IMS Architecture White Paper
IMS Architecture White Paper
IMS Architecture White Paper
IMS Architecture
The LTE User Equipment Perspective
www.spirent.com
SPIRENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Executive Summary
2. Introduction
3. Why IMS?
4. IMS Architecture
4.1. The UE
11
11
13
14
7. Conclusion
14
8. Acronyms
15
2 | www.spirent.com
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) dates from 3GPP release 5 over a
SPIRENT
CORRESPONDING LITERATURE
decade ago, but is now becoming a reality with the rollout of IMSbased LTE networks. IMS enables convergence on multiple fronts,
WHITE PAPER
data delivery.
This paper presents a high-level technical view of the IMS
architecture as seen by LTE-capable User Equipment (UE), and is
part of a suite of associated literature available from Spirent. Others
include:
White Paper - VoLTE Deployment Challenges and the Radio Access
Network this paper examines the challenges of VoLTE deployment
with specific attention on the RAN features required to deliver
carrier-grade voice services on the LTE network.
REFERENCE GUIDE
IMS Procedures and Protocols:
The LTE User
Equipment Perspective
POSTERS
LTE and the Mobile Internet
IMS/VoLTE Reference Guide
2. INTRODUCTION
Over the past several years the IMS has been a topic of discussion for anyone connected with the wireless
industry. Since the introduction of IMS has most significantly affected wireless network equipment and its
deployment, much of the attention has been paid to the network itself. However, IMS and the deployment of
LTE have a significant effect on the operation of mobile devices.
This paper provides an overview of IMS, its architecture and applications from the perspective of the LTE User
Equipment (UE). It also provides a look at the evolution to a data-only LTE network and includes a discussion of
the challenges and requirements to support delivery of voice services (including VoLTE) over an all-IP network.
www.spirent.com | 3
SPIRENT
3. WHY IMS?
The history of IMS began with the 3G.IP, a now-defunct consortium of major industry influencers. In the late
1990s AT&T, BT, Rogers Cantel, Ericsson, Lucent, Nokia, Nortel Networks, Telenor TIM and others banded
together to bring an all-IP network to UMTS systems. The stated plan was to build on an evolved GPRS core
network and W-CDMA and EDGE air interfaces. At that time, IMS was thought to be solely intended for wireless
communications.
As IMS evolved, it became clear that the original stated requirements (such as voice transcoding, interconnection
between domains, access independence and a rudimentary concept of presence) could lend itself to bridging
gaps between wireless and wired networks, addressing one of several definitions of convergence.
4 | www.spirent.com
SPIRENT
www.spirent.com | 5
SPIRENT
4. IMS ARCHITECTURE
Most discussions of the IMS include a graphic portrayal of its architecture in terms of a single flat network1 or as
three separate layers2: the transport layer, the IMS layer and the service/application layer. While it is useful to
note that IMS is a multi-layered architecture (minimizing the number of connections required when compared
to a truly flat architecture), for the purposes of this paper the network is best understood as the combination
of user equipment (UE), transport, control functions and the applications. Figure 1 depicts a simplified view
of the related network from the point of view of the UE. For a more detailed depiction of the related network
connections, a poster titled LTE and the Mobile Internet is available for download from Spirent Communications.
4.1. The UE
The UE is the terminal of the IMS architecture, and resides with the user. In IMS, the UE contains a Universal
Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) and a Session Initiation Protocol User Agent (SIP UA).
SIP, the protocol used for IMS messaging, is defined in the IETFs RFC 32613. It is described in detail in a Spirent
reference guide titled IMS Procedures and Protocols: The LTE User Equipment Perspective.
6 | www.spirent.com
SPIRENT
4 Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) RFC 3966: The tel URI for Telephone Numbers
www.spirent.com | 7
SPIRENT
8 | www.spirent.com
SPIRENT
5 Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) RFC 2753: A Framework for Policy-based Admission Control
www.spirent.com | 9
SPIRENT
6 Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) RFC 3372: Session Initiation Protocol for Telephones (SIP-T): Context and Architectures
10 | www.spirent.com
SPIRENT
www.spirent.com | 11
SPIRENT
Option
3GPP Release
Release 8
Release 9
Release 8
Release 8
Release 9
Release 8
Release 8
Release 8
12 | www.spirent.com
SPIRENT
www.spirent.com | 13
SPIRENT
7. CONCLUSION
IMS will, for the first time, shift carriers voice service offerings to the data realm. VoLTE is the first major IMSrelated application being rolled out on a large scale and the stakes are high. The combination of IMS, SIP and
RAN features as described in this document are essential in delivering the carrier-grade VoLTE experience.
UE testing and measurement, initially focused on IMS and SIP functional testing, is now concentrating on
both industry and operator-specified test requirements for VoLTE call performance and VoLTE user experience
evaluation. Aside from dealing with a network that is literally new to the core, UE designers must consider the
layered complexity of a multi-RAT, multi-band IMS-capable UE.
Spirent is a global leader in LTE device testing and is well positioned to support the industry with the many IMS/
VoLTE test challenges on the horizon. This white paper is the first in an ongoing series of tools aimed to educate
and support UE developers as they contribute to the deployment of IMS/VoLTE. A second white paper, sVoLTE
Deployment and the Radio Access Network: The LTE User Equipment Perspective provides an overview of the
complexity of IMS/VoLTE deployment and a detailed understanding of the significant testing challenges.
Please see the Spirent website (www.spirent.com) for other free white papers, recorded seminars, posters and
other resources that may be helpful to the UE developer.
10 GSM Association Official Document IR.94: IMS Profile for Conversational Video Service
14 | www.spirent.com
SPIRENT
8. ACRONYMS
ATM
BGCF
BICC
CS
CSCF
CSFB
CSIM
DRX
E-UTRAN
EPC
EVRC
HARQ
HLR
HSS
I-CSCF
IMPI
IMPU
IMS
ISIM
ISUP
MGW
MME
OTT
PCF
PCM
PCRF
P-CSCF
PDCCH
PDCP
PDG
PDN
PDN-GW
PDP
PDU
PRB
PSTN
PS
QoS
RoHC
RRC
RTP
S-CSCF
SIM
SIP
SLF
SONET
SPS
SRVCC
SVLTE
TTI
UA
UAC
UAS
UDP
UE
USIM
VoLTE
WB-AMR
SPIRENT WHITE PAPER
SPIRENT
SPIRENT
1325 Borregas Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94089 USA