ericsson.com/
5g-core-guide
One core –
the best of two worlds
Ericsson’s dual-mode
5G Core solution
The cloud-native 5G Core network guide series 2.0
2
Ericsson | One core – the best of two worlds
Taking a dual-mode
approach to core evolution
Our experience in pioneering technology shifts
has been applied to 5G, and we believe that a
“one core” solution is the way to go.
Contents
02Taking a dual-mode
approach to core evolution
04A cloud-native and
programmable solution
05 Why 5GC is different
06 Our dual-mode 5G Core products
11Automated operations for
speed and efficiency
13Sustainability and cost savings
using dual-mode 5G Core
14 Summary
The mix of subscriptions handled in mobile
networks will change significantly in the
coming years. As predicted in the Ericsson
Mobility Report,1 2G and 3G services will
drastically decline, while 4G services will
still be dominant for many years.
Even though 5G services will grow faster
than previous technology generations,
new 5G networks will co-exist side by
side with 4G networks for many years,
while efficiencies must still be improved
to capture new opportunities.
Keeping separate core networks
to manage these different access
technologies will significantly increase
communications service providers’ total
cost of ownership (TCO) and, at a certain
point, will become unmanageable from
an operational perspective.
Therefore, we recommend a
multi-access, one-core solution to
maximize profitability and take
advantage of the wide range of new
business opportunities, while achieving
flexibility in balancing cost-optimized
versus performance-optimized network
deployment during the transition to 5G.
To address your needs, we have developed
Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core, a cloud
native, microservices-based solution
that combines Evolved Packet Core (EPC)
and the new 5G Core (5GC) network
functions (NF) into a common platform for
efficient TCO and smooth migration to 5G.
Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core has
been used in commercial live networks
since 2019,2 as well as in the world’s first
bare-metal cloud-native 5G Core.3
Figure 1: Different paths to dual-mode 5G Core
Mixed mode
operation
Interworking
5GC and EPC
Traffic
migration
5GC network
function
EPC network
function
Common for the first launched 5G Core networks
Physical/virtual
Core platform
EPC
5G EPC
5G EPC
5G EPC
Decommissioned
5G Core
(5GC)
Dual-mode 5G Core
(EPC + 5GC)
Dual-mode 5G Core
(EPC + 5GC)
5G NR NSA
Cloud-native
Core platform
5G NR SA
Common when cloud-native platform is introduced with EPC
Physical/virtual
Core platform
EPC
5G EPC
5G NR NSA +SA
5G NR NSA +SA
5G EPC
5G EPC
Decommissioned
5G EPC
Dual-mode 5G Core
(EPC + 5GC)
Dual-mode 5G Core
(EPC + 5GC)
5G NR NSA +SA
5G NR NSA +SA
5G NR NSA
Cloud-native
Core platform
5G NR NSA
1Ericsson Mobility Report.
2Ericsson and Telstra achieve container-based commercial Evolved Packet Core milestone.
3SK Telecom goes live with bare-metal cloud-native 5G Core with Ericsson.
3
Ericsson | One core – the best of two worlds
From our live customer references,
dual-mode 5G Core is hardened and
optimized for services such as enhanced
mobile broadband (eMBB), voice
over New Radio (VoNR), and Evolved
Packed System (EPS) fallback. In
September 2022, more than 80 percent4
of the world’s top 20 service providers
have selected our solution for 5GC.
From a core perspective, there are
two main architectures to support
5G New Radio (NR). The first – NR
non-standalone (NSA) is based on an
enhanced Evolved Packet Core (EPC),
which Ericsson calls 5G EPC.
The second – NR standalone (SA) is a
new 5G Core built on a service-based
architecture (SBA).
The timings and steps you take on your
5G journey will depend on your starting
point, market conditions and when it
makes the most business sense.5 During
this journey, our dual-mode solution for
EPC and 5GC network functions (NFs)
will support your current services, a fast
and flexible 5G introduction, and smooth
network evolution at your own pace. It
also provides different paths for you to
introduce, and gain experiences from,
cloud-native implementations.
