecture Reference Model

 Starting point: LTE architecture

Packet data network

SGi
• Architecture is defined in terms of network entities,
each grouping a number of mobile network
functions. Interactions between network entities are
EPC P-GW specified through interfaces connecting them.

S5 • Limitations:
• Not possible to split parts of a functional entity
S11 and place them at different locations (e.g. place
MME S-GW the user plane functions of the S-GW for delay
critical services close to the eNB)
S1-MME S1-U • A network entity includes both control and user
plane functionality.
• Hard to optimize/customize the network to
E-UTRAN eNB provide different behaviors for applications with
very different types of requirements (e.g. delay
critical vs. bit rate demanding applications).
Radio
Interface
UE
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Architecture Reference Model
 Service-based representation of the 5G system architecture

AUSF: Authentication Server Function

NSSF NEF NRF PCF UDM AF AMF: Access and Mobility Management
Function
Nnssf Nnef Nnrf Npcf Nudm Naf NEF: Network Exposure Function
NRF: NF Repository Function
Nausf Namf Nsmf NSSF: Network Slice Selection Function
5G Core Network PCF: Policy Control Function
AUSF AMF SMF SMF: Session Management Function
(5GC)
UDM: Unified Data Management
UPF: User Plane Function
AF: Application Function
N2 N4

UE (R)AN N3 UPF N6 DN

Next Generation RAN Data Network (e.g.

(NG-RAN) Internet)

Source: 3GPP TS 23.501

Architecture Reference Model – Main features

 Modularity:
 Instead of specifying network entities, a more modular design is achieved by specifying
a set of Network Functions (NFs).
 Stronger decoupling between logical and physical architecture, facilitating the
virtualization of the different NFs running on generic computer hardware

 NFs can be physically

implemented in different ways
(e.g. all of them in a single
physical node, distributed across
multiple nodes or running on a
cloud platform).

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 Architecture Reference Model – Main features
 Service-Based Architecture
 Each NF exposes a number of services provided to other NFs.
 This provides more flexibility in defining the possible interactions between NFs.

Service-Based Interfaces

Source: 5G Americas, “5G Network Transformation”

Architecture Reference Model – Main features

 Split of control plane and user plane
 NFs responsible of the control plane are different from those responsible of the user
plane.
 Allows independent scalability and evolution (e.g. allocating more capacity to the control
plane without affecting the user plane).
 It allows flexible deployments, e.g. centralized location for control plane or distributed
(remote) location for user plane.

Control Plane
Functions

User Plane Function

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Architecture Reference Model – Main features
 Support of Network slicing:
 NFs can be individually instantiated for each network slice, and placed where
appropriate.
 In this way, multiple network slices can be created, each one composed by a collection
of control plane and user plane NFs customized to the needs of the slice.
• E.g. one network slice can include the NFs to support mobile broadband services
with full mobility support, and another one to support non-mobile, latency-critical
industry applications

Common
NFs

5G Core Network – User Plane Function

 The User Plane Function (UPF) deals with the user plane communication in the
5GC, acting as a gateway between the RAN and the external Data Network
(DN) (e.g. Internet).

 Main functionalities:
NSSF NEF NRF PCF UDM AF
 Packet routing and forwarding
Nnssf Nnef Nnrf Npcf Nudm Naf
 Downlink packet buffering and downlink
Nausf Namf Nsmf
data notification triggering AUSF SMF
AMF
 QoS handling
 Traffic measurements N2 N4

UE (R)AN N3 UPF N6 DN

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5G Core Network – Access and Mobility management Function

 The Access and Mobility management Function (AMF) is a control-plane

function in charge of handling the control signalling between the UE and the
5GC.

