What is MIH?

The MIH system architecture is a three-tier client-server architecture in which the front-end
server applications, middle-tier server applications, and back-end tier server applications are
developed and maintained as independent modules.
■ Access Layer: Serves as an interface between the handsets in the wireless network and
the target Web servers, including data manipulation and services, such as Charging and
Access Control that require direct traffic access.
■ Application Layer: Supports subscriber browsing and push sessions by communicating
with the RADIUS authentication servers to authorize subscribers, processes session
cookies between the TMs and the data storage server, and track and manage subscriber
sessions. In addition, the application layer retrieves subscriber profiles and cookies from
the system database, updates TM parameters, and transfers configuration changes to the
access layer.
■ Data Layer: Supports the storage of system configuration and subscriber parameters in
the system, subscriber profile data, COS and service policy rules, CDRs, site configurations,
and performance and service statistics.
■ Management Layer: Provides the OSS/BSS and platform functions for the system,
including the operation and maintenance of system components, subscriber provisioning,
billing, logging and statistics, monitoring components and system status, system
configurations, and service management.

MIH Redundancy Architecture

The MIH system has no single point of failure. System units in need of repair are
deactivated and replaced by other units. The stand-in units maintain service while the
main units are unavailable, preventing service interruptions. The level of redundancy
is configurable and meets the specific requirements of each installation.
The system also copies critical system data on two physically separate sets of disks. In
the event of a disk failure, the system data is available for use on the other disk. This
saves and protects critical system data from being unavailable or lost.
The MIH system uses the following redundancy configurations:
■ Active/Standby: Used for specialized system units that require almost no system
downtime.
This configuration includes two units:

 Active: The active unit is the current functional system unit. It runs in full
operational mode, directly accessing system units and performing system
functions.
 Standby: The standby unit is the backup unit. It does not perform system
functions; rather, the system updates it with the active unit’s resources and
database activities.
When the active unit fails, the standby unit automatically takes over and becomes the active
unit within a few minutes. The new active unit supports all previous functionality. The previous
active unit then becomes the standby unit.
■ Active/Active (Load Sharing): Used for units where both units are equally active
and functional and receive traffic depending on the current system load. Each unit
has a different machine name and IP address. When one unit fails, the system
notifies the servers of the changeover, and supplies them with the IP address of
the active unit for message routing. The messages are automatically routed to the
other active unit.
■ N+1: Used for system units with identical functionality. The load is balanced
between the required number of servers (N) in addition to one extra server (N+1),
even though the required number of servers (N) is enough to support the required
system capacity. This allows data load and traffic to be equally distributed among
the units. If one unit fails, another identical unit takes over the failed unit’s
processing and system load.

1. MIH Services
The MIH system allows operators to control, manage and monitor the subscriber
traffic and browsing experience. When a subscriber initiates a request, the TM
retrieves the subscriber profile from the subscriber database. The subscriber profile
specifies the subscriber’s COS and the rules configured by the operator, which provide
the subscriber with a unique user experience.

The services available to you depend on your configuration.

The MIH uses the following services for subscriber sessions:
■ Access Control: Enables operators to permit or deny subscribers access to specific
Internet sites and servers (see Access Control Service).
■ Charging Services: Include Include the Charging and Charging Exceptions services,
which enable you to charge prepaid and postpaid subscribers using multiple
charging models, and specify the MIH behavior towards an out-of-balance prepaid
subscriber (see Charging Service).
■ Force Home Page: Enables operators to configure specific default Web pages for
the subscriber, which are accessed when the subscriber first connects to the TM
(see Force Home Page Service).
■ Home Key: Enables operators to configure specific default Web pages for the
subscriber, which are accessed when the subscriber presses a Home key button
(see Home Key Service).
■ Personalization: Enables operators to send information about the subscriber's
session using HTTP or RTSP headers (see Personalization Service).
 ■ Quota Management Services: Include the Traffic Based Quota, Traffic Based Quota
Exceptions, Session Duration Quota, and Session Duration Quota Exceptions
services, which enable you to manage subscriber activity quota (see Quota
Management Service). Quota Management services are optional and only available
if the DPI server is part of your configuration.
■ Redirect: Enables operators to reroute subscriber requests to alternate proxy
gateways in the network (see Redirect Service).
■ SMSC Notification for Bill Shock Prevention: Enable the operator to notify a
subscriber once the the subscriber quota reach a certain threshold.
■ Web Optimization Services: Enable operators to optimize the subscriber's
browsing session (see SMSC notification Services).

1.1.1 Access Control Service

Access control rules allow operators the ability to permit or deny subscribers access to
specific Internet sites and servers. You can block, allow, or redirect subscriber requests
according to the declared user agent, profile, the specific URL requested, specific
Access Point Numbers (APNs), transaction, subscriber information received from MIH,
and RADIUS accounting start message. Blocked subscribers get error pages with the
reason they are being blocked.
Operators can define these configurations by using the Service Policy Management
(SPM) GUI. You can have a single definition for all subscribers, or different definitions
for different COSs. For more information, see the Service Policy Management User
Guide.

The Access Control service applies to WAP 1.x and WAP 2.0 (HTTP), RTSP, and
other traffic (excluding the redirect action, which only applies to WAP 1.x and
WAP 2).
If the DPI server is part of your configuration, the Access Control service also
applies to all applications detected by DPI technology.