5G SA provides new capabilities,
driving new use cases and
opportunities. Singtel is committed to
continually innovate and maximize
the potential of what this developing
technology can deliver. Our 5G SA
network, powered by Ericsson, will
help pave the way for many new
applications as we look to drive
transformative benefits for consumers
and businesses.
The main advantage of the
approach we took is that it gave us
the opportunity to try out new ways
of running, building and life cycling
the network. Those experiences
gave us confidence that we could
actually challenge the way we’d
been building networks up until to
that point.
Mark Chong,
Group CTO, Singtel
David Aders, Group Owner for
Mobile Development & Product
Engineering, Telstra
We embarked on a program to
transform our core platforms and
move directly from legacy physical
platforms, or PNFs, to next-generation
cloud-native Dual Mode Core,
leapfrogging the immediate step of
virtualization. We did this to access
the full suite of benefits the cloud
provides from day one
In order to be the first in the
telecommunications industry,
you really need to be ambitious
and work as a team. There was a
perfect collaborative opportunity
with Ericsson in the endeavor to be
the first in Germany and Europe to
deliver 5G core services. We had a lot
of fun achieving this goal together.
Jorge Fernandes, Chief Technology
Officer, Rogers Communications
Guido Weissbrich, Chief Network
Officer, Vodafone Germany
4Number excludes awards, friendly user trials and soft launches.
5For more information, please see the the Evolving from EPC to 5G guide.
6For the full Singtel case study, please see: Transforming Singapore’s future with 5G.
7For the full Rogers case study, please see: Canada’s 5G future.
8For the full Vodafone case study, please see: Shaping Germany’s 5G future.
9For the full TPG Telecom case study, please see: TPG Telecom’s cloud transformation journey.
10For the full Telstra case study, please see: Delivering 5G in Australia.
11BT and Ericsson join up to deliver cloud native dual-mode 5G Core.
12SK Telecom goes live with bare-metal cloud-native 5G Core with Ericsson.
Figure 1 shows how we can support
your 5G project, even if you are currently
without any installed base of our
equipment. The first path demonstrates
how you can introduce a cloud-native
5GC as an overlay to your existing 5G
EPC, and then how you can gradually
move EPC traffic and migrate smoothly
to a dual-mode 5G Core solution.
Service providers on this first path
with commercial live dual-mode 5G Core
include Singtel,6 Rogers,7 Vodafone8
and TPG Telecom,9 with each of them
being the first to launch 5G SA in their
markets. The second path shows
how you start with cloud-native
EPC and later introduce the 5GC
NFs building a dual-mode 5G Core.
Service providers on the second path
with commercial live dual-mode 5G Core
include Telstra,10 BT11 and SK Telecom.12
This paper focuses on our dual-mode
5G Core solution and its products,
including Packet Core, Subscriber Data
Management (SDM), policy and signaling
NFs, and how these can support you
on your journey to 5G. These products
consist entirely of microservice-based
cloud-native NFs to deliver the 5G Core
and EPC functionalities.
Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core enables
new network capabilities that allow
you to harness the full potential of 5G,
while securing a smooth migration from
existing network capabilities.
4
Ericsson | One core – the best of two worlds
A cloud-native and
programmable solution
Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core solution delivers
higher deployment flexibility and operational
efficiency in a multi-access cloud-native platform.
The highly programmable architecture
of Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G core solution
includes support for 5G NR (NSA and SA),
as well as all previous generations, in a
single software platform. It groups
all different 3GPP EPC and 5GC NFs
for Packet Core, SDM, policy and
signaling in eight products (as depicted
in Figure 2) according to the services
they provide to the network. This enables
a smarter re-use of microservices by
different NFs, higher efficiency when
utilizing the cloud infrastructure
resources and more flexibility to
handle traffic pattern changes
between 4G and 5G for a smoother
and gradual migration.
Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core is
designed from the outset on cloud-native
principles. It can of course be deployed
on Ericsson Cloud Infrastructure
(NFVI or bare-metal Cloud-native
infrastructure), but in addition to that,
it can run on other Cloud Native Computing
Foundation (CNCF) compliant partners’
container-as-a-service (CaaS) and
hyperscale cloud providers (HCPs)
that we have validated.
Solution highlights:
• cloud-native/microservices
architecture
• single platform for EPC and
5GC functionalities
• flexible allocation and control
of network resources
• automated and simplified
operation and maintenance (O&M)
• network exposure capabilities
for programmability
• high user plane (UP)
performance, scalability and
Gi-LAN consolidation
Figure 2: Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core
Data layer
Cloud Core Data-Storage Manager
Database for subscription
and network applications data
Control plane
Cloud Core
Resource Controller
Cloud Core
Subscription Manager
Cloud Core
Policy Controller
Cloud Core
Exposure Server
Dynamic control of
network resources
and slice selection
Multi-access/device control
(auth., registration, mobility)
Policies for access,
mobility, QoS and
charging control
Exposure of network
capabilities and
API management
SBA architecture
Packet Core Controller
Signaling Controller
Access, session, mobility
and gateway control functions
Diameter and HTTP signaling
functions and secure
interconnect
User plane
NR SA
LTE/NR NSA
LTE
GSM/WCDMA
Packet Core Gateway
Common EPC/5GC user plane, with feature-rich Gi functions
for DPI and optimization, NAT and firewall
5
Ericsson | One core – the best of two worlds
Why 5GC
is different
5GC is a new network architecture.
The major difference, compared to EPC, is
that the new 5GC architecture introduced
in 3GPP Release 15 is based on SBA.
This implements IT network principles and
a cloud-native design approach. In this
new architecture, each NF offers one or
more services to other NFs via Application
Programming Interfaces (API). Each
NF is formed of a combination of small
pieces of software code also known
as microservices. Some microservices
can even be re-used for different NFs,
making implementation more effective
and facilitating independent life cycle
management (LCM) – which allows
upgrades and new functionalities to be
deployed with zero impact on running
services. A key NF of SBA is the Network
Repository Function (NRF), which provides
NF service registration and discovery,
enabling NFs to identify appropriate
services in one another.
SBA principles apply to interfaces
between control plane (CP) functions
within 5GC only, so interfaces toward
Radio Access Network (RAN), user
equipment or user plane functions
(UPF – N1, N2, N3, N4, N6 and N9) are
excluded. SBA allows common O&M
interfaces across the complete portfolio
and in 5GC’s CP structure there is a
different functional separation of Access
and Mobility Functions (AMF) and
Session Management Functions (SMF).
5GC includes the separation of the
UP and CP functions of the gateway,
an evolution of the gateway CP/UP
separation (CUPS) that was introduced
Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF).
13
in EPC Release 14. 5GC also introduces
a completely new protocol, HTTP/2,
compared to Diameter in 4G to
communicate between various NFs.
5GC-specific signaling functions include
Service Communication Proxy (SCP),
Binding Support Function (BSF) and
Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP).
Other changes include a separate
Authentication Server Function (AUSF)
and several new functions, such as
Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF),
Network Exposure Function (NEF) and
Unified Data Repository (UDR).
Release 16 brings an increased
focus to expand network capabilities
to address the needs from new market
segments, such as industrial IoT and
fixed-mobile convergence. Additionally,
it has introduced enhancements to the
5GC base architecture, such as support
for indirect communication, SMF/UPF
flexibility, enhanced support for UDM-HSS
interworking with UDICOM interface and
richer network slicing capabilities.
The 5G system roaming is
architecturally different from EPS
roaming. While introduced in Release 15,
major advancements are made in
Release 16. Network data analytics
function (NWDAF)13 is another major
functionality introduced in Release 16
to streamline the way core network data
is produced and consumed, as well as to
generate insights and facilitate the taking
of actions based on these insights.
