Networks Model II
Networks Model II
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The Mobile Switching Center (MSC) serves as the central element in a mobile
telecommunication network, also known as a Public Land Mobile Network
(PLMN). In a traditional circuit-switched network, the MSC manages all
connections between subscribers, routing them through the switching matrix.
1. Registration of Mobile Subscribers:
When a mobile device (Mobile Station or MS) is powered on, it
registers with the network, becoming reachable by other
subscribers.
2. Call Establishment and Routing:
Manages the establishment and routing of calls between two
subscribers, ensuring efficient communication.
3. Forwarding SMS (Short Messaging Service) Messages:
Facilitates the forwarding of SMS messages, enabling text
communication between mobile subscribers.
Discuss small screen web browsing is done over GPRS and EDGE.(APR/MAY
2018).
1. GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Characteristics:
Bearer for IP Packets: GPRS serves as a bearer for IP packets, allowing
mobile devices to transmit data over the internet.
Latency: GPRS is characterized by longer latency, meaning there is a
delay in the transmission of data. In moving environments, the latency
can vary, impacting the user experience.
Coverage Limitations: Users may experience a loss of service if they
move outside the coverage area of the network.
Device Limitations: Devices using GPRS often have limited capabilities,
such as small screens and relatively low processing power compared to
PCs.
2. EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) Characteristics:
Sufficient Bandwidth: EDGE provides sufficient bandwidth for web
browsing, offering faster data transfer compared to GPRS.
3. WAP 1.1 for Early GPRS Devices:
Bandwidth Limitations: WAP 1.1 was designed for devices with very
limited bandwidth, affecting the speed of page downloads.
Processing Power: Constrained devices had very limited processing
power, impacting the speed at which pages could be rendered on the
screen.
Connection Reliability: Due to limited bandwidth, reliability of the
connection was crucial to reduce the impact of interruptions on user
experience.
Media Support: WAP 1.1 supported only black and white images in
WBMP format, suitable for the limited capabilities of early mobile
devices.
Protocol Stack: WAP 1.1 used WML and a special protocol stack (WSP)
instead of HTTP for page transfers.
4. WAP 2.0:
Graphics Support: WAP 2.0 browsers added support for additional
graphics formats like GIF, allowing for more visually appealing content.
Gateway Role: The WAP 2.0 gateway continued to play a role in billing,
control functionality, and as a simple HTTP proxy.
5. Small Screen Web Browsing with Network Side Compression:
High-End Mobile Devices: Modern high-end mobile devices come with built-
in web browsers capable of downloading and displaying standard web pages.
Drawbacks: Slow download speed over GPRS and EDGE, along with
limited processing power, result in a degraded user experience.
Network Side Compression: To overcome limitations, some web
browsers use network side compression servers to compress standard web
pages before downloading them to the mobile device.
Intelligent Zooming and Reflow: The compressed content allows for
intelligent zooming and reflow mechanisms, displaying standard web
pages effectively on small screens without horizontal scrolling.
User Experience: This approach offers an excellent web-browsing
experience, especially on devices with smaller screens, as it minimizes
data transmission time and adapts content for optimal display.
Impact on Mobility: The use of compressed content is particularly
advantageous in mobile environments, where standard web pages are
downloaded quickly, and coverage issues have less impact on the overall
experience compared to using uncompressed content.
Small screen web browsing over GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) and
EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) poses unique challenges
and opportunities. Here's a comprehensive discussion:
1. **Slow Data Speeds:**
- GPRS and EDGE are 2G and 2.5G technologies, respectively, offering
relatively slower data speeds compared to 3G, 4G, and 5G. This
limitation affects the speed at which web pages load on small screens.
2. **Limited Processing Power:**
- Devices using GPRS and EDGE for web browsing often have limited
processing power, which can impact the rendering and loading of
complex web pages.
6. **Data Efficiency:**
- Network side compression not only speeds up data transfer but also
reduces the amount of data transmitted over the network. This is crucial
for optimizing bandwidth usage in GPRS and EDGE environments.
7. **User Experience:**
- Despite the limitations of slow data speeds, the use of network side
compression can significantly enhance the web-browsing experience on
small screens. The intelligent adaptation of content ensures that users can
navigate websites effectively.
8. **Cost Considerations:**
- GPRS and EDGE often come with data usage costs. Network side
compression, by reducing the amount of data transmitted, can lead to cost
savings for users, especially in regions where data plans are charged
based on usage.
The internal architecture of the user equipment for LTE is identical to the one
used by UMTS and GSM which is actually a Mobile Equipment (ME). The
mobile equipment comprised of the following important modules:
A USIM stores user-specific data very similar to 3G SIM card. This keeps
information about the user's phone number, home network identity and security
keys etc.
