Cisco® ASR 5000 Platforms Introduction

 

 

Designed exclusively for the wireless industry, the Cisco® ASR 5000 Chassis provides an ultra-high density solution for deployment in wireless carrier and operator environments.

The ASR 5000 is a high-performance, carrier-grade platform that offers industry-leading wireless data capacity while enabling numerous integrated applications for additional revenue generation.

Large, high-demand multimedia applications require an ever increasing amount of processing power and memory. The ASR 5000 has been designed to address these needs and provide a scalable platform to meet the needs of future fourth generation (4G) networks.

The Cisco® ASR 5000

 

Characteristics of the System

This section provides an overview of some of the key characteristics of the system. Detailed information for these characteristics is provided in subsequent chapters of this guide.

•	Carrier-grade Hardware Design

•	NEBS Level 3 Compliant components

•	UL certified

•	Five 9s availability

•	Local alarming and alarm cut-off capabilities

•	High availability design (less than 4.35 minutes of downtime per year)

•	Redundancy

•	1:1 Switch Processor Card (SPC)/System Management Card (SMC) redundancy

•	1:n Packet Services Cards (PSC/PSC2) redundancy - allowing redundancy of multiple active to multiple redundant for up to 14 total packet processing cards

Important: 1:1 redundancy is supported for these cards however some subscriber sessions and accounting information may be lost in the event of a hardware or software failure even though the system remains operational.

•	1:1 card-level redundancy for Switch Processor Input/Output (SPIO), and all types of line cards

•	1:1 port-level redundancy for SPIO and all types of line cards

•	Integrated hardware and software redundancy with automatic failover features

•	Optional session recovery support for the following call types:

- WiMAX ASN GW services supporting simple IP, Mobile IP, and Proxy Mobile IP

- PDSN services supporting simple IP, Mobile IP, and Proxy Mobile IP

- HA services supporting Mobile IP and/or Proxy Mobile IP session types with or without per-user Layer 3 tunnels

- GGSN services for IPv4 and PPP PDP contexts

- MME services for LTE/SAE networks and 3G services

- LNS session types

•	Optional Interchassis Session Recovery

•	Hot swappable cards, allowing dynamic card replacement while the system is operational

•	Load sharing, hot swappable - 48VDC power filters with redundant power circuitry throughout

•	High Capacity Design

•	Self-healing 320 Gbps packet-based Switch Fabric

•	System Management Bus

•	32 Gbps Control Bus

•	140 Gbps Redundancy Bus

•	Operating System

•	Linux™-based

•	Application hosting capabilities

•	Modular, distributed processing

•	Robust development environment

 

Features and Benefits

Some of the benefits found in deploying the system include.