Release 17 extends this even further
with more functionalities to address
mission-critical and non-public
networks, and also comes with
additional functionality for edge
computing and network slicing
deployments. Critical IoT, enterprise
use cases, application function
influence on user equipment route
selection policy (URSP) and NWDAF
are also examples of enhancements
covered by Releases 16 and 17.
Supporting service providers
in transformation
We understand that a key concern is
to protect investments made in your
networks, which is why we have designed
a solution that allows full integration of
new cloud-native NFs with virtualized
or physical NFs (VNFs and PNFs) in the
same network. It also offers different
migration paths to bring all NFs into a
fully cloud-native, dual-mode 5G Core
over time. This permits deployment
flexibility, full interworking with legacy
networks and a smooth evolution to 5GC
With many successful 5GC launches
based on 3GPP Release 16 specifications,
mainly addressing enhanced mobile
broadband and Fixed Wireless Access,
we are bringing forward new consumer
and enterprise services to the market
based on advancements in 3GPP.
Together with the continued progress of
standardization, and new functionalities
being introduced at every release,
our dual-mode 5G Core evolves with
the advancements from Release 16,
Release 17, and so on.
6
Ericsson | One core – the best of two worlds
Our dual-mode
5G Core products
A deeper look at our dual-mode 5G Core
products and how they can help evolve
your network.
Figure 3: Inside Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core portfolio
EPC network function
Data layer
5GC network function
Gi-LAN function
Cloud Core Data-Storage Manager
UDSF
UDR
Control plane
Cloud Core
Resource Controller
Cloud Core
Subscription Manager
Cloud Core
Policy Controller
NSSF
NRF
UDM
AUSF
PCF
NSACF
NWDAF
HSS
5G-EIR
PCRF
SBA architecture
Cloud Core
Exposure Server
NWDAF
NEF
SCEF
Packet Core Controller
Signaling Controller
AMF
SMF
NWDAF
SEPP
BSF
MME
SGW-C
PGW-C
DRA*
SCP
User plane
Packet Core Gateway
NR SA
LTE/NR NSA
LTE
GSM/WCDMA
UPF
SGW-U
PGW-U
NWDAF
NAT
Opt
FW
Interworking with legacy networks (e.g., HLR/AuC, BSC/RNC, SGSN, IMS)
*DA and DEA functions also supported
Dual-mode 5G Core functions
• 5G-EIR: 5G Equipment Identity Register
• AMF: Access and Mobility Management Function
• AUSF: Authentication Server Function
• BSF: Binding Support Function
• Opt: TCP traffic and video optimization
• DRA: Diameter Routing Agent
• FW: Integrated Firewall
• HSS: Home Subscriber Server
• MME: Mobility Management Entity
• NAT: Network Address Translation
• NEF: Network Exposure Function
• NRF: Network Repository Function
• NSACF: Network Slice Admission Control Function
• NSSF: Network Slice Selection Function
• NWDAF: Network Data Analytics Function
• PCF: Policy Control Function
• PCRF: Policy and Charging Rules Function
• PGW-C: Packet Data Network Gateway: Control Plane
• PGW-U: Packet Data Network Gateway: User Plane
• SCEF: Service Capability Exposure Function
• SCP: Service Communication Proxy
• SEPP: Security Edge Protection Proxy
• SGW-C: Serving Gateway: Control Plane
• SGW-U: Serving Gateway: User Plane
• SMF: Session Management Function
• UDM: Unified Data Management
• UDR: Unified Data Repository
• UDSF: Unstructured Data Storage Function
• UPF: User Plane Function
7
Packet Core Gateway
Packet Core Gateway provides a common
container-based UP with UPF, PGW-U,
SGW-U and other value-added service
functions such as traffic optimization,
probing, carrier-grade network address
translation (CGNAT) and firewall.
