GPRS core network

Abstract: With the emergence of a variety of mobile data services with variable coverage, bandwidth, and handoff strategies, and the need for mobile terminals to roam among these networks, handoff in hybrid data networks has attracted tremendous attention. This article presents an overview of issues related to handoff with particular emphasis on hybrid mobile data networks. Issues are logically divided into architectural and handoff decision time algorithms. The handoff architectures in high-speed local coverage IEEE 802.11 wireless LANs, and low-speed wide area coverage CDPD and GPRS mobile data networks are described and compared. A survey of traditional algorithms and an example of an advanced algorithm using neural networks for PTO decision time in homogeneous networks are presented. The HO architectural issues related to hybrid networks are discussed through an example of a hybrid network that employs GPRS and IEEE 802.11. Five architectures for the example hybrid network, based on emulation of GPRS entities within the WLAN, mobile IP, a virtual access point, and a mobility gateway (proxy), are described and compared. The mobility gateway and mobile IP approaches are selected for more detailed discussion. The differences in applying a complex algorithm for HO decision time in a homogeneous and a hybrid network are shown through an example.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for automatically backing up a Home Agent in Mobile IP. The method employs important components of the widely-used Hot Standby Router Protocol, but extends it to include synchronization of the mobility binding table between an active Home Agent and a standby Home Agent that backs it up. Also disclosed is a more general protocol for extending HSRP and related redundancy protocols to synchronize higher level functions other than mobility binding lists in Mobile IP (e.g., address translation tables in Network Address Translation (NAT), address bindings in Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers, dynamic ACL in Reflexive Access List, and TCP and GTP layer context in GPRS support nodes: SGSN & GGSN). Still other protocols that could benefit from HSRP include Lock and Key, Context-Based Access List, IP Security (IPSec), and H.323 gatekeeper.

Abstract: A method for implementing a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnel protocol (GTP) in a packet core (PC) of a third generation (3G) network having a split architecture where a control plane of the PC of the 3G network is in a cloud computing system, the cloud computing system including a controller, the controller to execute a plurality of control plane modules, the control plane to communicate with the data plane of the PC through a control plane protocol, the data plane implemented in a plurality of network elements of the 3G network by configuring switches implementing a data plane of the SGSN and GGSN and intermediate switches to establish a first and second GTP tunnel endpoint.

Abstract: In the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Phase 2+ development, one major activity is to specify the general packet radio service (GPRS). The standardization is expected to be completed at the end of 1997. The purpose of GPRSI like other packet data services, is to efficiently accommodate data sources that are bursty in nature. Another important goal of the technology is to make it possible for GSM license holders to share physical resources on a dynamic, flexible basis between packet data services and other GSM services. The authors present a detailed description of the GPRS system, emphasizing the radio link protocol, and demonstrate its performance. The performance measures have been obtained from the WINLAB GPRS simulator.

Abstract: The general packet radio service (GPRS) is a new bearer service for GSM that greatly improves and simplifies wireless access to packet data networks, e.g., to the Internet. It applies a packet radio principle to transfer user data packets in an efficient way between mobile stations and external packet data networks. This tutorial gives an introduction to GPRS. The article discusses the system architecture and its basic functionality. It explains the offered services, the session and mobility management, the routing, the GPRS air interface including channel coding, and the GPRS protocol architecture. Finally, an interworking example between GPRS and IP networks is shown.