Network Framework of IMS

YUAN ZHANG
China Telecom Beijing Research Institute
Course Objectives:
To learn the IMS basic concept and basic technologies, including the
service, functional architecture, function entities, interface, protocol
and information flows.
Agenda

 IMS brief introduction

 IMS functional architecture & function entity
 IMS Interface & Signaling flows
What’s IMS？
The IMS Model
IMS Service
Video
Instant Telephone Video
Message Share

Presence
PoC File Transfer
Video
Group Conference
VCC
VoIP
IP Centrex

IMS
Operator’s Attention Point On IMS

Multimedia Service ICT application

• Video conference/video telephony • Use IMS for enterprises ICT application and unified
• Multimedia ringing tone/ring back tone communication

Service engine open to 3rd party

Network evolution
and Internet

• SIP IAD、SIP AG access to IMS • IMS service ability open to 3rd party and internet for
• IMS support for PSTN/ISDN Emulation/Simulation service more flexible service and application
• AGCF and mAGCF access to IMS

7
Agenda

 IMS brief introduction

 IMS functional architecture & function entity
 IMS Interface & Signaling flows
IMS Standard Bodies
3GPP/3GPP2 IMS Network Architecture
PDN
Mb/36/38
Mb/42
MGW
MRFP
Mb/32/37
Mk/tbd Mc/30
Mp/25 Mm/tbd
Mj/17 PSTN /
MRFC BGCF MGCF PLMN
Mr/24
PSTN/26
Mi/ee Mg/17
Packet Data Go/28 Mw/
PDF dd/ff
Subsystem  CSCF OSA-SCS OSA-AS
23 OSA
Cx/16
Key Takeaways
AAA Sh/7/11 SIP-AS
• Standards are well defined
3 4 and converged
• “Boxes” are logical (not
Radio Access physical) entities. Several
UA Databases
Control
Network “boxes” will exist on same
Home Subscriber physical system
Bearer Server  • Although “CSCF” and “IMS”
Blue = 3GPP definition are sometimes used
Red = 3GPP2 definition IP Core Network Multi-media interchangeably, “CSCF” is
Black = Common definition a subset of “IMS”
Green = Not Common
Subsystem (IMS)
 For 3GPP, the PDF is within the P-CSCF. For 3GPP2, the PDF is a network entity of it’s own.
 For 3GPP the HSS also contains HLR functionality which is not shown here. For 3GPP2 the AAA function shown in the HSS is a
stand-alone entity.
 Additional interfaces exist in both the 3GPP and 3GPP2 reference models but are not included in this proposal for harmonization.
IMS Entity Definitions
Signaling Entities
Bearer Entities
 HSS - Home Subscriber Server or “HSS Collective”
 Consists of AAA and Databases
 MGW - Media Gateway
Inter-works RTP/IP and PCM bearers
 CSCF - Call Session Control Function – 3 flavors  MRFP - Multimedia Resource Function Processor
 S-CSCF – Serving: Session control entity for endpoint devices Provides conferencing, transcoding and announcements
 I-CSCF – Interrogating: Entry point to IMS from other networks
 P-CSCF – Proxy: Entry point to IMS for devices Support Systems
 BGCF - Breakout Gateway Control Function  HSS - Home Subscriber Server or “HSS Collective”
 Selects network to use for PSTN/PLMN interworking Consists of AAA and Databases

 MGCF - Media Gateway Control Function  SLF – Subscriber Locator Function

 Controls MGW Provides location of associated HSS

 MRFC - Multimedia Resource Function Controller  Charging Entities

 Controls MRFP ECF – Event Collection Function (On Line)
 PDF - Policy Decision Function SCF – Session Collection Function (On line)
 Authorizes QoS requests CCF – Charging Collection Function (Off-Line)
 AS - Application Servers – provides services and applications  DNS and ENUM
 Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) AS
 Open Service Access (OSA) Service Capability Server (SCS) & OSA AS
 AIN Interworking Server
3GPP Network Elements
Home Subscriber Server
• Centralized DB Application Servers
• HLR successor • Push-to-talk
• User profile • Instant messaging Media Resource Function Controller
• Filter criteria (sent to S-CSCF) • Telephony AS • Pooling of Media servers
Domain Name Server • Which applications • 3rd party or Lucent
• Which conditions

SIP
Access DNS AS
Home
HSS AS
AS Media Gateway
RTP ENUM
Diameter
Network Control Function
RTP SIP
SIP • Interfaces to PSTN/PLMN by
Backbone SIP SIP SIP
• Converting SIP <-> ISUP
P-CSCF I-CSCF S-CSCF MRFC
Packet • Interworking RTP to circuit
SIP
Network • H.248 control of MGW
Visited SIP SIP
MS MS
SIP
Network SIP
BGCF MGCF
ISUP
Call Session H.248 SS7
Control Function
PSTN
• SIP registration RTP
MGW
TDM
• SIP session setup