It delivers advanced and highly efficient
processing of data payload, including
support for distributed deployment.
It further supports the tight interworking
with an existing EPC and contributes to
sustainability with improved footprint
and energy-saving solutions.
The Packet Core Gateway architecture
scales very well with number on vCPUs,
it facilitates the full utilization of different
hardware and consequently, the ability
to achieve high throughput per server
as the hardware evolves. Another
benefit of cloud-native architecture is its
capacity to independently scale different
microservices, adapting automatically
to traffic variation and scaling in/out
only the affected microservices. It is
designed to move traffic flows to a
fast path with flow spraying as soon
as those flows are identified. This is
fundamental to support 5G peak rates,
such as individual peak rates of
20/10 Gbps (downlink/uplink) per UE,
in a loaded system without impacting
individual user performance.
With scalable software architecture,
the UP and CP scale independently to
accommodate a range of services and
associated traffic profiles. Topological
scalability is also supported, where
CP functions are centralized while the
UP functions are widely distributed to
support efficient traffic offload and
low-latency services.
It supports advanced payloads,
processing value-added traffic
management functions that are selectively
based on intelligent traffic steering, so that
the traffic from radio to internet is processed
within a single microservice without any
east–west traffic. We’ve developed
value-added functions provided by
Packet Core Gateway, such as Transmission
Control Protocol (TCP) optimization and
probing or integrating 3PP like CGNAT
or firewall. Managing a single entity
instead of several drives a significant
reduction in TCO in both capex and opex.
Ericsson | One core – the best of two worlds
Examples of traffic management
functions include: deep-packet
inspection, content insertion such as
header enrichment, content optimization
and TCP optimization, in comparison to
an external TCP optimizer.
The Packet Core Gateway secures
development of new services at both
distributed and centralized locations.
It is also designed to be stateless with
user data in a centralized database.
This is key in providing superior availability,
session continuity, in-service software
upgrades (ISSU) and smooth scale in/out.
The integrated Packet Core Firewall is
an all-in-one security offering, combining
cloud-native UP threat mitigation and
advanced security functions. It addresses
security use cases for UP deployments
in mobile broadband and IoT segments.
Packet Core Firewall provides the best
TCO compared to any other Packet Core
security solution maintaining 5G latency
and throughput.14
The Local Packet Gateway15 is a
powerful new product, designed to
help service providers address the edge
opportunity in virtual and hybrid 5G private
network segments, to support high-data
bandwidth and low-latency use cases. It’s
an all-in-one solution, based on the same
application software as the Packet Core
Gateway, including additional Gi-LAN
services, pre-integrated appliance and
LCM optimized for the edge. Additionally,
it has a one-server low footprint and is
simple to deploy and manage. With the
Local Packet Gateway, our dual-mode
5G Core is brought to the edge.
Packet Core Controller
Packet Core Controller provides a
complete dual-mode control plane in a
single product. It is efficient at controlling
device network access, mobility and
session management, including 5GC
capabilities with AMF and SMF.
It comes with complete support
for EPC signaling with SGW-C,
PGW-C and MME functions based
on millions of lines of redesigned,
industry-hardened code from Ericsson
MME and SGW-C/PGW-C business logic.
The product also provides low risk and
the best time to market (TTM) for 5GC
deployments, by supporting overlay
deployments with a rich feature set in
AMF and SMF, validated in leading
Tier 1 live operations.
14For more information, please see the Mastering complete 5G network security guide.
15For more information, please see: Embrace the 5G edge opportunity.
An open and flexible UP with
internal service chaining leads to
30 percent lower footprint
30
%
Though optimized for 4G and 5G access,
the Packet Core Controller interworks
with 2G and 3G and provides support for
longtail/long-lived 2G and 3G services
such as Massive IoT and roaming when
outside of 4G and 5G coverage.
