ASN Gateway context

ASN Gateway functions
- Service Flow Authorization
- Authentication and key distribution
- Session/Context maintenance
- Handover co-ordination & Mobility management
- Paging control
- Accounting client
- DHCP proxy/relay
- MIP client/FA
- Data-path management and (re)-anchoring
- Policy Enforcement
- Multiple BS, ASN, CSN configurations
ASN Gateway Block diagram

Session control
Key control module
- Co-ordinates and controls other functional modules for all MSS specific functions like network (re)-entry, service flow creation, handover etc.
- Maintains session state and data, charging context, handover context for both ASN and CSN anchored
- Initial network entry of the SS/MS (through context related messages)
- Transfer of contexts to/from ASN GWs/BS
- Creates GRE/MIP tunnels for traffic flow
- Session management state machine
AAA functions
- Pulls the subscriber credentials, attributes from the AAA server over RADIUS
- Provides AAA attributes to Authenticator, Mobile IP/FA, QoS Manager, DHCP proxy/relay and accounting client
DHCP functionality
- Helps in deploying access policies (inbound/outbound) specific to the MS
- Helps in hiding the identity of the MS (option 82)
- Helps in managing the address: Site specific address, Global address, Address lease time
- Establishing default route and DNS
- Address allocation server address configured at ASN GW (can be in visited or another network)
- Relays DHCP messages between DHCP client on SS/MS and Address allocation server.
Authentication
- EAP procedure initiation on MS/SS entry
- Authentication relay protocol mapping to AAA protocol (for example EAP over RADIUS)
- Multiple types of authentication. Device authentication/user authentication/Combined authentication
Paging control
- Handles one or more paging groups
- Connects to other Paging Controllers in the network
- Initiates page to paging agents
- Updates location register whenever MS moves in/out of IDLE mode or when MS updates own location
Accounting
- Service flow based accounting procedures
- Interim accounting updates
- Offline and Online (pre-paid) charging
- Ability to store UDRs in events of temporary loss of connection to accounting server
- Hot-lining support
QoS management
- Acts as S-SFA/A-SFA in the ASN GW
- Interfaces to AAA client for policies stored in the HAAA
- Interfaces to PF for policy data requests/responses
- Does admission control for service flows based on local policy and resource availability
- Location update to S-SFA or PF
- Handles MS initiated as well as network initiated service flow requests on R6 interface
dataPath (pre)registration/(pre)deregistration in conjunction with Handover.
- Pre-provisioned and dynamic service flows
GRE client/FA
- GRE tunnel management towards R6/R4
- MIP registration and de-registration with HA
- Inter-ASN mobility to establish new MIP tunnels
- MIP Advertising to support CMIP
- Mobility context update to the session manager
- Support for Client MIP (Care of address advertisements, )
- Controls DHCP gating
Platforms
- ATCA based with high speed packet processing engines
- Proprietary with high speed packet backplanes
- Distributed & stackable
- Use existing platforms offering similar throughput and tailor to support ASN GW function – examples could be GSN and PDSN
An ATCA based ASN G/W solution