A.2.4 Scenario 4

23.2073GPPEnd-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) concept and architectureRelease 17TS

The UE performs an IP BS function which enables end-to-end QoS using IP layer signalling towards the remote end. However, the UE relies on this end-to-end communication being utilised by at least the access point (GGSN) in order to provide the end-to-end QoS.

This scenario assumes that the UE and GGSN support RSVP signalling which may control the QoS directly, or interwork with DiffServ. The backbone IP network is RSVP and/or DiffServ enabled.

The application layer (e.g. SIP/SDP) between the end hosts identifies the QoS requirements. The QoS requirements from application layer (e.g. TS 23.228 [4] describes interworking from SIP/SDP to QoS requirements) are mapped down to create an RSVP session. The UE shall establish the PDP context suitable for support of the RSVP session. The authorisation token from the application layer shall be mapped to the PDP context parameters, and may also be mapped to the RSVP signalling.

In this scenario, the terminal supports signalling via the RSVP protocol to control the QoS across the end-to-end path. The GGSN also supports the RSVP signalling, and uses this information rather than the PDP context to control the QoS through the backbone IP network. The control of the QoS through the core is expected to be supported through interworking with DiffServ at the GGSN, although it may optionally be supported by per flow resource reservation. The RSVP signalling protocol may be used for different services. It is only expected that only RSVP using the Integrated Services (IntServ) semantics would be supported, although in the future, new service definitions and semantics may be introduced. The entities that are supporting the RSVP signalling may fully support the specifications for IntServ and IntServ/DiffServ interwork. If not, they are expected to set the break bit.

In this scenario, the control of the QoS over the UMTS access network (from the UE to the GGSN) may be performed either from the terminal using the PDP context signalling. Alternatively, subscription data accessed by the SGSN may override the QoS requested via signalling from the UE (according to the procedures specified in TS 23.060 [19]).

QoS for the IP layer is performed at two levels. The end-to-end QoS is controlled by the RSVP signalling. Although RSVP signalling occurs end-to-end in the QoS model, it is not necessarily supported by all intermediate nodes. DiffServ is used to provide the QoS throughout the backbone IP network, although optionally each node may support RSVP signalling and allocation of resources per flow. An authorisation token may be included in the RSVP signalling and the PDP context establishment/modification. The GGSN may authorise the RSVP session and configure the Diffserv classifier functionality.

The GGSN supports the RSVP signalling and acts as the interworking point between RSVP and DiffServ. Intermediate QoS domains may apply QoS according to either the RSVP or DiffServ mechanisms.

The end-to-end QoS is provided by a local mechanism in the UE, the PDP context over the UMTS access network, DiffServ through the backbone IP network, and RSVP in the remote access network in the scenario shown in the figure below. The RSVP signalling may control the QoS at the local access. This function may be used to determine the characteristics for the PDP context, so the UE may perform the interwork between RSVP and the PDP context.

Figure A.6: Local UE supports RSVP signalling using IntServ Semantics