Similar to how virtual EPC was
successfully introduced with a virtual
MME as part of a hybrid pool, the
Packet Core Controller can support
the same model. This allows for a
reliable means of introducing new
cloud-native MMEs into a network
with geo-redundant pooling across
our container, virtual and physical
MMEs for low-risk capacity expansions
and operational transformations.
One major driver in 4G and 5G EPC
for network evolution is CUPS. The
Packet Core Controller supports new
cloud-native UP and in addition,
can also be integrated with existing native
or virtual gateway nodes transformed
to UP only. To allow for more seamless
mobility across EPC and 5GC, the PGW-C
and SMF business logic is implemented as a
combined service. This enables UEs to
maintain IP address and session contexts
for gateway and Gi service chains, also in
case of handovers between 5GC and EPC.
Like the Packet Core Gateway, this product
is designed to be stateless with user data
in a centralized database. Building on
how most service providers are deploying
and operating their networks today,
organization flexibility with access
and mobility management, separated
from IP service delivery, is supported.
This is provided with one set/pool
of instances for combined MME/AMF
and other instances for SGW-C and
PGW-C functionalities across EPC and
5GC. O&M of Northbound Interfaces (NBI)
and information models are also unified for
all underlying NFs to greatly improve ease
of use and TCO.
8
Ericsson | One core – the best of two worlds
Signaling Controller
Signaling Controller handles all the
communication signaling between
various 4G and 5G Core NFs. The product
implements the 3GPP NFs such as SCP, BSF
and SEPP in the SBA of the 5GC.
The SCP function inside the product is a
central element in the overall 5GC network
which simplifies the network topology,
aggregates signaling from all 5GC NFs,
performs load balancing, distribution,
signaling throttling, signaling prioritization,
parameter harmonization, and handles
signaling storms. The BSF function inside
the product ensures various sessions
belonging to a single subscriber originating
on different interfaces are bound together
and routed towards the same PCF. This is
mandatory when there are two or more
PCFs in the network to select from. The
use cases cover the 5G voice and NEF.
The SEPP function connects to roaming
partner networks and is a requirement
to enable 5G roaming and security. The
SEPP supports both direct and indirect
(through an IPX) roaming connections.
Signaling Controller also comes with
complete support for Diameter-based
signaling functions such as Diameter
Agent (DA), Diameter Edge Agent (DEA),
Diameter Routing Agent (DRA) and server
lookup function. Signaling Controller
includes a unified signaling firewall that
secures networks across 2G, 3G, 4G
and 5G technologies.
The product is designed on robustness
principles and covers both the 4G and 5G
signaling needs for service providers.
It implements the same logic and
behavior across the Diameter and
HTTP signaling domains. The Signaling
Controller also offers multi-vendor
support, for example, with indirect
communication options C and D,
as specified by 3GPP Release 16.
Cloud Core Resource Controller
Cloud Core Resource Controller is the
commercial realization of the NRF, NSSF
and NSACF functions in the 5G Core.
The product provides control of network
resources and services, securing awareness
of the status and use toward the other NFs.
Based on this, the Cloud Core Resource
Controller can dynamically steer the UE’s
traffic from one slice to another, to fulfil
commercial service requirements and
admission control of the number of UE and
PDU sessions for network slicing, in order to
secure expected quality of experience (QoE).
The key role of NRF inside the product
is to provide resource control in the
network in an automated way, where
resources include NFs and NF services.
NRF maintains the NF profile of available
NF instances and their supported services,
received from NFs during registration.
NRF functionality removes the need for
network configuration every time a new
NF is added or removed from the network,
or every time NF capacity is updated due
to scale-in or scale-out. NRF also provides
key functionalities to improve robustness
in the network due to its crucial role in the
5GC architecture.
The key role of NSSF inside the product
is to dynamically place a UE on the most
suitable slice according to a service
provider’s defined policies. It provides
policy-based realization of NSSF,
enabling the implementation of service
provider policies for network slicing
in real-time, based on NSSF user and
network context awareness.
