mcRNC Architecture and Functionality

Hardware and Functional Architecture

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mcRNC Architecture and Functionality

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mcRNC Architecture and Functionality

Table of Contents:

1 Multicontroller Network Element ........................................................................ 4

2 Processing and Functional Units ....................................................................... 5
3 Configuration Examples and Redundancy ....................................................... 10
4 Multicontroller Hardware .................................................................................. 14
5 Add-in Cards ................................................................................................... 20
6 AMCs .............................................................................................................. 23
7 Ethernet Switch Domain .................................................................................. 24
8 Exercise .......................................................................................................... 25

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1 Multicontroller Network Element

The generic, scalable multicontroller hardware platform is suitable for implementing a
wide range of processing-intensive products serving as controller-, gateway- or
server-type entities in telecommunication networks.

Controller-based network elements typically consist of two or more multicontroller

hardware modules.

The multicontroller interfacing is based on IP over Ethernet transport.

Each multicontroller hardware module provides six 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GigE)

interfaces for inter-module or external cabling. Furthermore, sixteen 1 GigE
interfaces are available for external cabling. The inter-module cabling is arranged in a
redundant fashion, so that if one cable breaks all modules can still communicate with
each other.

Let us next have a short look at the functional architecture of the mcRNC before
examining the hardware architecture in more detail.

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2 Processing and Functional Units

Each standalone mcRNC consists of two or more multicontroller hardware modules.
These modules are tightly integrated and have only a few field-replaceable parts.

The distributed processing architecture of the mcRNC is implemented by a

multiprocessor system, where the data processing capacity is divided between
several processors. These general purpose processing units can be assigned to
different processing tasks within the general computing platform.

The mcRNC functional architecture can be described in terms of processing units

(corresponding to add-in cards in the hardware architecture), where each processing
unit contains one or more functional units.

The functional units in the mcRNC belong to the control plane, user plane, transport
network layer, or management plane.

The internal communication between the functional units - as well as all external
communication - is based on Ethernet transmission.

Move your mouse pointer over the processing units to see which functional units they
contain, or over the functional units for a short description of each unit.

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3 Configuration Examples and Redundancy

The mcRNC minimum configuration consists of two hardware modules. More
hardware modules can be added if more capacity is required, and the mcRNC
maximum configuration consists of eight hardware modules.

O&M and centralized services that are essential for the system are implemented in
an active-standby configuration on two separate CFPU add-in cards located in
different hardware modules. This is called 2N or 1+1 redundancy.

CSPU add-in cards are cell-specific and are installed in an N+M redundancy
configuration, which means that there are N active units and M spare units in the
mcRNC.

The allocation of UE-specific functions and services is decided by the load balancers
in the External Interface Processing Units (EIPU add-in cards) and is dynamic in
nature. Hence, the control and user plane services on the USPU add-in cards are
configured with load sharing redundancy (SN+).

EIPU add-in cards provide crucial network and transport services. Hence, the
recovery groups on these add-in cards are protected using active-standby
redundancy.

The hard disk drives are also protected using active-standby redundancy.

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4 Multicontroller Hardware
The multicontroller hardware architecture consists of two AMC bays containing zero,
one or two Advanced Mezzanine Cards (AMCs), two power supply units and three
dual fans. These so-called field-replaceable units (FRUs) can be removed or inserted
without opening the cover of the hardware module.

Inside the hardware module, an intelligent motherboard provides up to eight slots for
processor add-in cards.

In the multicontroller RNC, these add-in cards are all based on 12-core Octeon
processors. The add-in cards are identical from the hardware point of view but can
be differentiated by loading different software to different add-in cards - in this way
implementing the processing units shown on the previous pages.

The front panel of the multicontroller hardware module provides various interfaces
and LEDs. Use your mouse pointer to find out more details.

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5 Add-in Cards
The unified, application-independent add-in card interfacing to the motherboard
offers the possibility to change the functionality of an add-in card or - more
importantly - of changing a 2G mcBSC module into a 3G mcRNC module, just by
installing the corresponding software.

Use your mouse pointer to see how the functional units could be located in a basic or
capacity extension hardware module.

You can also find out some facts about the Octeon add-in card processor technology.

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6 AMCs
Each multicontroller hardware module provides two Advanced Mezzanine Card
(AMC) expansion slots that can be accessed via the front panel of the module.

The basic modules of the mcRNC are equipped with a hard disk drive (HDD) AMC.

Data synchronization between the two hard disks in the two basic modules of the
mcRNC takes place via the Ethernet interconnecting network.

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7 Ethernet Switch Domain

The Ethernet switch domain is in charge of all the internal Ethernet switching in a
multicontroller hardware module. The Ethernet switch provides twenty-two 10 GigE
and twenty-eight 1 GigE ports. Sixteen 10 GigE ports offer internal connectivity
towards the eight add-in cards, and eleven 1 GigE ports offer internal connectivity
towards the two Advanced Mezzanine Cards.

The Ethernet switch domain naturally also offers external Ethernet connectivity.

Each hardware module provides six 10 GigE interfaces for inter-module or external
cabling. Furthermore, sixteen 1 GigE interfaces are available for external cabling.

The 1 GigE interconnecting is based on Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) modules.

The 10 GigE interconnecting is based on more advanced SFP+ modules or direct
attach cabling. 10 GigE ports can also be configured as 1 GigE ports, in which case
SFP modules must be used instead of SFP+ modules.

Regarding the cabling options, distances up to 100 meters can be reached using
twisted-pair copper cabling (1000Base-T). Multimode fiber connections typically
cover distances up to one kilometer, and the most advanced singlemode fiber
technology can handle transmission distances up to tens of kilometers.

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8 Exercise

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