Proxy CSCF Serving CSCF

• Registrar
• 1st contact point for UE
• Session control
• QoS
• Application Interface
• Routes to I-CSCF
Interrogating CSCF
• Entry point for incoming calls Breakout Gateway Control Function
• Determines S-CSCF for Subscribers • Selects network (MGCF or other BGCF)
• Hides network topology in which PSTN/ PLMN breakout is to occur
Call Session Control Function (CSCF)
Home Network • SIP Proxies used to manages SIP sessions
HSS • Coordinates with other network elements
Diameter • Session control, feature control, resource allocation, …
SIP • Three flavors of CSCFs
SIP • Serving CSCF (S-CSCF) - Session control entity for endpoint
S-CSCF I-CSCF
devices
SIP • Interrogating CSCF (I-CSCF) - Entry point to IMS from other
Visited Network
networks
P-SCSF • Proxy CSCF (P-CSCF) - Entry point to IMS for devices
• Functionally CSCFs follows Internet paradigms
Packet Domain • P-CSCF  I-CSCF  S-CSCF
• Stateless entities at network edge, state entities in core
• Simple processing at edge, complex processing in core
• Security and authentication requirements increase towards
core
Proxy CSCF (P-CSCF)
• First contact point within the IMS for the subscriber
• Well known address(es) within network
• P-CSCF discovery can either be statically configured or via DHCP HSS
S-CSCF
• Authentication and Authorization
• Routes incoming requests based on registration status I-CSCF
• Sends the SIP REGISTER request received from the UE to an I-CSCF determined using the
home domain name, as provided by the UE
• Sends SIP messages received from the UE to the SIP server S-CSCF, whose name the P- P-CSCF
CSCF has received as a result of the registration procedure
• Rejects non-authorized requests
PDF
• Authorize the bearer resources for the appropriate QoS level
• PDF functionality integrated in release 5, separate entity in release 6 Managed
Core Network
• SIP compression and decompression Session
Border
Controller

• Acts as a B2BUA Access Network

• Generates CDR events

• Can act as User Agent and terminate calls in abnormal situations User
Equipment (UE)
• Detects and handles emergency session establishments
Security element at edge of IMS network
providing initial entry point for user equipment
Interrogating CSCF (I-CSCF)
• Initial contact point for incoming network connections
• Well known address within network
• Selects S-CSCF for a user performing SIP registration
• Provides S-CSCF fan-out to support scalability S-CSCF
HSS

• Selection can be static or dynamic based on current conditions and user S-CSCF
S-CSCF
location
• Routes request to proper S-CSCF or external network element
• Query HSS for the address of S-CSCF to handle call I-CSCF
• If no S-CSCF is currently assigned, (e.g. unregistered termination), then
assign S-CSCF to handle the SIP request
• Acts as a stateless SIP proxy P-CSCF MGCF

• Generates CDR events

Trusted or
• Provides Topology Hiding Inter-network Gateway (THIG) Visited
Network

• Not required but provides valuable capabilities

• Hides configuration, capacity, and topology of network from outside
IMS network routing proxy and S-CSCF scalability support
Serving CSCF (S-CSCF)
Multimedia Resources (MRFC & MRFP)
IMS App

• Multimedia Resource Function Controller (MRFC) IMS App

IMS App
• Controls the media streams resources in the MRFP via H.248
• Requests received from IMS elements S-CSCF

• Standard ISC SIP requests utilizing SIP RFC 3264 Offer/Answer model
• Generates CDRs MRFC

• Multimedia Resource Function Processor (MRFP)

• Provides resources to be controlled by the MRFC (H.248) MRFP
MRFP
• Mixes incoming media streams (e.g. for multiple parties)
MRFP
• Sources media streams (for multimedia announcements)
• Processes media streams (e.g. audio transcoding, media analysis) Access
Network
• Tones and announcements – Applied on receipt of ACK, self-timed with BYE or stopped on BYE
• Support DTMF within the bearer path
• Notify the MRFC when an event has occurred
• For example: AS/CSCF may have directed it to collect DTMF digits
User
Equipment (UE)

Central management of a pool of media resource servers

17 | Presentation Title | Month
Breakout Gateway Control Function (BGCF)
 Selects the network in which PSTN breakout is to occur
 MGCF selected if breakout is to occur in the same network
 BGCF of a peer network can be selected to hand-off routing

 No standards for criteria BGCF uses for selection, some possible factors:
 Current location of the calling UE
 Location of the PSTN address
 Local policies and business agreements between the peer network
 Minimize path distance

 Least cost path

MGCF

MGCF
 Generates CDRs S-CSCF BGCF
MGCF

MGCF
Trusted or
BGCF Visited MGCF
Network
MGCF

PSTN Egress Selection

Media Gateway Control Function (MGCF)
Media Gateway (MGW)
ENUM Server
Agenda

 IMS brief introduction

 IMS functional architecture & function entity
 IMS Interface & Signaling flows
Protocol used in IMS
Major SIP IETF RFC Used In IMS
Geographically Distributed IMS Scenario - 1

SIP session set up

susu
is delivered to susu IMS
On HollyWood Finds out that susu S-CSCF
is roaming in HollyWood
(+service triggers)

IMS
IMS Which system provides
P-CSCF
I-CSCF S-CSCFfor
[email protected] ?

