Diameter Agents : 1.

Diameter Relay Agent / Agent DRA:

2.Diameter Proxy

A Relay agent does NOT inspect the actual contents of the message. When a Relay agent receives a request, it will route messages to other Diameter nodes based on information found in the message, for example, Application ID and Destination-Realm. A routing table (Realm Routing Table) is looked up to find the next-hop Diameter peer.

As a Diameter Relay Agent the DRA accepts requests and routes messages to other Diameter nodes based on information found in the messages (for example Destination-Realm). This routing decision is performed using a list (Realm Routing Table) of supported realms and known peers. Diameter Relay Agents modify Diameter messages by inserting and removing routing information, but they do not modify any other portion of a message.

DPA: includes the function of DRA as well as following:

Diameter Proxy CAN inspects the actual contents of the message to perform admission control, policy control, add special information elements (AVP) handling. Diameter Proxy CAN process non-routing related AVPs. In other words, a Diameter Proxy can actually process messages for certain Diameter applications .

As a Diameter Proxy Agent the DRA routes Diameter messages using the Diameter Routing Table. However, it also modify messages to meet the recipient Diameter peers requirements. Such feature is essential to ensure Diameter Signaling works between any roaming MNOs when using the Service.

Reference: http://diameter-protocol.blogspot.in/2012/06/realm-based-routing-table.html
Lets see how a typical Realm Based Routing Table look like EXAMPLE:-

Consider Node-A supports four application Ids (1,2,3,4) and all the connections are dynamically configured. Application Ids are advertised in CER/CEA messages. then PeerTable and Realm-Based routing table should contain following entries. PEER TABLE

Host Node-B Node-C Node-E

State Open Open Open

Node Discovery Dynamic Dynamic Dynamic

TLS (Security) Enabled Enabled Enabled

Expiration Time

REALM ROUTING TABLE Realm-Name Realm-1 Realm-2 Realm-2 Realm -3 Application-Id App-Id-1 App-Id-3 App-Id-4 App-Id-2 Server-Id (NodeName) Node-B Node-E Node-E Node-C LOCAL PROXY PROXY RELAY Dynamic Dynamic Dynamic Dynamic Local Action Node Discovery Expiration Time

Entries are self-explanatory,Now route at all servers can be identified easily. All pertaining to rout is their with the node,Using Realm Name and Application Identifier a message can be sent to destination.

http://www.gsma.com/technicalprojects/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ipxwp12.pdf

Functions of IMS SBCs in access and interconnect infrastructures

Access Signaling plane P-CSCF

Interconnect I-BCF

UE authentication, authorization and registration SIP security SIP encryption SIP message forwarding and routing SIP message manipulation and normalization NAT and firewall

SIP security SIP message forwarding, routing and load-balancing SIP message manipulation and normalization NAT and firewall traversal IPv6-IPv4 interworking Lawful intercept

traversal IPv6-IPv4 interworking (IMSALG) Lawful intercept (signaling) TrGW

(signaling)

Media plane

IMS-AGW

Media flow firewalling, filtering, bandwidth control and steering Media flow security Media flow encryption Media flow interworking (SRTP-RTP, MSRPMSRPS, IPv6-IPv4) Lawful intercept (media)

Media flow firewalling, filtering, bandwidth control and steering Media flow security Transcoding Lawful intercept (media)