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• telecommunication design
• systems engineering
• real-time and embedded systems

LTE Attach and Default Bearer

Setup Messaging
© 2012 EventHelix.com Inc.
All Rights Reserved
 EventHelix.com
LTE Attach Message • telecommunication design
• systems engineering

Sequence Chart • real-time and embedded systems

eNodeB MME SGW HSS

Initial UE Message
Update Location Request

Update Location Answer

Create Session Request

Create Session Response

Initial Context Setup + Attach Accept +

Activate Default Bearer

Initial Context Setup Response

Attach Complete + Activate Default Bearer Accept

Modify Bearer Request

© 2012 EventHelix.com Inc. 2

 EventHelix.com
• telecommunication design
• systems engineering
S1AP: eNodeB  MME • real-time and embedded systems
S1AP Initial UE Message Id: eNB UE S1AP ID

• Initial UE Message is the first Tracking Area Code

message sent to the MME to Tracking Area Id
establish a connection Cell Id
• The eNode uses the eNB-UE-S1AP-
ID to uniquely identify the UE

S1AP Initial UE Message

EPS Attach
• EPS attach type may be: EPS attach type
• EPS Attach: UE is attaching only Combined EPS/IMSI
to the 4G LTE network Attach
• Combined EPS/IMSI Attach:
IMSI
• The UE identity is specified is:
• IMSI: If the UE has is not Attach Request Identity
registered with the network Old GUTI
• Old GUTI: Subsequent attach EPS Encryption
Algorithm Supported
requests identify the UE with the
Old GUTI
EPS Integrity
Algorithm Supported

PDN Type: IPV4

Connection Request
Type: Initial Attach

© 2012 EventHelix.com Inc. 3

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S6A: MME  HSS • telecommunication design
• systems engineering
Diameter Update Location • real-time and embedded systems
Request
Update Location
• MME updates the UE location with Command Code
Request
the HSS
S6a interface
• Origin and Destination are Application Id
application
specified as Host and Realm
(domain) Host
• The user name in the request is set Origin

Diameter Update Location

to IMSI Realm
• The Radio Access Technology is
specified in the RAT Type

Request
Host
• It will be set to EUTRAN for LTE
Destination
access
Realm
• The Visited PLMN is also included
in the message
User Name IMSI

RAT Type EUTRAN

MCC
Visited PLMN Id
MNC

© 2012 EventHelix.com Inc. 4

 EventHelix.com
S6A: MME  HSS • telecommunication design
• systems engineering
Diameter Update Location Result Code: Success
• real-time and embedded systems
Answer Subscriber Status:
Service Granted
• The HSS accesses the database and Maximum Requested
Bandwidth Uplink
responds with user information to the

Diameter Update Location

Aggregate Maximum
Bit Rate
MME Maximum Requested
Bandwidth Downlink
• The Aggregate Maximum Bit Rate (AMBR) Access Restriction

Answer
Data
occurs twice in the message: Called Station Id
• The first occurrence specifies the MSISDN
maximum bit rate for the default PDP
PDN Type IPV4
context
• The second occurrence specifies the data
maximum data limit via the APN. These PDN GW Address
limits are specified by the PDN
• APN configuration also includes: PDN GW Name
APN Configuration
• IP address of the PDN Gateway. This Profile
address is used to determine the default QCI specifies BER,
QoS Class Identifier
Priority, GBR
route for the traffic towards the Internet
• IP address assigned to the UE (Served Served Party IP
Party IP Address) Address

3GPP Charging
Characteristics
Maximum Requested
Bandwidth Uplink
Aggregate Maximum
Bit Rate
Maximum Requested
Bandwidth Downlink

© 2012 EventHelix.com Inc. 5

 EventHelix.com
Default Bearer • telecommunication design
• systems engineering

Establishment • real-time and embedded systems

MME  SGW:
Create Session
Request

SGW  PGW: •The SGW asks

the PGW to
Create Session establish the
Request bearer

SGW  PGW: •The PGW

establishes the
Create Session bearer and
responds back to
Response the SGW

MME  SGW: • The SGW

responds
Create Session back to the
Response MME

© 2012 EventHelix.com Inc. 6

 IMSI
EventHelix.com
S11: MME  SGW • telecommunication design
RAT Type EUTRAN • systems engineering
GTP Create Session • real-time and embedded systems
Request TEID

• MME initiates the default route Sender F-TEID for

MME IP Address
Control Plane
establishment by asking the SGW
to create a GTP tunnel EPS Bearer Id
• The source is identified by the fully
qualified endpoint identifier with PDN Type IPV4 OR IPV6

GTP Create Session Request

the Tunnel Endpoint Identifier
ARP
(TEID) and the MME IP Address
Bearer Context
• The IP Address assigned to the UE QCI
QCI specifies BER,
Priority, GBR
is also included along with the MSISDN
downlink and uplink maximum
data rates allowed at the APN level TAI MCC, MNC, TAC

• The TAI and ECGI (E-UTRAN Cell

ECGI Contents MCC, MNC, ECI
Group Identifier) information
identify the current location of the
TEID
user PGW S5/S9
Address for Control
PGW IP Address
PDN IP Address

APN
IP Address
PDN Address Assigned to UE
Allocation Aggregate Max Bit Downlink and
Rate APN Limit Uplink

© 2012 EventHelix.com Inc. 7

S1AP: eNodeB  MME EventHelix.com
S1AP Initial Context Setup Request • telecommunication design
NAS Attach Accept • systems engineering
Activate Default Bearer Request • real-time and embedded systems

