3 Definitions, symbols and abbreviations
23.2033GPPPolicy and charging control architectureRelease 17TS
3.1 Definitions
For the purposes of the present document, the terms and definitions given in TR 21.905 [8] and the following apply. A term defined in the present document takes precedence over the definition of the same term, if any, in TR 21.905 [8].
application detection filter: A logic used to detect packets generated by an application based on extended inspection of these packets, e.g. header and/or payload information, as well as dynamics of packet flows. The logic is entirely internal to a TDF or a PCEF enhanced with ADC, and is out of scope of this specification.
application identifier: An identifier referring to a specific application detection filter.
application service provider: A business entity responsible for the application that is being / will be used by a UE, which may be either an AF operator or has an association with the AF operator.
ADC decision: A decision consists of references to ADC rules, associated enforcement actions (for dynamic ADC rules) and TDF session attributes and is provided by the PCRF to the TDF for application detection and control.
ADC rule: A set of information enabling the detection of application traffic and associated enforcement actions. ADC rules are directly provisioned into the TDF and referenced by the PCRF.
authorised QoS: The maximum QoS that is authorised for a service data flow. In case of an aggregation of multiple service data flows within one IP‑CAN bearer (e.g. for GPRS a PDP context), the combination of the "Authorised QoS" information of the individual service data flows is the "Authorised QoS" for the IP‑CAN bearer. It contains the QoS class identifier and the data rate.
binding: The association between a service data flow and the IP‑CAN bearer (for GPRS the PDP context) transporting that service data flow.
binding mechanism: The method for creating, modifying and deleting bindings.
charging control: The process of associating packets, belonging to a service data flow, to a charging key and applying online charging and/or offline charging, as appropriate.
charging key: information used by the online and offline charging system for rating purposes.
detected application traffic: An aggregate set of packet flows that are generated by a given application and detected by an application detection filter.
dynamic ADC Rule: an ADC rule, for which the PCRF can provide and modify some parameters via the Sd reference point.
dynamic PCC Rule: a PCC rule, for which the definition is provided to the PCEF via the Gx reference point.
event report: a notification, possibly containing additional information, of an event which occurs that corresponds with an event trigger. Also, an event report is a report from the PCRF to the AF concerning transmission resources or requesting additional information.
event trigger: a rule specifying the event reporting behaviour of a PCEF or BBERF or TDF. Also, it is a trigger for credit management events.
gating control: The process of blocking or allowing packets, belonging to a service data flow / detected application’s traffic, to pass through to the desired endpoint.
Gateway Control Session: An association between a BBERF and a PCRF (when GTP is not used in the EPC), used for transferring access specific parameters, BBERF events and QoS rules between PCRF and BBERF.
GBR bearer: An IP‑CAN bearer with reserved (guaranteed) bitrate resources.
GPRS IP‑CAN: This IP‑CAN incorporates GPRS over GERAN and UTRAN, see TS 23.060 [12].
IP‑CAN bearer: An IP transmission path of defined capacity, delay and bit error rate, etc. See TR 21.905 [8] for the definition of bearer.
IP‑CAN session: The association between a UE and an IP network. The association is identified by one IPv4 and/or an IPv6 prefix together with UE identity information, if available, and a PDN represented by a PDN ID (e.g. an APN). An IP‑CAN session incorporates one or more IP‑CAN bearers. Support for multiple IP‑CAN bearers per IP‑CAN session is IP‑CAN specific. An IP‑CAN session exists as long as UE IP addresses/prefix are established and announced to the IP network.
non-GBR bearer: An IP‑CAN bearer with no reserved (guaranteed) bitrate resources.
operator-controlled service: A service for which complete PCC rule information, including service data flow filter information, is available in the PCRF through configuration and/or dynamic interaction with an AF.
packet flow: A specific user data flow from and/or to the UE.
Presence Reporting Area: An area defined within 3GPP Packet Domain for the purposes of reporting of UE presence within that area due to policy control and/or charging reasons. There are two types of Presence Reporting Areas: "UE-dedicated Presence Reporting Areas", and "Core Network pre-configured Presence Reporting Areas". They are further defined in TS 23.401 [17].
PCC decision: A decision consists of PCC rules and IP‑CAN bearer attributes and is provided by the PCRF to the PCEF for policy and charging control and, for PCEF enhanced with ADC, application detection and control.
PCC rule: A set of information enabling the detection of a service data flow and providing parameters for policy control and/or charging control and, for PCEF enhanced with ADC, for application detection and control.
PCEF enhanced with ADC: PCEF, enhanced with application detection and control feature.
policy control: The process whereby the PCRF indicates to the PCEF how to control the IP‑CAN bearer. Policy control includes QoS control and/or gating control.
predefined PCC Rule: a PCC rule that has been provisioned directly into the PCEF by the operator.
policy counter: A mechanism within the OCS to track spending applicable to a subscriber.
policy counter identifier: A reference to a policy counter in the OCS for a subscriber.
policy counter status: A label whose values are not standardized and that is associated with a policy counter’s value relative to the spending limit(s) (the number of possible policy counter status values for a policy counter is one greater than the number of thresholds associated with that policy counter, i.e policy counter status values describe the status around the thresholds). This is used to convey information relating to subscriber spending from OCS to PCRF. Specific labels are configured jointly in OCS and PCRF.