NSSF NEF NRF PCF UDM AF

 Main functionalities: Nnssf Nnef Nnrf Npcf Nudm Naf
Nausf Namf Nsmf
AUSF AMF SMF
 Registration management
 Connection management to establish N4
N2
the control plane signalling with a UE
 Mobility management (e.g. idle mode UE (R)AN N3 UPF N6 DN
UE reachability)
 Control and execution of paging
 Support of intra-system and inter-
system mobility

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5G Core Network – Session Management Function

 The Session Management Function (SMF) is a control-plane function in charge

of the following main functionalities:

 Session establishment, modification NSSF NEF NRF PCF UDM AF

and release Nnssf Nnef Nnrf Npcf Nudm Naf

 UE IP address allocation and Nausf Namf Nsmf

management AUSF AMF SMF

 Control of policy enforcement and

N4
QoS. N2

 Configuration of traffic steering at UPF N3

UE (R)AN UPF N6 DN
to route traffic to proper destination

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 NG-RAN
 The NG-RAN is the network function that connects the User Equipment with the 5G
Core.
 It can be composed by two types of nodes:
 gNode B (gNB): it operates with the 5G New Radio (NR) technology
 next generation eNodeB (ng-eNB): it operates with the LTE technology

Source: 3GPP TS 38.300

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NG-RAN – Standalone and Non-Standalone operation

 Non-standalone operation  Standalone operation

User plane N26

EPC
Control plane EPC 5GC
S5-U
S1-U S1-C
S1-C NG-C
S1-U S1-U NG-U
NG-U
NG-C

X2-U X2-U
Xn-C
gNB (5G NR) X2-C
eNB (E-UTRAN) eNB (E-UTRAN) gNB (5G NR)

 The gNBs are connected to the LTE core network ng-eNB (E-UTRAN)
(EPC).
 Facilitates first 5G deployments without having to  Provides full 5G system functionality both at
introduce the 5G Core. the core and the RAN.
 LTE used for control plane functionality (e.g. initial  The gNB is connected to the 5GC
access, paging and mobility), while 5G NR only  The gNB handles both user-plane and
provides user plane control-plane functions
 Relies on dual connectivity between LTE and 5G NR
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NG-RAN - gNB
 The gNB is responsible for all the radio-related functions associated to one or
multiple cells supporting the 5G NR technology

 Main functionalities include:

 Radio resource management (e.g. admission control, packet scheduling, connection

mobility control, etc.)
 Routing of user-plane information to the UPF and control-plane information to the AMF
 Measurement and measurement reporting configuration
 QoS flow management
 Connection setup and release
 Scheduling and transmission of paging messages
 Scheduling and transmission of system broadcast information

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NG-RAN – gNB – Functional splits

 A gNB can be decomposed into:
 One central unit (gNB-CU)
 One or more distributed units (gNB-DU), each one supporting one or more cells.
 This facilitates the implementation of the gNB-CU functionality running e.g. on
centralized cloud platforms and using NFV

Source: http://www.techplayon.com/5g-nr-gnb-logical-architecture-functional-split-options/

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 NG-RAN – gNB – Functional splits
 The gNB-CU hosts the upper layers of the radio interface protocol stack, while the
gNB-DU hosts the lower layers.
 Current Release 15 considers a  Other lower layer functional splits are
functional split between gNB-CU and being currently under consideration
gNB-DU defined between PDCP and and may be standardized in future
RLC layers, denoted as split option 2 releases:
• Option 6: MAC-PHY
 Interface F1 supports this functional split • Option 7: Intra-PHY

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NG-RAN – gNB – Functional splits

 The gNB-CU can be further split in two entities, splitting the Control Plane (CP) and
User Plane (UP) functionalities:
 gNB-CU-CP: Hosts the RRC layer and the control plane of PDCP.
 gNB-CU-UP: Hosts the SDAP layer and the user plane of PDCP.
 Both entities are interconnected through the E1 interface.

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QoS model
 The 5GC supports a PDU (Protocol Data Unit) connectivity service that provides the
exchange of packets between a UE and a data network.
 The PDU connectivity service is materialised through PDU sessions established upon UE request.
 Each PDU Session supports the exchange of a single type of PDU (IPv4, IPv6, IPv4v6, Ethernet,
Unstructured).

