The following figure shows the interworking of the EPC with the different radio access technologies.
•
•
•
•
• System Management Cards (SMCs): Provides full system control and management of all cards within the ASR 5000 platform. Up to two SMC can be installed; one active, one redundant.
• Packet Services Cards (PSCs/PSC2s): Within the ASR 5000 platform, PSCs/PSC2s provide high-speed, multi-threaded PDP context processing capabilities for 4G P-GW services. Up to 14 PSCs/PSC2s can be installed, allowing for multiple active and/or redundant cards.
• Switch Processor Input/Outputs (SPIOs): Installed in the upper-rear chassis slots directly behind the SMCs, SPIOs provide connectivity for local and remote management, central office (CO) alarms. Up to two SPIOs can be installed; one active, one redundant.
• Line Cards: Installed directly behind PSCs, these cards provide the physical interfaces to elements in the E-UTRAN EPC data network. Up to 26 line cards can be installed for a fully loaded system with 13 active PSCs/PSC2s, 13 in the upper-rear slots and 13 in the lower-rear slots for redundancy. Redundant PSCs do not require line cards.
• Redundancy Crossbar Cards (RCCs): Installed in the lower-rear chassis slots directly behind the SPCs/SMCs, RCCs utilize 5 Gbps serial links to ensure connectivity between Ethernet 10/100 or Ethernet 1000 line cards and every PSC/PSC2 in the system for redundancy. Two RCCs can be installed to provide redundancy for all line cards and PSCs.Important: Additional information pertaining to each of the application and line cards required to support LTE-SAE services is located in the Hardware Platform Overview chapter of the ASR 5000 Series Product Overview Guide.
For more information on the Gx interface, refer to Dynamic Policy Charging Control (Gx Reference Interface) in the Features and Functionality - Base Software section of this guide.For more information on the Gy interface and online accounting, refer to Gy Interface Support in the Features and Functionality - Base Software section of this guide.For more information on the Gx interface, refer to Dynamic Policy Charging Control (Gx Reference Interface) in the Features and Functionality - Base Software section of this guide.For more information on the Gy interface and online accounting, refer to Gy Interface Support in the Features and Functionality - Base Software section of this guide.For more information on Gz accounting, refer to the Ga/Gz Reference Interface in the Offline Charging section in the Features and Functionality - Base Software section of this guide.For more information on Rf accounting, refer to the Rf Diameter Accounting section in the Features and Functionality - Base Software section of this guide.Important: To configure the basic service and functionality on the system for the P-GW service, refer to the configuration examples provided in this guide.
•Important: For more information on Lawful Intercept support, refer to the Lawful Intercept Configuration Guide.
Performance Goals: As subscriber level trace is a CPU intensive activity the max number of concurrently monitored trace sessions per Cisco P-GW is 32. Use in a production network should be restricted to minimize the impact on existing services.Important: Registration Revocation functionality is also supported for Proxy Mobile IP. However, only the P-GW can initiate the revocation for Proxy-MIP calls.
Important: For more information on MIP registration revocation support, refer to the Mobile IP Registration Revocation chapter in the System Enhanced Feature Configuration Guide.
Important: For more information on session recovery support, refer to the Session Recovery chapter in the System Enhanced Feature Configuration Guide.
QoS Class Identifier (QCI): An operator provisioned value that controls bearer level packet forwarding treatments (e.g. scheduling weights, admission thresholds, queue management thresholds, link layer protocol configuration, etc). The Cisco EPC gateways also support the ability to map the QCI values to DiffServ codepoints in the outer GTP tunnel header of the S5/S8 connection. Additionally, the platform also provides configurable parameters to copy the DSCP marking from the encapsulated payload to the outer GTP tunnel header.Guaranteed Bit Rate (GBR): A GBR bearer is associated with a dedicated EPS bearer and provides a guaranteed minimum transmission rate in order to offer constant bit rate services for applications such as interactive voice that require deterministic low delay service treatment.Maximum Bit Rate (MBR): The MBR attribute provides a configurable burst rate that limits the bit rate that can be expected to be provided by a GBR bearer (e.g. excess traffic may get discarded by a rate shaping function). The MBR may be greater than or equal to the GBR for a given Dedicated EPS bearer.Aggregate Maximum Bit Rate (AMBR): AMBR denotes a bit rate of traffic for a group of bearers destined for a particular PDN. The Aggregate Maximum Bit Rate is typically assigned to a group of Best Effort service data flows over the Default EPS bearer. That is, each of those EPS bearers could potentially utilize the entire AMBR, e.g. when the other EPS bearers do not carry any traffic. The AMBR limits the aggregate bit rate that can be expected to be provided by the EPS bearers sharing the AMBR (e.g. excess traffic may get discarded by a rate shaping function). AMBR applies to all Non-GBR bearers belonging to the same PDN connection. GBR bearers are outside the scope of AMBR.Policing and Shaping: The Cisco P-GW offers a variety of traffic conditioning and bandwidth management capabilities. These tools enable usage controls to be applied on a per-subscriber, per-EPS bearer or per-PDN/APN basis. It is also possible to apply bandwidth controls on a per-APN AMBR capacity. These applications provide the ability to inspect and maintain state for user sessions or Service Data Flows (SDF's) within them using shallow L3/L4 analysis or high touch deep packet inspection at L7. Metering of out-of-profile flows or sessions can result in packet discards or reducing the DSCP marking to Best Effort priority. When traffic shaping is enabled the P-GW enqueues the non-conforming session to the provisioned memory limit for the user session. When the allocated memory is exhausted, the inbound/outbound traffic for the user can be transmitted or policed in accordance with operator provisioned policy.
