6 Functional Communication between UMTS domains
23.1013GPPGeneral Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) architectureRelease 17TS
The following strata have been identified within UMTS:
– Application stratum;
– Home stratum;
– Serving stratum and
– Transport stratum
The following figures show the interactions between the UMTS domains. Two figures are used to reflect the path diversion between the flows exchanged between serving and home domains on one side and between serving and transit on the other side.
Figure 2 below shows the interactions between the USIM, MT/ME, Access Network, Serving Network and Home Network domains. Figure 3 shows the interactions between TE, MT, Access Network, Serving Network, Transit Network domains and the Remote Party. The Home Stratum only involves domains from figure 2, the Application Stratum only involves domains from figure 3. The Serving and Transport Strata involve domains from figures 2 and 3, so part of them are duplicated in the two figures
The direct flows between non-contiguous domains (i.e. between domains non directly interconnected) are transparently transported across all the domains and interfaces located on the communication path between these end domains. E.g. the USIM-Home Network flows are transparently transported through USIM-MT, MT-Access Network, Access Network-Serving Network and Serving Network-Home Network interfaces, and relayed without interpretation by MT, Access Network and Serving Network domains.
The dotted lines indicates that the protocol used is not specific to UMTS, in some cases different protocols are possible. However, to provide easy roaming capabilities, it is desirable to agree upon the protocols used. The definition of these protocols is outside the scope of the UMTS specifications.
Figure 2: Functional flows between the USIM, MT/ME, Access Network, Serving Network and Home Network domains
Figure 3: Functional flow between TE, MT, Access Network, Serving Network, Transit Network domains and the Remote Party
The "Remote Party" represents the remote end entity (user or machine) and is included in the figure to show the end-to-end character of the communication, the specification of the remote party is outside the scope of the UMTS specifications.
6.1 Transport stratum
This stratum supports the transport of user data and network control signalling from other strata through UMTS. The transport stratum includes consideration of the physical transmission format used for transmission and also:
– mechanisms for error correction and recovery;
– mechanisms to encrypt data over the radio interface and in the infrastructure part if required;
– mechanisms for adaptation of data to use the supported physical format (if required); and
– mechanisms to "transcode" data to make efficient use of, e.g., the radio interface (if required).
It may also include resource allocation and routing local to the different interfaces.
The Access Stratum, which is specific to UMTS, is the part of the transport stratum located between the edge node of the serving core network domain and the MT (‘MT-Access Network’ and ‘Access Network-Serving Network’ arrows in figure 2 and 3).
6.2 Access Stratum
This is the functional groupings consisting of the parts in the infrastructure and in the user equipment and the protocols between these parts being specific to the access technique (i.e. the way the specific physical media between the User Equipment and the Infrastructure is used to carry information). The access stratum provides services related to the transmission of data over the radio interface and the management of the radio interface to the other parts of UMTS.
The access stratum includes the following protocols:
– Mobile Termination – Access Network
This protocol supports transfer of detailed radio-related information to co-ordinate the use of radio resources between the MT and the access network.
– Access Network – Serving Network
This protocol supports the access from the serving network to the resources provided by the access network. It is independent of the specific radio structure of the access network.
6.3 Serving Stratum
This stratum consists of protocols and functions to route and transmit data/information, user or network generated, from source to destination. The source and destination may be within the same or different networks. Functions related to telecommunication services and are located in this stratum.
The serving stratum includes the following protocols:
– USIM – Mobile Termination
This protocol supports access to subscriber-specific information for support of functions in the user equipment domain.
– Mobile Termination – Serving Network
This protocol supports access from the MT to the services provided by the serving network domain.
– Terminal Equipment- Mobile Termination
This protocol support exchange of control information between the TE and the MT.
6.4 Home Stratum
This stratum contains the protocols and functions related to the handling and storage of subscription data and possibly home network specific services. It also includes functions to allow domains other than the home network domain to act on behalf of the home network. Functions related to subscription data management, customer care, including billing and charging, mobility management and authentication are located in this stratum.
The home stratum includes the following protocols:
– USIM – Home Network
This protocol supports co-ordination of subscriber-specific information between the USIM and the home network.
– USIM – MT
This protocol provides the MT with access to user specific data and resources necessary to perform actions on behalf of the home network.
– MT – Serving Network
This protocol supports user specific data exchanges between the MT and the Serving Network.
– Serving Network – Home Network
This protocol provides the serving network with access to home network data and resources necessary to perform its actions on behalf of the home network, e.g., to support the users communications, services and features (including VHE).
6.5 Application Stratum
This stratum represents the application process itself, provided to the end-user. It includes end-to-end protocols and functions which make use of services provided by the home, serving and transport strata and infrastructure to support services and/or value added services.
The functions and protocols within the application stratum may adhere to GSM/UMTS standards such as MExE or may be outside the scope of the UMTS standards. However, the definition of the services provided by the other strata, and the interfaces to them, is within the scope of the standards
End-to-end functions are applications which are consumed by users at the edge of/outside the overall network. The applications may be accessed by authenticated users who are authorised to access such applications. The users may access the applications by using any of the variety of available user equipment.
Annex A (informative):
Change History
|
Change history |
|||||||
|
Date |
TSG # |
TSG Doc. |
CR |
Rev |
Subject/Comment |
Old |
New |
|
2004-12 |
SA#26 |
Created version 6.0.0 |
5.0.1 |
6.0.0 |
|||
|
2007-06 |
SP-36 |
– |
– |
– |
Update to Rel-7 version (MCC) |
6.0.0 |
7.0.0 |
|
2008-12 |
SP-42 |
– |
– |
– |
Update to Rel-8 version (MCC) |
7.0.0 |
8.0.0 |
|
2009-12 |
SP-46 |
– |
– |
– |
Update to Rel-9 version (MCC) |
8.0.0 |
9.0.0 |
|
2011-03 |
SP-51 |
– |
– |
– |
Update to Rel-10 version (MCC) |
9.0.0 |
10.0.0 |
|
2012-09 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
Update to Rel-11 version (MCC) |
10.0.0 |
11.0.0 |
|
2014-09 |
SP-65 |
– |
– |
– |
Update to Rel-12 version (MCC) |
11.0.0 |
12.0.0 |
|
2015-12 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
Update to Rel-13 version (MCC) |
12.0.0 |
13.0.0 |
|
2017-03 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
Update to Rel-14 version (MCC) |
13.0.0 |
14.0.0 |
|
2018-06 |
SP-80 |
– |
– |
– |
Update to Rel-15 version (MCC) |
14.0.0 |
15.0.0 |
|
2020-07 |
SP-88E |
– |
– |
– |
Update to Rel-16 version (MCC) |
15.0.0 |
16.0.0 |
|
2022-03 |
SP-95E |
– |
– |
– |
Update to Rel-17 version (MCC) |
16.0.0 |
17.0.0 |