NG-RAN 5G System
UE
gNB External equipment
PDUs PDUs

UPF DN

PDU session

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QoS model
 The QoS flow is the finest granularity of QoS differentiation in the PDU Session.
 User plane traffic belonging to the same QoS flow receives the same traffic forwarding
treatment.
 At the radio interface, QoS flows are mapped to Data Radio Bearers (DRBs)
 The 5GC just sees radio-agnostic QoS flows. The management of DRBs is hidden to
the 5GC, paving the way for the convergence between mobile and fixed access
networks
5GC

gNB

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 QoS model
 Each QoS flow is characterized by a QoS profile defined in terms of:

 5G QoS Identifier (5QI): Scalar associated to specific QoS characteristics (priority

level, packet delay budget, packet error rate, averaging window, maximum data burst)
 Allocation Retention and Priority (ARP): Defines the relative importance of the QoS flow
and allows deciding whether a new QoS flow may be accepted or needs to be rejected
in case of resource limitations.
 For Guaranteed Bit Rate (GBR) QoS flows:
• Guaranteed Flow Bit Rate (GFBR) for UL and DL
• Maximum Flow Bit Rate (MFBR) for UL and DL
• Maximum Packet Loss Rate for UL and DL
 For Non-GBR QoS flows:
• Reflective QoS Attribute: It allows mapping UL user plane traffic to QoS flows
based on received DL traffic and without explicit rules provided by the SMF.

 Session-AMBR (Aggregate Maximum Bit Rate): It limits the aggregate bit rate for all non-
GBR QoS flows of a PDU session.
 UE-AMBR: It limits the aggregate bit rate for all non-GBR QoS flows of a UE

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5QI Resource Default Packet Packet Default Default Example Services

Value Type Priority Delay Error Maximum Averaging

QoS model 1
Level

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Budget

100 ms
Rate

-2
Data Burst
Volume
(NOTE 2)
N/A 2000 ms
Window

Conversational Voice
10
GBR
2 NOTE 1 40 150 ms -3 N/A 2000 ms Conversational Video
10
(Live Streaming)
3 30 50 ms -3 N/A 2000 ms Real Time Gaming, V2X
 Standardized 5QI values 10
messages
Electricity distribution –
medium voltage,
Process automation -
monitoring
4 50 300 ms -6 N/A 2000 ms Non-Conversational
10
Video (Buffered
Streaming)
65 7 75 ms N/A 2000 ms Mission Critical user
-2 plane Push To Talk
10
voice (e.g., MCPTT)
66 100 ms N/A 2000 ms Non-Mission-Critical
20 -2 user plane Push To Talk
10
voice
67 15 100 ms -3 N/A 2000 ms Mission Critical Video
10
user plane
75 25 50 ms -2 N/A 2000 ms V2X messages
10
5 Non-GBR 10 100 ms -6 N/A N/A IMS Signalling
10
6 NOTE 1 N/A N/A Video (Buffered
60 300 ms -6 Streaming)
10
TCP-based (e.g., www,
e-mail, chat, ftp, p2p file
sharing, progressive
video, etc.)
7 N/A N/A Voice,
70 100 ms -3 Video (Live Streaming)
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Interactive Gaming
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80 Video (Buffered
Streaming)
300 ms -6 N/A N/A TCP-based (e.g., www,
10
e-mail, chat, ftp, p2p file
sharing, progressive
9 90 video, etc.)
69 5 60 ms -6 N/A N/A Mission Critical delay
10
sensitive signalling (e.g.,
MC-PTT signalling)
70 55 200 ms -6 N/A N/A Mission Critical Data
10
(e.g. example services
are the same as QCI
6/8/9)
79 65 50 ms -2 N/A N/A V2X messages
10
80 68 10 ms -6 N/A N/A Low Latency eMBB
10
applications Augmented
Reality
81 Delay 11 5 ms -5 160 B 2000 ms Remote control
10
Critical (see TS 22.261 [2])
GBR
82 12 10 ms -5 320 B 2000 ms Intelligent transport
10
NOTE 5 systems
83 13 20 ms -5 640 B 2000 ms Intelligent Transport
10
Systems
84 19 10 ms -4 255 B 2000 ms Discrete Automation
10
85 22 10 ms 10
-4 1358 B 2000 ms Discrete Automation 22
Policy control
 Policy control is the process whereby the Policy Control Function (PCF) indicates to the
SMF how to control a QoS flow. It is part of the Policy and Charging Control (PCC)
framework and includes:

 QoS control:
• Specifies the authorized QoS to be enforced, based on subscription information
together with policy rules
 Gating control:
• Blocking or allowing packets to pass through the UPF.