• Service Steering: Directs subscriber traffic into the ECS subsystem. Service Steering is used to direct selective subscriber traffic flows via an Access Control List (ACL). It is used for other redirection applications as well for both internal and external services and servers.
• Protocol Analyzer: The software stack responsible for analyzing the individual protocol fields and states during packet inspection. It performs two types of packet inspection:
• Shallow Packet Inspection: inspection of the layer 3 (IP header) and layer 4 (e.g. UDP or TCP header) information.
• Deep Packet Inspection: inspection of layer 7 and 7+ information. Deep packet inspection functionality includes:
• Rule Definitions: User-defined expressions, based on protocol fields and/or protocol-states, which define what actions to take when specific field values are true. Expressions may contain a number of operator types (string, =, >, etc.) based on the data type of the operand. Each Ruledef configuration is consisting of multiple expressions applicable to any of the fields or states supported by the respective analyzers.
• Rule Bases: a collection of rule definitions and their associated billing policy. The rule base determines the action to be taken when a rule is matched. It is possible to define a rule definition with different actions.
• Pre-paid: In a pre-paid environment, the subscribers pay for service prior to use. While the subscriber is using the service, credit is deducted from subscriber's account until it is exhausted or call ends. The pre-paid accounting server is responsible for authorizing network nodes (GGSNs) to grant access to the user, as well as grant quotas for either time connected or volume used. It is up to the network node to track the quota use, and when these use quotas run low, the network node sends a request to the pre-paid server for more quota.
• Real-time Rate Service Information - DCCA can verify when end subscribers' accounts are exhausted or expired; or deny additional chargeable events.
• Support for Multiple Services - DCCA supports the usage of multiple services within one subscriber session. Multiple Service support includes; 1) ability to identify and process the service or group of services that are subject to different cost structures 2) independent credit control of multiple services in a single credit control sub-session.Refer to the Diameter Credit Control Application section for more information.
• Post-paid: In a post-paid environment, the subscribers pay after use of the service. A AAA server is responsible for authorizing network nodes (GGSNs) to grant access to the user and a CDR system generates G-CDRs/eG-CDRs/EDRs/UDRs or Comma Separated Values (CSVs) for billing information on pre-defined intervals of volume or per time.Important: Support for the Enhanced Charging Service requires a service licenses. For more information on ECS, refer to the Enhanced Charging Service Administration Guide.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•Important: This functionality is available for use with the Enhanced Charging Service which requires a session-use license. For more information on ECS, refer to the Enhanced Charging Service Administration Guide.
Important: For more information on CSS, refer to the Content Service Steering chapter of the System Enhanced Feature Configuration Guide.
Important: For more information on ACLs, refer to the IP Access Control Lists chapter of the System Enhanced Feature Configuration Guide.
• Event Detail Records (EDRs): An alternative to standard G-CDRs when the information provided by the G-CDRs is not sufficient to do the content billing. EDRs are generated according to explicit action statements in rule commands that are user-configurable. The EDRs are generated in comma separated values (CSV) format, generated as defined in traffic analysis rules.
• User Detail Records (UDRs): Contain accounting information related to a specific mobile subscriber. The fields to be reported in them are user-configurable and are generated on any trigger of time threshold, volume threshold, handoffs, and call termination. The UDRs are generated in comma separated values (CSV) format, generated as defined in traffic analysis rules.Important: This functionality is available for use with the Enhanced Charging Service which requires a session-use license. For more information on ECS, refer to the Enhanced Charging Service Administration Guide.
