IMS Overview

Vincente DIngianni
Director of Professional Services
Binary Systems, Inc.
vincente@binary-systems.com

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org DUE 402356

Contents

What is IMS?
Basic Principles
IMS building blocks
IMS Architecture
Why all the excitement?
Who needs IMS
Problems
Conclusions

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 2
What is IMS?

IMS is an architecture, it is not a protocol.

Open-systems architecture that supports a range of

IP-based services over both Private and Carrier
networks, employing both wireless and fixed access
technologies.

IMS is defined by 3GPP.

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 3
Basic Principles

Access Independence

Different Network Architectures

Terminal and user mobility

Extensive IP-based services

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 4
IMS Building Blocks

1. An all-IP Core Network (CN)

2. An all-IP Radio Access network (RAN)

3. Multimedia call control based on SIP

4. Quality of Service (QoS) support for IP

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 5
IMS Architecture

Application Layer
SIP / OSA / CAMEL
AS AS

Management
Control Layer

MRF
Provisioning
SIP, IP
HSS

CSCF

SG/MGCF Charging

Connectivity & Access Layer MGW

IP/MPLS PSTN/PLMN Number

Mapping
GERAN, UTRAN, WLAN, xDSL,...

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 6
 IMS Architecture
HSS: Home Subscriber Server SGW

CSCF: Call Session Control Applications Operator 1

Operator 2 Multimedia
Function: and Services IP
HSS CSCF BGCF Networks
S-CSCF: Serving CSCF
I-CSCF: Interrogating CSCF IM-SSF

P-CSCF: Proxy CSCF BGCF CS Domain

OSA-SCS
- or -
BGCF: Breakout Gateway CSCF PSTN
MGCF MGW
Control Function - or -
MGCF: Media Gateway Control AS Legacy
Function SGW - or -
SCP MRFC MRFP External
AS: Application Server
SCP: Service Control Point GGSN

MGW: Media Gateway Mobile Alternative

Access
MRFC: Multimedia Resource GERAN Network
Function Controller UE SGSN
UTRAN
MRFP: Multimedia Resource
Function Processor
www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 7
6
 Vertical vs. Horizontal Architecture

Service 3
Service 2

Service 1

Service 3
Service 1

Service 2
Common functions

Routing

Network Network
Terminal logic Terminal Terminal logic Terminal

Replicated - not reusable Replication of common functions

Application logic
Common functions
Routing

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 8
 Why all of the excitement?
Imagine starting a voice call on you home phone and transferring it
seamlessly to your mobile as you drive to work.
Imagine sending a multimedia message from your car that later
appears on your TV screen.
Imagine watching a movie on that same TV, pausing it in mid-show
and then watching it on a wireless PDA as you relax in the garden.
Imagine having a cell phone conversation with two or three friends
and simultaneously sharing a video of the football match you are
attending.
Imagine that all of the above can be done with a single account,
on a single log-in with multiple devices over any number of access
networks
These are only a few examples of seamless multimedia services
that IMS will allow users to access anywhere at anytime

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 9
Who needs IMS?
Fixed Network Users want
Multimedia Conferencing

Voice over IP

Streaming Services

Mobile Network Users want

Push-to-X

Location Based Services

Mobile Gaming

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 10
Who needs IMS?

Network Providers want

Fixed Mobile Convergence

One service - one implementation for all
access types
New Business Models

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 11
An everyday scenario
Vincente Mobile phone Daniel Mobile phone

Mobile phone call Mobile phone call

In a taxi from the airport... Walking to the office...

Gerry Jacqueline

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 12
An everyday scenario
Vincente Mobile phone Daniel Mobile phone

Activates Video mode Views Images on his mobile

In a taxi from the airport...

Walking to the office...
Gerry Jacqueline

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 13
An everyday scenario
Vincente Mobile phone Daniel Mobile phone

Buddy list > select project work group

Initiate PTT session

Join PTT session

In a taxi from the airport... Walking to the office...

Gerry Jacqueline

Join PTT session Join PTT session

In the office... Office PC In the office... Fixed line phone

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 14
An everyday scenario
Vincente Laptop Computer Daniel Mobile phone

Buddy list > personal list

Invite others to Videoconference
Join Videoconference

At the hotel... Walking to the office...

Gerry Jacqueline

Join Videoconference Join Videoconference

In the office... Office PC In the office... Fixed line phone

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 15
An everyday scenario
Vincente Laptop Computer Daniel Mobile phone

Participates in Videoconference Participates in Videoconference

At the hotel... Walking to the office...

Gerry Jacqueline

Opens presentation and shares it Participates in Videoconference

with his colleagues

In the office... Office PC In the office... Fixed line phone

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 16
An everyday scenario
Vincente Laptop Computer Daniel Office PC

Participates in Videoconference
Switches from Mobile to PC

At the hotel... Arrived in the office...

Gerry Jacqueline

Participates in Videoconference Participates in Videoconference

In the office... Office PC In the office... Fixed line phone

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 17
Problems and open issues

Architecture complexity.
Guarantees of QoS.
IETF and 3GPP standardisation co-operation.
SIP and IMS architecture are not mature enough
to guarantee fully functioning network.
Terminal complexity.

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 18
There is still work to be done....

The current work in 3GPP is still unfinished and

the discussion with IETF has just been started.

The specification work still continue now.

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 19
Selected Acronyms

3G Third Generation IMS IP Multimedia Subsystem

3GPP(2) Third Generation Partnership IP Internet Protocol
Project (2) IP-CAN IP- Connectivity Access Network
API Application Programming Interface ISIM IMS Subscriber Identity Module
AS Application Server IWF Inter-Working Function
BGCF Breakout Gateway Control LAN Local Area Network
Function QoS Quality of Service
CAMEL Customised Applications for RACS Resource and Admission Control
Mobile Enhanced Logic Subsystem
CSCF Call Session Control Function RAN Radio Access Network
BICN Bearer Independent Core Network SCM Session Control Manager
GGSN Gateway GPRS Support Node SGSN Serving GPRS Support Node
GPRS General Packet Radio Service SIP Session Initiation Protocol
GSM Global System for Mobility SLA Service Level Agreement
UMTS Universal Mobile Terrestrial
Access

www.convergencetechnologycenter.org 20