NSSF NEF NRF PCF UDM AF

Nnssf Nnef Nnrf Npcf Nudm Naf

Nausf Namf Nsmf
AUSF AMF SMF

N2 N4

UE (R)AN N3 UPF N6 DN

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Policy control
 Policy control is materialized through PCC rules, which include a set of information elements
to:
 detect the packets belonging to a service data flow:
• service data flow template
 provide the parameters for policy control, such as:
• Gate status (open/closed)
• 5QI
• UL/DL maximum bit rate, guaranteed bit rate
• ARP
 specify instructions for charging and accounting
 specify access network information to be reported when a QoS flow is established,
modified or terminated
• user location report (serving cell of the UE)

 PCC rules are defined by the operator and can be:

 Pre-defined (i.e. directly configured into the SMF and only referenced by the PCF)
 Dynamic (i.e. provisioned by the PCF to the SMF)

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 Support of Network Slicing
 A Network Slice is a logical network customized and dimensioned to best serve the needs
of specific applications (e.g. mobile broadband, smart city, connected car, public safety,
fixed wireless access) and users (e.g. general public, enterprise customers, virtual
operators, content providers).
 Each slice provides a particular system behavior through the use of specific control and
user plane functions tailored to the needs of specific application domains
 A Network Slice comprises both the NG-RAN (RAN Slice) and the 5GC (Core Network
slice).

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Support of Network Slicing

 Three Slice/Service Types (SST) are standardized by 3GPP:
 eMBB (enhanced Mobile BroadBand)
 uRLLC (ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communications)
 mIoT (massive Internet of Things)
 A slice is identified by the Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI)
comprised of:
 SST
 Slice Differentiator
 The S-NSSAI(s) are included in the subscription information of a user

 The Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF)

in the system architecture is in charge of NSSF NEF NRF PCF UDM AF
 Selecting the Network Slice instances Nnssf Nnef Nnrf Npcf Nudm Naf
serving a UE Nausf Namf Nsmf
 Determining the S-NSSAI values that the AUSF AMF SMF

UE can use (allowed NSSAI)

 Determining the AMF set to serve the UE N2 N4

(i.e. the AMFs that serve a given area

UE (R)AN N3 UPF N6 DN
and that support the network slice).

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 Data analytics
 Data analytics can be understood as the pursuit of extracting meaning from raw data.
 The challenge in 5G is how to efficiently handle the big amount of data originated within
the network and turn it into value, extracting exploitable knowledge and deriving
successful decision-making.

 Categories of analytics and examples:

 Descriptive analytics: explaining what is happening
• Identify seasonalities in the traffic of a given cell, correlations among cells, etc.

 Diagnostic analytics: determine the reason of something that happened

• Identify the reason of hadover failures, droppings, etc.

 Predictive analytics: anticipate what might happen

• Predict the trajectory of a UE or group of UEs, predict the traffic in a cell, etc.

 Prescriptive analytics: determine actions to be taken

• Self-Organizing Network (SON) functions to adjust the value of certain parameters
(e.g. transmit power, handover thresholds, etc.)

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Data analytics
 NetWork Data Analytics Function (NWDAF)
 Network Function of the 5GC
 Provides network analytics information to
other NFs
• Rel.15: Load level. It can be used
e.g. by the PCF for selecting QoS
parameters or by the NSSF for slice
selection
• Rel.16: new use cases identified,
e.g. customized mobility
management, predictable network
performance, QoS adjustment, load
balancing of NFs, etc.
 Management Data Analytics Function (MDAF)
 Part of the management system
 Produces management data analytics
services to be consumed by other
entities, e.g. centralised SON, slicing
management function, fault
management, etc.
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