System Architecture of GPRS

Group R1: Xiong Guangyu Nik A. Salleh

System Architecture
To understand GPRS system architecture it is helpful to first understand the architecture of GSM system. GPRS is an enhancement over the GSM and adds some nodes in the network to provide the packet switched services. These network nodes are called GSNs (GPRS Support Nodes) and are responsible for the routing and delivery of the data packets to and from the MS and external packet data networks (PDN).

Network Architecture

Addition of two network elements:

Serving GPRS Support Node(SGSN) Gateway GPRS Support Node(GGSN)

BSC

SGSN GGSN

Fig. 3-1 The SGSN and GGSN additions

Network Architecture
GPRS subscriber terminals Only GPRS terminals (TEs) can access GPRS servers
GPRS enabled phones, PDAs with embedded GSM, PC cards for laptops

These terminals will be backward compatible with GSM for voice calls, because existing GSM phones:
cannot handle the enhanced air interface cannot packetize data directly

Network Architecture
GPRS BSS
A software upgrade is required in the existing Base Transceiver Site (BTS). The Base Station Controller (BSC) also requires a software upgrade, and the installation of a new piece of hardware called a packet control unit (PCU). The PCU directs the data traffic to the GPRS network and can be a separate hardware element associated with BSC. The PCU provides a physical and logical data interface out of BSS for packet data traffic.

Network Architecture
GPRS Network
Add new core network elements Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN)
GGSN

SGSN

Fig 3.2 The overlay network interworks between public and private network

Network Architecture
GPRS can be thought of as an overlay network onto the GSM network. The data overlay network provides packet data transport from 9.6 to 171 Kbps. Multiple users can share the same air-interface resources. GPRS uses most of existing GSM network elements, plus new network elements, interface, and protocols for building a packet-based mobile cellular network.

Network Architecture
Databases (VLR and HLR) All the databases involved in the network requires software upgrades to handle the new call models and functions introduced by GPRS. The home Location Register (HLR) and Visitor Location Register (VLR) especially require upgrades to functionally service GPRS.

HLR

VLR

SGSN

Fig 3-3 The network reference model for GSM

Data Routing

A main issues in the GPRS network is the routing of data packets to/from a mobile user, which is divided into two areas:
Data packet routing Mobility management

Data Routing -- Data Packet Routing

Data Packet Routing
GGSN
handles interaction with the external data network. routes external data packets to the SGSN

There are the use of the various tools in a GPRS network (Fig. 3-5). Three different routing schemes are possible:
1) 2) 3)

Mobile-originated message. Network-initiated messages when the MS is in its home network. Network-initiated messages when the MS has roamed to another BPRS operators network.

Data Routing
-- Data Packet Routing

Fig. 3-5 The various components for data routing

Data Routing -- Data Packet Routing

GPRS operators will allow roaming through an interoperator backbone network GPRS operators connect to the interoperator network by a border Gateway (BG) The main benefits of the architecture are its flexibility, scalablity, interoperability and roaming The GPRS network encapsulates all data network protocols into its own encapsulation protocol, called the GPRS Tunning Procotocol (GTP).

Data Routing -- GPRS Mobility Management

The operation of GPRS is partly independent of the GSM network. However,some procedures share the network elements with current GSM functions. A mobile station has three states in the GPRS system:
Idle Standby Active

GPRS Mobility Management

Fig. 3-6 The GPRS traffic protocol stack

GPRS Mobility Management

Data is transmitted between a mobile station and the GPRS network only when the mobile station is in the active state. In the active state, the SGSN knows the cell location of the mobile station. In the standby state, the location of the station is known only as to which routing area it is in. In the idle state, the mobile station does not have a logical GPRS context activated or any Packet-Switched Public Data Network (PSPDZ) addresses allocated, The MS can receive only those multicast messages that can be received by any GPRS mobile station.

Network Architecture-New Interfaces

Fig. 3-7 The new interfaces in GPRS

Network Architecture-New Interfaces

Gb --Between the PCUSN and SGSN, using Frame Relay. Gr -- Between SGSN and HLR, extension of the Mobile Application Part (MAP). Gn -- Between SGSN and GGSN, using the GTP(tunneling) protocol. Gi -- Between GGSN and PDNs (X.25 and Internet Protocol [IP]). Gs -- Between SGSN and MSC/VLR, for some simultaneous GPRS and GSM operations. Gd -- Delivers SMS messages via GPRS (same as MAP from GSM). Gc -- Between GGSN and HLR.

The Different Backbone Used

SGSN

Fig. 3-8 The different backbones used

The Different Backbone Used

Each SGSN is linked to Packet Control Unit Switching Nodes (PCUSN) with a Frame Relay network:
The only protocol possible, with ETSI specifications Simpler than X.25 Capable of supporting data rates upto 2 Mbps The SGSN and GGSN are linked together within the GPRS backbone based on IP routing. GPRS tunnels the protocol data unit (PDU) using the GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP). GPRS will support interworking of mobile stations with IP first and X.25 later. Further, it will transmit the corresponding PDU transparently by encapsulation and decapsulation.

Initial Implementations
The first releases of GPRS products must support IP and interworking with the Internet and intranets. Domain Name Server (DNS) Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

TDMA-GPRS Physical Channel Capacity

The Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA frame structure for GPRS is the same as for GSM (Fig. 3-10). GPRS provides flexible allocation of physical channels to GPRS service. The GPRS traffic load in a given cell varies as a function of time.

Fig. 3-10 Physical Channel Capacity

GPRS Logical Channels

a logical channel refers to a flow of information between entities for a particular purpose. Logical channels are carried within the physical channels.

Fig. 3-11 GPRS Logical Channels

GPRS Logical Channels Packet Broadcast Control Channel(PBCCH)

A downlink function used for broadcast of system information to the mobile station in a cell

Packet Common Control Channel(PCCCH)

A control channel service for signaling for the packet data:
Packet Random Access Channel (PRACH) Packet Paging Channel (PPCH) Packet Access Grant Channel (PAGCH) Packet Notification Channel (PNCH)

GPRS Logical Channels Packet Data Traffic Channel (PDTCH)

The traffic channel is an up and downlink function used for user data traffic transfer. PDTCH is temporarily dedicated to a user or group of users. PDTCH for uplink and PDTCH for downlink are unidirectional and assigned separately to support asymmetric user traffic flow.

GPRS Logical Channels

Packet-Dedicated Control Channel (PDCCH)
Packet Associated Control Channel (PACCH)
An uplink and downlink function used to carry signaling information to and from the mobile station

Packet Timing Advance Control Channel/Uplink (PTCCH/UL)

Used for estimation of timing advance of one mobile station

Packet Timing Advance Control Channel/Downlink (PTCCH/DL)

Used to transmit timing advance information to several mobile stations

Mapping Logical Channels onto Physical Channels

Multiple logical channels are mapped onto the same physical channel in a timesharing manner.

Fig. 3-12 Mapping Logical Channels onto Physical Channels