1.1.2 Charging Services

The Charging feature enables you to charge prepaid subscribers (in real-time) by using
multiple charging parameters, and includes the following services:
■ Traffic-Based Charging: Enables you to charge prepaid subscribers based on one
of the following charging models:
 Volume: Charges the subscriber based on the number of KB that are uploaded
and downloaded
 Streaming Duration: Charges the subscriber based on the duration of an
RTSP/RTP streaming session
  Event: Charges the subscriber based on occurrence of specific event such as
ringtone download
■ Session Duration Charging: Enables you to charge prepaid subscribers based on
the session duration (the number of seconds from RADIUS Start to RADIUS Stop).
Rules defined for Traffic-Based and Session Duration Charging Exceptions enable you
to define MIH behavior towards a prepaid subscriber who receives an out-of-balance
notification from the PPS. For example, an out-of-balance subscriber could browse to
specific free content, or be redirected to a recharge site.
Charging models are implemented by using dynamic rules that act on parameters
from the lowest network level (for example, Source or Destination IP) to the highest
level (for example, a specific URL).
The charging services use the 3GPP charging application (Gy interface), which is an
extension of the Diameter Credit-Control Application (DCCA) defined in RFC 4006. For
more information on protocols, see Error: Reference source not found.

Charging services apply to WAP 1.x and WAP 2 (HTTP), RTSP, and other
traffic.
You can also charge for HTTP L3/L4 overhead bytes (configurable).
If the DPI server is part of your configuration, the charging services also apply
to all applications detected by the DPI.

1.1.3 Force Home Page Service

The Force Home Page service is a type of URL redirection that applies to the first
subscriber request in a browsing session. When a subscriber connects to the TM, the
Force Home Page rule overrides the target URL in the first request, and directs the
subscriber to the Web page defined by the Force Home Page feature.
Operators can configure the Force Home Page feature for all subscribers, specific
COSs, specific user agents, and other parameters.

The Force Home Page service applies to WAP 1.x and WAP 2.0 (HTTP) traffic

1.1.4 Home Key Service

The Home Key service enables operators to configure a default home page, which is
triggered when the subscriber selects the handset's Home Key button (handset-
dependent) at any time during a browsing session. Operators can configure a Home
Key for a specific COS or for all subscribers.
 The Home Key service applies to WAP 1.x and WAP 2 (HTTP) traffic.

1.1.5 Personalization Service

The Personalization service enables the operator to revise subscriber requests by
providing additional information received from the subscriber profile, RADIUS
accounting start messages, or static information defined by the operator. You can
insert, rename, or delete headers. You can have a single header definition for all
subscribers, or different definitions for different COSs. Operators can integrate this
with their other services, such as their portal, to provide better and more personalized
service to the subscriber.

The Personalization service applies to WAP 1.x, WAP 2.0 (HTTP), and RTSP
traffic.

1.1.6 Quota Management Services

The Quota Management feature includes the following services:
■ Traffic-Based Quota: Enables you to assign and manage subscriber volume quota
according to rule criteria. Volume is calculated according to transaction size.
■ Session Duration Quota: Enables you to assign and manage subscriber duration
quota according to rule criteria. Duration is calculated according to the session
duration (the number of seconds between RADIUS Start and RADIUS Stop
messages).
Rules defined for Traffic-Based/Session Duration Quota Exceptions enable you to
define MIH behavior towards a subscriber who reached a predefined quota threshold,
by applying actions such as Block, Redirect, or Apply a QoS Policy. You can also
notify subscribers about their current consumption status.

Quota Management services apply to WAP 1.x and WAP 2.0 (HTTP), RTSP,
and other traffic, and all applications detected by the DPI.
Quota Management services can include L3/L4 overhead byte count for HTTP
traffic (configurable).
Quota Management services are only available if your configuration includes
the DPI server, and not included in the basic MIH package.

1.1.7 Redirect Service

The WAP redirect rules enables subscriber requests to be selectively redirected to
alternate proxy gateways in the network because of different service support by
different proxy gateways.
 The redirect criteria selection is based on the following parameters: URL (target URL),
IP (destination IP address), Port, Device (subscriber handset), Source IP (subscriber
handset IP address), and other parameters configurable in the SPM GUI. According to
the criteria selection for redirecting, the subscriber data packets are redirected to an
alternate proxy gateway defined by its IP address.
You can have a single redirecting definition for all subscribers, or different definitions
for different COSs.

The Redirecting service applies to WAP 1.x /WAP 2 (HTTP)/RTSP traffic.

1.1.8 SMSC notification Services

The SMSC notification feature enables to inform subscribers via SMS about roaming
and quota limit issues;

 Bill Shock Prevention: May protect users from potential bill shock often
associated with exceeding quota limits, the Policy Manager enables CSPs to
define different notifications that will be sent to users (via http redirect or
SMS) upon reaching predefined quota thresholds (e.g.: 80%, 95% and 100% of
quota limit).

To manage bill shock prevention MIH has to manage all subscriber’s

quota in its DB. Synchronize quota between MIH and Comverse One, required
the customer to manage dual provisioning.
 Roamer notification: Will notify roamer subscriber when he does not have the
minimum required balance for browsing, or when MIH fails to reserve
additional balance for a roamer.

Roaming indications can be done only when MIH manage the subscribers
charging

1.1.9 Web Optimization Services

The Web Optimization feature includes the data compression with the following
services:
■ Data Compression: The TM supports the following data compression
configurations, which are not managed via the SPM GUI:
 TM Requests Web Server to Compress Data: In HTTP version 1.1, the client can
request to receive compressed data, and the server might, or might not grant
this request. The TM acts as an intermediary and requests the Web server to
compress the data if the mobile terminal requests it.
 TM Compresses Data: The TM can also compress the data itself, in cases where
the mobile terminal requests compression and the Web server does not
provide it. The compression is based on Zlib (defined in RFC 1950) library
(version 1.1.4) and it supports two compression methods, deflate and gzip.
There are 10 levels of compression, where 0 means no compression and 9 means
maximum compression. The compression level is configurable via the TM Console
application.