Packet Flow Description (PFD): A set of information enabling the detection of application traffic provided by a 3rd party service provider. A PFD is further defined in TS 23.682 [42].
QoS class identifier (QCI): A scalar that is used as a reference to a specific packet forwarding behaviour (e.g. packet loss rate, packet delay budget) to be provided to a SDF. This may be implemented in the access network by the QCI referencing node specific parameters that control packet forwarding treatment (e.g. scheduling weights, admission thresholds, queue management thresholds, link layer protocol configuration, etc.), that have been pre-configured by the operator at a specific node(s) (e.g. eNodeB).
QoS rule: A set of information enabling the detection of a service data flow and defining its associated QoS parameters.
Monitoring key: information used by the PCEF, TDF and PCRF for usage monitoring control purposes as a reference to a given set of service data flows or application (s), that all share a common allowed usage on a per UE and APN basis.
RAN user plane congestion: RAN user plane congestion occurs when the demand for RAN resources exceeds the available RAN capacity to deliver the user data for a prolonged period of time.
NOTE 1: Short-duration traffic bursts is a normal condition at any traffic load level, and is not considered to be RAN user plane congestion. Likewise, a high-level of utilization of RAN resources (based on operator configuration) is considered a normal mode of operation and might not be RAN user plane congestion.
Redirection: Redirect the detected service traffic to an application server (e.g. redirect to a top-up / service provisioning page).
service data flow: An aggregate set of packet flows carried through the PCEF that matches a service data flow template.
service data flow filter: A set of packet flow header parameter values/ranges used to identify one or more of the packet flows. The possible service data flow filters are defined in clause 6.2.2.2.
service data flow filter identifier: A scalar that is unique for a specific service data flow (SDF) filter (used on Gx and Gxx) within an IP‑CAN session.
service data flow template: The set of service data flow filters in a PCC Rule or an application identifier in a PCC rule referring to an application detection filter, required for defining a service data flow.
service identifier: An identifier for a service. The service identifier provides the most detailed identification, specified for flow based charging, of a service data flow. A concrete instance of a service may be identified if additional AF information is available (further details to be found in clause 6.3.1).
session based service: An end user service requiring application level signalling, which is separated from service rendering.
spending limit: A spending limit is the usage limit of a policy counter (e.g. monetary, volume, duration) that a subscriber is allowed to consume.
spending limit report: a notification, containing the current policy counter status generated from the OCS to the PCRF via the Sy reference point.
subscribed guaranteed bandwidth QoS: The per subscriber, authorized cumulative guaranteed bandwidth QoS which is provided by the SPR/UDR to the PCRF.
subscriber category: is a means to group the subscribers into different classes, e.g. gold user, the silver user and the bronze user.
(S)Gi-LAN: The network infrastructure connected to the 3GPP network over the SGi or Gi reference point that provides various IP-based services.
(S)Gi-LAN service function: A function located in the (S)Gi-LAN that provides value-added IP-based services e.g. NAT, anti-malware, parental control, DDoS protection.
TDF session: An association between an IP-CAN session and the assigned TDF for the purpose of application detection and control.
uplink bearer binding verification: The network enforcement of terminal compliance with the negotiated uplink traffic mapping to bearers.
For the purposes of the present document, the following terms and definitions given in TS 23.401 [17] apply:
Narrowband-IoT: See TS 23.401 [17].
WB-E-UTRAN: See TS 23.401 [17].
3.2 Abbreviations
For the purposes of the present document, the abbreviations given in TR 21.905 [8] and the following apply. An abbreviation defined in the present document takes precedence over the definition of the same abbreviation, if any, in TR 21.905 [8].
ADC Application Detection and Control
AF Application Function
AMBR Aggregated Maximum Bitrate
ARP Allocation and Retention Priority
ASP Application Service Provider
BBERF Bearer Binding and Event Reporting Function
BBF Bearer Binding Function
BBF AAA Broadband Forum AAA
BNG Broadband Network Gateway
BPCF Broadband Policy Control Function
BRAS Broadband Remote Access Server
CSG Closed Subscriber Group
CSG ID Closed Subscriber Group Identity
DRA Diameter Routing Agent
E-UTRAN Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network
H-PCEF A PCEF in the HPLMN
H-PCRF A PCRF in the HPLMN
HRPD High Rate Packet Data
HSGW HRPD Serving Gateway
IP‑CAN IP Connectivity Access Network
MPS Multimedia Priority Service
NB-IoT Narrowband IoT
NBIFOM Network-based IP flow mobility
NSWO Non-Seamless WLAN Offload
OAM Operation Administration and Maintenance
OFCS Offline Charging System
OCS Online Charging System
PCC Policy and Charging Control
PCEF Policy and Charging Enforcement Function
PCRF Policy and Charging Rules Function
PFDF Packet Flow Description Function
PRA Presence Reporting Area
QCI QoS Class Identifier
RAN Radio Access Network
RCAF RAN Congestion Awareness Function
RLOS Restricted Local Operator Services
RUCI RAN User Plane Congestion Information
RG Residential Gateway
SCEF Service Capability Exposure Function
vSRVCC video Single Radio Voice Call Continuity
SPR Subscription Profile Repository
TDF Traffic Detection Function
TSSF Traffic Steering Support Function
UDC User Data Convergence
UDR User Data Repository
V-PCEF A PCEF in the VPLMN
V-PCRF A PCRF in the VPLMN
WB-E-UTRAN Wide Band E-UTRAN