BSS Packet Flow Context

What is a Packet Flow Context? A. The SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node) is able to provide the BSS (Base Station Subsystem) with information related to the ongoing user data transmission in terms of a PFC (Packet Flow Context). These are used to describe the QoS (Quality of Service) characteristics for data transmission per mobile. There are three predefined PFC which are used for Best Effort, SMS (Short Message Service) and Signalling.

3.7 BSS Packet Flow Context Definition A BSS Packet Flow Context contains the aggregate BSS QoS profile that is identical or similar for one or more activated PDP contexts. A BSS Packet Flow Context can be shared between several mobiles; several BSS Packet Flow Contexts can be defined. A BSS Packet FLow Context may be created, modified, or deleted every time a PDP context is activated, modified, or deleted. A packet flow identifier (PFI), assigned by the SGSN, is used to identify each BSS Packet Flow Context. The PFI is assigned to the BSS at the creation of the BSS Packet Flow Context. It is assigned to the mobile when accepting the activation of the PDP context. Three PFI values are reserved for best-effort service, SMS, and signaling. Whenever the BSS receives an LLC PDU to transmit either in the direction of the SGSN or in the direction of the mobile, it deduces the QoS profile to use for the transmission from the PFI associated to the PDU. The BSS Packet Flow contect concept has been introduced in the GPRS Release 99 recommendations. Gb Interface The Gb interface connects the BSS and the SGSN. It allows for the exchange of signaling information and user data. Many users are multiplexed on the same physical resource. Resources are allocated to the user only during activity periods; after these periods, resources are immediately released and reallocated to other users. This is in contrast to the GSM A interface where one user has the sole use of a dedicated physical resource during the lifetime of a call. No dedicated physical resources are required to be allocated for signaling purposes. Signaling and user data are sent in the same transmission plane. Figure 3.28 shows the transmission plane on the Gb interface.

Figure 3.28: Transmission plane on Gb interface.

Transmission over the Gb interface is based on frame relay. Point-to-point (PTP) physical lines or an intermediate frame relay network can be used to connect the SGSN and the BSS. 3.8.1 NS Layer The NS layer provides a frame-based, multiplexed link layer transport mechanism across the Gb interface that relies on the frame relay protocol. The NS layer has been split into two sublayers, subnetwork service (SNS) and network service control (NSC) in order to make one sublayer independent of the intermediate transmission network. SNS is based on frame relay but NSC is independent of the transmission network. Later, it will be possible to change the transmission network (e.g., with an IP network) without changing the NSC sublayer. Peer-to-peer communication across the Gb interface between the two remote NS entities in the BSS and the SGSN is performed over virtual connections. The NS layer is responsible for the management of the virtual connections between the BSS and the SGSN (verification of the availability of the virtual connections, initialization, and restoring of a virtual connection). It provides information on the status and the availability of the virtual connections to the BSSGP layer. It ensures the distribution of upper-layer PDUs between the different possible virtual connections (load-sharing function). SNS provides access to the intermediate transmission network (i.e., the frame relay network). NSC is responsible for upper-layer data (BSSGP PDUs) transmission, load sharing, and virtual connection management. 3.8.2 BSSGP Principle The BSSGP layer ensures the transmission of upper-layer data (LLC PDUs) from the BSS to the SGSN or from the SGSN to the BSS. It ensures the transmission of GMM signaling and NM signaling. The peer-to-peer communication across the Gb interface between the two remote BSSGP entities in the BSS and the SGSN is performed over virtual connections. There is one virtual connection per cell at BSSGP layer. Each virtual connection can be supported by several layer 2 links between the SGSN and the BSS. The BSSGP layer is responsible for the management of the virtual connections between the SGSN and the BSS (verification of the availability of the virtual connections, initialization and restoring of a virtual connection). The BSSGP layer also ensures the data flow control between the SGSN and the BSS. There is a one-to-one relationship between the BSSGP in the SGSN and in the BSS. That means if one SGSN handles several BSSs, the SGSN must have one BSSGP protocol machine for each BSS. Figure 3.29 shows the position of the BSSGP layer within the BSS and the SGSN. 3.9 GPRS Backbone Network Architecture Figure 3.30 shows the architecture of the GPRS backbone network (see gray boxes) made up of GSNs.

Figure 3.30: Architecture of GPRS backbone network. (From [1].) All PDUs conveyed in the GPRS backbone network across the Gn/Gp interface are encapsulated by GTP. GTP allows IP PDUs to be tunneled through the GPRS backbone network and allows signaling

exchange to be performed between GSNs. UDP/IP are backbone network protocols used for user data routing and control signaling. 3.9.1 Tunneling A GTP tunnel is a two-way PTP path between two GSNs used to deliver packets between an external PDN and an MS. A GTP tunnel is created during a PDP context activation procedure. A GTP tunnel is identified in each GSN node by a tunnel endpoint identifier (TEID), a GSN IP address, and a UDP port number. These identifiers are contained in IP and GTP PDU headers. There are two types of GTP tunnels: GTP-U tunnel (user plane), defined for each PDP context in the GSNs; GTP-C tunnel (control plane), defined for all PDP contexts with the same PDP address and access point network (APN). The IP datagram tunneled in a GTP tunnel is called a T-PDU. With the tunneling mechanism, T-PDUs are multiplexed and demultiplexed by GTP between two GSNs by using the TEID field present in the GTP headers, which indicates the tunnel of a particular T-PDU. A GTP header is added to the T-PDU to constitute a G-PDU (or GTP-U PDU), which is sent in an UDP/IP path, a connectionless path between two endpoints. Figure 3.31 illustrates a tunneling mechanism for IP packet sending toward MS.

Figure 3.31: Tunneling mechanism for IP packet sending toward MS. All signaling procedures (path management, tunnel management, location management, mobility management) between GSNs are tunneled in a GTP tunnel in the control plane. A GTP header is added to the GTP signaling message to constitute a GTP-C PDU, which is sent in a UDP/IP path. 3.9.2 Path Protocols The UDP/IP path protocol is used to convey GTP signaling messages between GSNs or T-PDU in connectionless mode. Each UDP/IP path may multiplex several GTP tunnels. An endpoint of the UDP/IP path is defined by an IP address and a UDP port number. For UDP/IP path, the IP source address is the IP address of the source GSN, while the IP destination source is the IP address of the destination GSN. Note that the IP addresses of GSNs within the GPRS backbone network are private. This means that GSNs are not accessible from the public Internet.