Features and Benefits of the System

Feature	Benefit
Mobility Management Entity (MME) service support in LTE/SAE networks	Delivers unrivaled throughput, call transaction rates, and packet processing, along with significant memory resources.Provides UE state management (attach, detach, idle, RAN mobility), authentication, paging, mobility with 3GPP 2G/3G nodes (SGSN), roaming, and other bearer management functions. Also provides Integration of multiple core network functions.High transaction rates for attaches, activations, TAUs, handoffs, and paging along with congestion management, load sharing, and MME pooling.MME provides intelligent signaling heuristics to maximize performance and self Optimizing Network (SON) capabilities to the radio and packet core network. It also provides dynamic optimization of network topology based on usage patterns to reduce latency and backhaul costs.Circuit Switch (CS) Fallback for voice traffic
Mobile data service support for WiMAX networks	Provides WiMAX ASN GW, WiMAX Foreign Agent (FA), and WiMAX Home Agent (HA) services within a single chassis, or as distributed network functions supporting both Simple and Mobile IP.Provides WiMAX ASN Paging Controller and Location Registry (ASN PC/LR) services within a single chassis, or co-located as distributed network functions supporting paging procedures for idle mode entry and exit and location update.Provides multiple host support behind a WiMAX Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) through one primary airlink sessionProvides optional base station monitoring feature to monitor base stations attached to it.
Wireless data service support for 3G CDMA2000 and GPRS/UMTS and for 2.5G/3G GPRS/UTMS networks	• Provides Packet Data Service Node (PDSN), Foreign Agent (FA), and Home Agent (HA) services within a single chassis, or as distributed network functions supporting both Simple and Mobile IP. • Provides Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN), Foreign Agent (FA), and Home Agent (HA) services within a single chassis, or as distributed network functions supporting basic data and Mobile IP functionality. • Provides Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) and Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) services within a single chassis, or as distributed network functions supporting both the control and data planes.
Wireless data service support for Femto (UMTS/CDMA) subscriber in 3G UTMS networks	• Provides Home-NodeB Gateway (HNB-GW) service for Femto access network user to connect voice and IP data traffic with CS/PS core network. • It supports multiple services on a single chassis or as distributed network functions supporting enhanced voice and IP data functionality.
Proxy Mobile IP	Provides a mobility solution for subscriber’s with Mobile Nodes (MNs) that do not implement the Mobile IP protocol stack.
Full Handover Support	Compliance with 3GPP procedures for Mobility Management, Location Management, and Session Management ensure high volume, load-balancing, and successful handover.
Direct Tunneling	Reduces latency by creating GTP-U tunnel for data transport between the RNC and the GGSN while optimizing SGSN usage for control plane processing and user plane functionality for cases such as roaming and lawful intercept.
L2TP Tunneling	Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) support encapsulates data packets between an L2TP Access Concentrator (LAC) and an L2TP Network Server (LNS) to create a Virtual Private Network (VPN).The system can be configured as either an LAC or LNS in support of L2TP.LAC is an optional licensed feature.
Lawful Intercept (optional licensed feature)	Provides Telecommunication Service Providers (TSPs) with a mechanism to assist Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) in the monitoring of suspicious individuals (referred to as targets) for potential criminal activity.
IPSEC	Secure VPN Connectivity for the enterprise.Secure L2TP and mobile IP tunneling.System architecture provides IPSEC implementation with no performance degradation.Encryption Daughter Card (EDC) availability for hardware-based encryption.
OSPF Routing	Provides optional OSPFv2 routing with NSSA support.
BGP-4 Routing	Provides optional BGP-4 routing.
Flow-based Traffic Policing (optional licensed feature)	Provides the traffic policing to control session flow on a flow classification basis.Provides the QoS to control session flow on a flow classification basis.
Traffic Policing and Shaping (optional licensed feature)	Provides the ability to limit network bandwidth on a per subscriber basis.Provides the ability to buffer packets which exceeds the allowed limit and transmit them once the traffic flow comes below the exceed limit.
Dynamic QoS Renegotiation (ECS support required)	Provides the ability to manage the risk of bandwidth mis-appropriation. This feature allows the Enhanced Charging Service (ECS) to analyze application traffic, and triggers QoS renegotiation with the AGW to optimize service performance.It provides Network Controlled QoS (NCQoS) and traffic class-based QoS renegotiation support.
GTPP Server Group support	• Provides more than one list of GTPP servers through GTPP server group feature at context level for GTPP accounting functionality • Provides GTPP accounting functionality to individual subscriber through APN
Session Redirection (“hotlining”) (optional licensed feature)	Provides the ability to redirect subscriber traffic to an external server through the application of Access Control List (ACL) rules.Relies on the Change of Authorization (CoA) feature for the dynamic redirection of subscriber IP datagrams.
PDSN RAN Optimization	Provides session redirection based on sessions having a specific MSID or received from specific PCF zones.
Change of Authorization (CoA) and Packet of Disconnect RADIUS message support	Allows system contexts to listen for and act upon CoA and/or disconnect messages from a RADIUS server.CoA messages enable the dynamic changing of subscriber attributesDisconnect Messages (DMs) allow the termination of subscriber sessions from a particular RADIUS serverCoA is supported for use with PDSN.
RADIUS Server Group support (optional licensed feature)	Provides more than one list of AAA servers through RADIUS server group feature at context level for AAA functionalityProvides AAA functionality to individual subscriber through realm (domain) APN
Adjunct Compression Server	Reduces network complexity and capital expenditure.Application based compression that helps conserve radio bandwidth resources.
802.1Q VLAN Tagging (optional licensed feature)	Provides layer 2 VPN connectivity.Simplified network configuration.Allows overlapping IP addresses within the same context.