• Real-time Rate Service Information: The ability to verify when end subscribers' accounts are exhausted or expired; or deny additional chargeable events.
• Support for Multiple Services: The usage of multiple services within one subscriber session is supported. Multiple Service support includes:Important: This functionality is available for use with the Enhanced Charging Service which requires a session-use license. For more information on ECS, refer to the Enhanced Charging Service Administration Guide.
Important: For more information on Diameter support, refer to the AAA Interface Administration and Reference and for ECS configuration, refer to the Enhanced Charging Service Administration Guide.
Important: Due to additional memory requirements, this service can only be used with 8GB Packet Service Cards (PSCs).
• Congestion Condition Thresholds: Thresholds dictate the conditions for which congestion control is enabled and establishes limits for defining the state of the system (congested or clear). These thresholds function in a way similar to operation thresholds that are configured for the system as described in the Thresholding Configuration Guide. The primary difference is that when congestion thresholds are reached, a service congestion policy and an SNMP trap, starCongestion, are generated.
• Port Utilization Thresholds: If you set a port utilization threshold, when the average utilization of all ports in the system reaches the specified threshold, congestion control is enabled.
• Port-specific Thresholds: If you set port-specific thresholds, when any individual port-specific threshold is reached, congestion control is enabled system-wide.
• Service Congestion Policies: Congestion policies are configurable for each service. These policies dictate how services respond when the system detects that a congestion condition threshold has been crossed.Important: For more information on congestion control, refer to the Congestion Control chapter in the System Enhanced Feature Configuration Guide.
Important: For more information on IP access control lists, refer to the IP Access Control Lists chapter in the System Enhanced Feature Configuration Guide.
•Important: P-GW management functionality is enabled by default for console-based access. For GUI-based management support, refer to the Web Element Management System section in this chapter.
Important: For more information on command line interface based management, refer to the Command Line Interface Reference.
• System: Provides system-level statistics
• Card: Provides card-level statistics
• Port: Provides port-level statistics
• LMA: Provides LMA service statistics
• P-GW: Provides P-GW node-level service statistics
• IP Pool: Provides IP pool statistics
• PPP: Provides Point-to-Point Protocol statistics
• APN: Provides Access Point Name statisticsImportant: For more information on bulk statistic configuration, refer to the Configuring and Maintaining Bulk Statistics chapter in the System Administration Guide.
• Alert: A value is monitored and an alert condition occurs when the value reaches or exceeds the configured high threshold within the specified polling interval. The alert is generated then generated and/or sent at the end of the polling interval.
• Alarm: Both high and low threshold are defined for a value. An alarm condition occurs when the value reaches or exceeds the configured high threshold within the specified polling interval. The alert is generated then generated and/or sent at the end of the polling interval.
• SNMP traps: SNMP traps have been created that indicate the condition (high threshold crossing and/or clear) of each of the monitored values.
• Logs: The system provides a facility called threshold for which active and event logs can be generated. As with other system facilities, logs are generated Log messages pertaining to the condition of a monitored value are generated with a severity level of WARNING.
• Alarm System: High threshold alarms generated within the specified polling interval are considered “outstanding” until a the condition no longer exists or a condition clear alarm is generated. “Outstanding” alarms are reported to the system's alarm subsystem and are viewable through the Alarm Management menu in the Web Element Manager.Important: For more information on threshold crossing alert configuration, refer to the Thresholding Configuration Guide.
Important: For more information on peer-to-peer detection, refer to the Peer to Peer Detection Administration Guide.
Important: For more information on WEM support, refer to the WEM Installation and Administration Guide.
License Keys: The part number and cost will be determined two months before First Customer Shipment.Important: For more information on inter-chassis session recovery support, refer to the Interchassis Session Recovery chapter in the System Enhanced Feature Configuration Guide.
Important: For more information on IPSec support, refer to the IP Security chapter in the System Enhanced Feature Configuration Guide.
Important: For more information on traffic policing and shaping, refer to the Traffic Policing and Shaping chapter in the System Enhanced Feature Configuration Guide.
Important: For more information on VLAN support, refer to the VLANs chapter in the System Enhanced Feature Configuration Guide.
![]() |
Cisco Systems Inc. |
Tel: 408-526-4000 |
Fax: 408-527-0883 |