The E-UTRAN handles the radio communications between the mobile and the
evolved packet core and just has one component, the evolved base stations,
called eNodeB or eNB. Each eNB is a base station that controls the mobiles in
one or more cells. The base station that is communicating with a mobile is
known as its serving eNB.
LTE Mobile communicates with just one base station and one cell at a time and
there are following two main functions supported by eNB:
The eBN sends and receives radio transmissions to all the mobiles using
the analogue and digital signal processing functions of the LTE air
interface.
The eNB controls the low-level operation of all its mobiles, by sending
them signalling messages such as handover commands.
The architecture of Evolved Packet Core (EPC) has been illustrated below.
There are few more components which have not been shown in the diagram to
keep it simple. These components are like the Earthquake and Tsunami
Warning System (ETWS), the Equipment Identity Register (EIR) and Policy
Control and Charging Rules Function (PCRF).
Below is a brief description of each of the components shown in the above
architecture:
The Home Subscriber Server (HSS) component has been carried forward
from UMTS and GSM and is a central database that contains information
about all the network operator's subscribers.
The Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (P-GW) communicates with
the outside world ie. packet data networks PDN, using SGi interface.
Each packet data network is identified by an access point name (APN).
The PDN gateway has the same role as the GPRS support node (GGSN)
and the serving GPRS support node (SGSN) with UMTS and GSM.
The serving gateway (S-GW) acts as a router, and forwards data between
the base station and the PDN gateway.
The mobility management entity (MME) controls the high-level operation
of the mobile by means of signalling messages and Home Subscriber
Server (HSS).
The Policy Control and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) is a component
which is not shown in the above diagram but it is responsible for policy
control decision-making, as well as for controlling the flow-based
charging functionalities in the Policy Control Enforcement Function
(PCEF), which resides in the P-GW.
PART C
When the mobile device is attached to the GSM network, it can be either in
‘idle’ mode as long as there is no connection or in ‘dedicated’ mode during
a voice call or exchange of signaling information. Explain the GPRS State
model in detail.
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a packet-switched technology used for
2G and 3G cellular communication networks, enabling data transmission
alongside voice communication. The GPRS state model defines different states
that a mobile device can be in during communication over the GPRS network.
These states include:
1. Idle State:
Standby Mode (GSM Idle): In this mode, the mobile device is
attached to the GSM network but is not actively involved in any
data communication. It can receive calls and text messages but is
not connected to GPRS. The device is said to be in Packet Idle (Pkt
Idle) mode.
2. Ready State:
Cell Selection State (GSM Ready): When the mobile device is in
idle mode and initiates a data transfer request, it enters the Cell
Selection state. In this state, the device selects a suitable GPRS cell
for communication.
3. Packet Transfer States:
Packet Idle (Pkt Idle): The mobile device is attached to the GPRS
network but is not actively sending or receiving data packets. It's
waiting for a data transfer request.
Packet Access (Pkt Access): The device is actively initiating a
data transfer request. It sends a Packet Channel Request to the
network, requesting resources for packet data transfer.
Packet Transfer (Pkt Transfer): After successfully acquiring
resources, the device enters the Packet Transfer state, where actual
data transfer occurs.
4. TBF (Temporary Block Flow) Establishment and Release:
TBF Establishment: When a mobile device initiates data transfer,
a Temporary Block Flow is established. It involves the allocation
of radio resources and the setup of a logical connection for data
transmission.
TBF Release: After completing the data transfer or when there is
no further need for data communication, the TBF is released,
freeing up the allocated resources.
5. Network Mode Modification:
GSM Cell Update: If the mobile device moves to a new GSM cell
while in an active GPRS session, it performs a GSM cell update to
inform the network of its new location.
Routing Area Update: In some cases, a GPRS mobile device may
perform a Routing Area Update to update the network about its
current location within the GPRS network.
Paging Mode:
In this state, the network can initiate a connection with the mobile device by
sending a paging message.
The device may transition from Idle State to Paging Mode when the network
needs to establish a GPRS connection.
Cell Reselection State:
When the mobile device needs to change its serving cell within the same
location area, it enters the Cell Reselection State.
This state allows the device to switch to a different cell for better signal quality
or other network-related reasons.
1. PDP Context Activation:
Before data transfer, the device activates a PDP context, defining
data transfer parameters.
2. Routing Area Update:
Movement between routing areas triggers a Routing Area Update
for optimized location tracking.
3. Temporary Block Flow:
Temporarily pausing data transmission occurs in the Temporary
Block Flow state.
4. Suspend State:
Active data sessions can be temporarily suspended, allowing for
interruptions like incoming voice calls.
5. Reconnect Mode:
Resuming a suspended data session involves transitioning to the
Reconnect Mode.
6. Release State:
After completing a data session, the device enters Release State,
informing the network about resource deallocation.
GPRS timeslot can be assigned to a single subscriber to increase the data
transmission speed. Show how GPRS radio resource management works.
GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) is a mobile data service that enables data
transmission over GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) networks.
GPRS radio resource management involves efficiently allocating radio
resources, such as timeslots, to subscribers for data transmission, thereby
optimizing the use of the available spectrum.
Here's a simplified explanation of how GPRS radio resource management
works:
Packet Switching Technology: GPRS uses packet-switching technology,
which means that data is divided into packets and sent separately over the
network. Unlike circuit-switching, where a dedicated communication
path is established for the entire duration of the session, packet-switching
allows for more efficient use of the network resources.
Timeslot Allocation: In GSM, the basic unit of time is a timeslot, and
multiple timeslots are grouped into frames. GPRS dynamically allocates
timeslots to users based on their data transmission needs. Unlike voice
calls that require continuous communication, GPRS data transmission
occurs in bursts, allowing for more flexible timeslot allocation.
Dynamic Channel Allocation: GPRS employs a dynamic channel
allocation mechanism to assign timeslots to subscribers on a need basis.
When a user initiates a data session, the system assesses the amount of
data to be transmitted and allocates an appropriate number of timeslots
accordingly.
Priority and Quality of Service (QoS): GPRS supports different levels
of service quality, and timeslot allocation can be influenced by the
priority and quality of service requirements specified by the user or
application. For example, real-time applications like voice calls may be
given higher priority than non-real-time data transfers.
Paging and Standby Mode: GPRS introduces the concept of paging and
standby modes to conserve resources. When a user is not actively
transmitting or receiving data, t he mobile device can enter standby mode,
and the network can page the device when data is available. This helps in
optimizing the use of radio resources by activating them only when
needed.
Error Handling and Retransmission: GPRS includes error handling
mechanisms to ensure reliable data transmission. If errors occur during
data transfer, the system may request retransmission of specific packets.
This ensures that the transmitted data is accurate and complete.
Mobility Management: GPRS also considers user mobility. As users
move between different cells or areas within the network, the system
adjusts the timeslot allocation and maintains a seamless connection,
ensuring continuous data transmission without disruptions.
Channel Coding and Modulation:
GPRS employs different channel coding and modulation schemes to
adapt to varying radio channel conditions. Based on the quality of the
radio link, the system can dynamically adjust the coding and modulation
parameters to optimize data transfer rates and reliability. This adaptive
approach helps in maximizing the efficiency of radio resource usage.
Multislot Configurations:
GPRS supports various multislot configurations, allowing a single
subscriber to use multiple timeslots simultaneously. The concept of
multislot classes defines the maximum number of uplink and downlink
timeslots a device can use. This flexibility enables higher data rates for
users with devices that support advanced multislot classes.
Load Balancing:
GPRS networks often employ load balancing mechanisms to distribute
traffic across different base station sectors or cells. This helps prevent
network congestion in specific areas and ensures that radio resources are
utilized optimally. Load balancing is crucial for maintaining a consistent
quality of service for all users.
Power Control:
GPRS incorporates power control mechanisms to optimize the transmit
power of mobile devices. By dynamically adjusting the transmit power
based on the distance to the serving base station, the network reduces
interference and conserves energy, contributing to overall system
efficiency.
5. **Data Compression:**
- Implement efficient data compression algorithms for video and web
content to reduce the amount of data transmitted, lowering bandwidth
requirements.
6. **Network Slicing:**
- Employ network slicing to create virtualized, isolated network
segments for different applications, allowing specific resource
allocations, including bandwidth.
8. **Edge Computing:**
- Integrate edge computing to process data closer to the source,
reducing the need for large data transfers and minimizing latency.
The mobile device can be in any of the MM or PMM states. Explain the
core network mobility management in detail
Mobile device states in the context of mobility management typically
refer to Mobility Management (MM) and Packet Data Protocol (PMM)
states in LTE (Long-Term Evolution) or similar cellular networks. Core
Network Mobility Management plays a crucial role in handling the
mobility of mobile devices within the network. Let's delve into the
details:
- **Connected State:**
- Mobile device is actively communicating with the network.
- Used for data transfer, voice calls, etc.
- Various procedures such as handover and cell reselection can occur.
1. **Registration:**
- When a device enters a new location area or tracking area, it registers
with the network.
- Network updates the device's location in the Mobility Management
Entity (MME).
3. **Handover:**
- When a device moves from one cell to another, a handover occurs.
- Seamless transfer of communication from one cell to another without
interruption.
4. **Detach Procedure:**
- When a device is powered off or moves out of the network's coverage
area, it initiates a detach procedure.
- The network releases resources and updates the device's status.
5. **Bearer Management:**
- Establishment, modification, and release of bearers for packet-
switched data.
- Ensures efficient use of resources for data services.
6. **Security Procedures:**
- Authentication and key agreement to ensure the security of
communication.
- Protection against unauthorized access.