Prepaid (optional licensed feature)	Provides subscriber billing based on data volume or session time.Mid-session account balance updates.
Robust Header Compression	Provides Robust Header Compression (ROHC) support for IP packets.
HA Proxy DNS Intercept	Provides a solution for unreachable (fire-walled) DNS servers in visited networks.
“In-Line” data services capability (optional licensed feature)	Allows for deep packet inspection to support enhanced/advanced billing techniquesImproved subscriber awareness to more quickly identify usage trends and tailor content to subscriber's patternsIncreased revenue opportunities through application of new services with no or minimal processing degradation
Carrier-grade design	Ensures maximum level of reliability and service availabilityAllows for installation and/or co-location in central office facilities
Multiple context support	Allows operator to support multiple enterprise and home networks from a single systemAllows operators to assign duplicate/overlapping IP address ranges in different contexts
Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Service (MBMS)	Provides a solution for transferring light video and audio clips and also a suitable method for mass communications to operator.It eliminates unnecessary replication of data on UMTS wireless networks by transmitting a single stream of data to multiple users.
Integrated “control node” function	Eliminates processing bottlenecksIntelligently distributes processing across multiple system processors for increased throughput
Session Recovery (optional licensed feature)	Recovers all fully established sessions upon single hardware or software failure for the following call types: • ASN GW services supporting simple IP, Mobile IP, and Proxy Mobile IP • PDSN services supporting simple IP, Mobile IP, and Proxy Mobile IP • Closed RP PDSN services supporting simple IP, Mobile IP, and Proxy Mobile IP • HA services supporting Mobile IP and/or Proxy Mobile IP session types with or without per-user Layer 3 tunnels • GGSN services for IPv4 and PPP PDP contextsLNS session types • Restores data and control packet state information, subscriber data statistics, subscriber idle time and other timer-related data • Provides an in-service recovery mechanism to increase system availability and overall fault tolerance without significant interruption of subscriber services and without loss of accounting information.
MIP NAT Traversal (optional licensed feature)	This feature allows the HA to set up a UDP tunnel for an MN that is behind a NAT device.
IMS Authorization Service and Gx interface support (optional licensed feature)	Provides Gx and Gy interface support to implement IMS authorization in GPRS/UMTS network. described in 3GPP Release 6 and 7.Provide sufficient, uninterrupted, consistent, and seamless user experience to a roaming IMS subscriber for an application along with dynamic charging functionality for the particular IMS application used.
IMS Authorization Service and Ty interface support (optional licensed feature)	Provides Ty interface support for roaming IMS subscriber to implement IMS authorization in CDMA2000 network as described in 3GPP2 standards.Provide sufficient, uninterrupted, consistent, and seamless user experience to a roaming IMS subscriber for an application along with dynamic charging functionality for the particular IMS application used.
IP Services Gateway (optional licensed product)	Provides legacy access gateways (GGSNs, PDSNs, HAs, etc.) that are not service capable, to provide managed services such as enhanced charging, stateful firewalls, traffic performance optimization, and others.
Integrated Session Control Manager (SCM) Functionality	The SCM provides an easy on-ramp to deploying Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based services and a future-proof migration path to the IP Multimedia Subsystem/Multimedia Domain (IMS/MMD) architectures.The SCM consists of an IETF-compliant SIP Proxy/Registrar, a 3GPP/3GPP2-compliant Proxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF), and a Policy Agent (PA).
PCF/BS Monitoring	Provides PDSN service to monitor PCFs attached to it.Provides ASN BS monitoring facility to AS NGW service attached to it.
Linux-based operating system	Ensures compatibility with leading applicationsAllows for integration of third-party applications into system to host “in-line” services
Integrated data aggregation features	Delivers wire speed transport throughout systemEliminates need to add external routing devices to move from high-speed to low-speed links
Future-proof design	Robust hardware platform allows for easy migration to next-generation data services using the same chassisScalable hardware and software components allow you to cost effectively add capacity as your subscriber-base increases
Web-based element management	Reduces operational complexityImproves overall system management accuracy and securityAllows for remote monitoring and configuration, using SNMPv1 and CORBAProvides security for management data using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryptionAllows for seamless integration with external network, service, and business layer management applications through CORBA interface
Application Programming Interface for management	Allows for internal development of custom management applicationsAllows integration with new or existing service management applicationsUses industry standard Interface Definition Language (IDL) as API for integration
Intelligent Packet Monitoring System (IPMS)	Provides more detailed network performance information on control events and measures call success and protocolsVerifies accuracy of accounting records and analyzes set up failure causesIdentifies network faults and counts number of affected users when manager/line card/port fails and debugs connection issuesComprehensive query tool to simplify searches across multiple access gateways and ability to diagnose the calls based on disconnect reasons
Command Line Interface	Designed for intuitive use by experienced network administratorsCLI commands are designed to be conducive to scripting, allowing operators to easily issue commands using EXPECT scripts and interactive applications written in Tcl/TkHelps operators securely configure, upgrade, monitor, and set system triggers from remote locations, supporting Telnet and Secure Shell (SSH) protocolsRemote management features help manage and deploy large scale, carrier-class, highly available and very manageable, easily monitored networkContext-sensitive Help for all commands, keywords, and variables

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