Which system provides Service triggers

S-CSCF for
+ address/
IMS [email protected] ?
number analysis
P-CSCF

IMS
S-CSCF

IMS
I-CSCF
SIP session set-up
(voice +http-url)
July in LA for [email protected]
Geographically Distributed IMS Scenario - 2
Choose MGCF
In UK
BGCF

+44… is routed
by another BGCF
SIP session set-up
(voice) for
Bob +44… MGCF
MGW

Jane in IMS
Chicago S-CSCF

IMS Choose BGCF Which system provides IMS

BGCF to route S-CSCFfor
P-CSCF
[email protected] ?
Bob
Service triggers In England
+ address/
number analysis
IMS
S-CSCF

IMS
IMS S-CSCF
I-CSCF
SIP Registration / Re-Registration

1 8
2 9
3 10
4 11
5 12
6 13
7 14

12
Backbone AS
Packet HSS AS
AS
Network
9 10
4
14 11
6
8
1 3 5 7
Access
SIP SIP
P-CSCF I-CSCF S-CSCF

Visited or Home 2
13 Home
DNS
Network ENUM Network
IMS Subscriber to IMS Subscriber
(Single Network)
1 Initiate SIP Invitation 6 Retrieve Subscriber Profile (if needed)
2 Retrieve Subscriber Profile (if needed) 7 Apply Service Logic
3 Apply Service Logic 8 Forward INVITE to CLD Party
4 Retrieve Address of CLD Party Home Network 9 SDP Negotiation / Resource Reservation Control
and Forward INVITE.
10 Ringing / Alerting
5 Identify Registrar of CLD Party and Forward INVITE.
11 Answer / Connect

Calling and Called

HSS Control
Party Home Network DNS
Bearer
2 6
4
Diameter
3 7
AS S-CSCF
SIP 5
SIP I-CSCF
8

P-CSCF

11
10
1 Backbone 9
Packet
Access Access
Network
RTP Stream RTP Stream
IMS Subscriber to IMS Subscriber
(Multiple Networks)
1 Initiate SIP Invitation 6 Retrieve Subscriber Profile (if needed)
2 Retrieve Subscriber Profile (if needed) 7 Apply Service Logic
3 Apply Service Logic 8 Forward INVITE to CLD Party
4 Retrieve Address of CLD Party Home Network 9 SDP Negotiation / Resource Reservation Control
and Forward INVITE.
10 Ringing / Alerting
5 Identify Registrar of CLD Party and Forward INVITE.
11 Answer / Connect

Calling Party Called Party

Control Home Network HSS DNS HSS Home Network
Bearer
2
Diameter 6
Diameter Diameter
4
3 5 7
AS S-CSCF I-CSCF S-CSCF AS
SIP SIP

8
SIP SIP
Calling Party Called Party
Visited Network P-CSCF P-CSCF Visited Network

11
10
1 Backbone Backbone 9
Packet Packet
Access RTP Stream Access
Network Network
IMS Subscriber to PSTN(Single BGCF)

1 Initiate SIP Invitation 7 ISUP IAM

2 Retrieve Subscriber Profile (if needed) 8 Ringing / Alerting
3 Apply Service Logic 9 Answer / Connect
4 Select network to access PSTN, and select MGCF
5 Seize trunk / determine media capabilities of MGW Control
6 SDP Negotiation / Resource Reservation Control Bearer

Calling Party Home Network

Calling Party HSS

Visited or Home Network AS
9
3
2 Diameter 8
SIP
1 4 6 7
PSTN
Access P-CSCF SIP S-CSCF SIP BGCF SIP MGCF
ISUP

5 H.248
PCM
Backbone
RTP Stream MGW
Packet
Network
PSTN to IMS Subscriber
1 Incoming Call (ISUP IAM) 8 Forward SIP INVITE to Called Party UE
2 Seize Trunk and IP Port 9 SDP Negotiation / Resource Reservation Control
3 Initiate SIP Invitation 10 Alerting / Ringing
4 Determine where the Subscriber is Registered 11 Connect / Answer
5 Forward SIP INVITE to S-CSCF
6 Retrieve Subscriber Profile (optional)
7 Service Logic (if needed)

Called Party Home Network

Called Party HSS

Visited or Home Network AS
11
6
7 SIP Diameter 4 10
9 8 5 3 1
PSTN
Access P-CSCF SIP S-CSCF SIP I-CSCF SIP MGCF
ISUP

2 H.248 PCM

Backbone
RTP Stream MGW
Packet
Network
Trainer: YUAN ZHANG
E-mail: [email protected]
Department: Chinatelecom Beijing Research Institute
Address: China Telecom Beijing Information Science & Technology
Innovation Park, Southern Zone of Future Science & Technology City,
Beiqijia Town, Changping District, Beijing
中国信息通信研究院 http://www.caict.ac.cn