The next message from the MME is

really a three-in-one. The message

Accept/ Default Bearer Request

Initial Context Request / Attach
contains:
• SIAP Initial Context Setup Request
• A request to establish a context S1AP Initial Context
S1AP PDU
between the MME and eNodeB Setup Request
• The message contains SGW
tunneling information EPS mobility
• NAS Attach Accept NAS Attach Accept
management messages
• This message acknowledges the
successful Attach to the UE.
• The eNodeB will pass this
EPS session Activate Default Bearer
message to the UE management messages Request
• Activate Default Bearer Request
• The message initiates the default
bearer setup on the UE
• The eNodeB will pass this
message to the UE

© 2012 EventHelix.com Inc. 8

 EventHelix.com
S1AP: eNodeB  MME • telecommunication design
MME UE S1AP ID • systems engineering
S1AP Initial Context Setup • real-time and embedded systems
Request ENB UE S1AP ID
• The MME responds with MME UE Downlink
S1AP ID that was received from Aggregate Max
the eNodeB in the initial UE Bitrate (AMBR)
Uplink
message

SIAP Initial Context Setup

• The message also contains the
MME UE S1AP ID QCI
• The message contains the

Request
maximum aggregate bit rate eRAB Max Bit Rate
information. Downlink
• The message also contains the eRAB Max Bit Rate
information about the default Uplink
eRAB.
• QCI to assign session priority RAB Guaranteed Bit
eRABs to Setup eRAB ID
Rate Downlink
• The maximum bit rate for the
eRAB
Encryption RAB Guaranteed Bit
• Guaranteed bit rate for the eRAB Algorithm Rate Uplink
• Transport Layer Address assigns UE Security
the IP Address for the user plane Capability
Integrity Protection Transport Layer
entity on the S-GW Algorithm Address
• GTP TE ID identifies the S-GW Security Key
end of the user plane tunnel GTP TE ID
• The security capabilities specify
the encryption and integrity
protection algorithm to be used
for the UE session
© 2012 EventHelix.com Inc. 9
 EventHelix.com
eNodeB  MME • telecommunication design
• systems engineering
UE  eNodeB • real-time and embedded systems
NAS Attach Accept
• The Attach Accept is carried as
NAS payload in the Initial Context EPS Attach Result EPS Only
Setup Request
• The message specifies that the T3412
attach has been successful. The Type One PLMN

NAS Attach Accept

terminal is attached to the EPS
only (i.e. LTE only, no SGSN TAI List
PLMN
registration)
Partial TAI List
• The T3412 timer specifies the
maximum time between tracking TAC List
area updates from the terminal MCC
• The TAI list in the message
specifies the PLMN and the MNC
Tracking Area Codes for all the
registered tracking areas
• The message contains GUTI. GUTI GUTI MME Group Id
uniquely identifies the UE with
PLMN, MME Group, MMC code GPRS Ready Timer MME Code
and the M-TMSI
• Finally, the GPRS Ready timer is
included in the message. M-TMSI
• The UE will be transitioned to
IDLE if no activity is detected for
this period

© 2012 EventHelix.com Inc. 10

eNodeB  MME EventHelix.com
UE  eNodeB • telecommunication design
• systems engineering
Activate Default Bearer • real-time and embedded systems
Request
• The Attach Accept is carried as
NAS payload in the Initial Context
Setup Request QCI
• The EPS Bearer id identifies the
bearer that needs to be activated
eRAB Max Bit Rate
• The EPS QoS carries quality of EPS Bearer Id

Activate Default Bearer

service information: Downlink
• QCI to assign session priority
•
eRAB Max Bit Rate
The maximum bit rate for the EPS QoS

Request
bearer Uplink
• Guaranteed bit rate for the
bearer RAB Guaranteed
• The Access Point Name (APN) is Access Point Name
Bit Rate Downlink
included in the message
• The PDN IP address assigned by RAB Guaranteed
the HSS is passed to the UE PDN Address
Bit Rate Uplink

© 2012 EventHelix.com Inc. 11

 EventHelix.com
eNodeB  MME • telecommunication design
Initial Context Setup • systems engineering
Response • real-time and embedded systems

• The eNodeB sends the Initial

Context Setup Response message
to the MME.
• The message confirms the

S1AP Initial Context Setup

establishment of the GTP tunnel
on the S1-U interface MME UE S1AP ID

Response
• The message contains information
about the RABs that are being eNB UE S1AP ID E-RAB ID
established at startup.
Transport Layer
• The following information is E-RAB Setup List E-RAB Setup Item
Address
present for each RAB
• The E-RAB ID GTP TEID
• The transport layer IP address on
the eNodeB.
• The eNodeB GTP Tunneling ID
(TEID) for the eNodeB side.

© 2012 EventHelix.com Inc. 12

 EventHelix.com
Completing the Attach and • telecommunication design
• systems engineering

Default Bearer Activation • real-time and embedded systems

eNodeB  MME: • eNodeB transports

Attach Complete and
Attach Complete Activate Default
Bearer Accept
+ Activate Default • The message was
Bearer Accept received from the UE

• Inform SGW
MME  SGW: about the
Modify Bearer eNodeB’s user
plane IP address
Request and GTP TEID

© 2012 EventHelix.com Inc. 13

 EventHelix.com
• telecommunication design
Thank You • systems engineering
• real-time and embedded systems

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