It also includes NSACF to support
quota-based admission control among
multiple network slice instances, in order
to avoid overloading, and impact on
service-level agreement.
For more information, please see the Cloud-native subscription and data management in 5G guide.
16
Cloud Core Subscription Manager16
Cloud Core Subscription Manager is
the commercial realization of the
UDM/Authentication Credential Repository
and Processing Function (ARPF) and AUSF
functions in 5GC, and evolves HSS-EPC,
HSS-IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and
EIR functions in 3G and 4G core networks.
It supports 3G, 4G and 5G NFs providing
optimal and efficient interworking with
existing HSS in the legacy domain.
The product handles identifiers,
authentication, registration, mobility
and subscription data management for
multiple end-user devices. It executes
access authentication of these devices
connecting over 3G, 4G and 5G, and
secures the radio-access type with the
best quality at any time, harmonizing
the service experience over the different
access technologies. The Cloud Core
Subscription Manager also supports
overload-protection mechanisms to secure
high, resilient telco-grade performances.
The service continuity is secured by the
support of advanced 3GPP interworking
mechanisms, such as UDICOM, to support
multi-vendor interworking procedures for
cross-domain authentication, handover,
IMS and SMS communications.
The Cloud Core Subscription Manager
also offers, as an optional functionality,
the Authentication Security Module. This
is a premium solution for protecting the
subscriber authentication procedure,
by means of combining ARPF with a
hardware security module to physically
protect cryptographic keys and identifiers,
credentials and encryption algorithms into
dedicated, external hardware storage.
9
Ericsson | One core – the best of two worlds
Figure 4: Foster business innovation with network exposure capabilities
Cloud Core Exposure Server
Standard APIs
Security
Developer APIs
Standard APIs
API Gateway and Management
Service APIs
Edge Exp APIs
Composed Service APIs
Application
function
(Enterprise,
HCP/service
provider Edge)
API Composition
Edge Exp APIs
Dual-mode network exposure
SCEF
Hiding 4G network complexity
T4
S6t,
S6m
5G network APIs
4G network APIs
Edge Exposure
Server
Rx
T6a
NEF
Hiding 5G network complexity
Nnef
IPFi
xSGi
EPC
5GC
5G devices
4G devices
Cloud Core Policy Controller
Cloud Core Policy Controller provides the
PCF function in 5GC and includes support
for EPC (2G/3G/4G) networks with
PCRF capabilities.
It offers a centralized policy control
point for the new-generation core
networks, providing the tools to
dynamically optimize the service
delivery settings to provide the best
QoE. It offers all of the cloud-native
advantages together with our experience
in policy with the main global operators.
User experience is one of the key assets
of the Cloud Core Policy Controller. Policy
handling has been simplified and flexibility
increased, allowing multiple configuration
options. It is possible to deploy different
flavors, specialized in either session
management or in user, access and
mobility management.
The integrated Ericsson 5G Core
Policy Studio17 enables centralized control
and configuration of 5G (and 4G) core
network policies, providing a powerful
network programmability tool to make
it easier for service providers to configure
new innovative services tailored to
different consumer and enterprise needs
and categories, while automating
the configuration of network policies
end-to-end.
The Cloud Core Policy Controller
is a perfect fit for new networks,
giving a fresh programmability
dimension. Closed loops with AI modules
will allow fresh information flow from
the UP, adapting the policies to the
actual network behavior. All of this is
complemented by the geographically
redundant configuration for maximum
resilience and robustness.
Cloud Core Exposure Server
Cloud Core Exposure Server is the
commercial realization of the NEF
function in the 5GC, as well as the evolution
of SCEF in 3G and 4G core networks.
As seen in Figure 4, it is an exposure
platform able to aggregate 4G and 5G
network Application Programming
Interfaces (APIs), enabled by SCEF
and NEF, and to compose them for the
creation and the secure exposure of
advanced service APIs.
Service APIs can be designed around
the concrete use cases that service
providers want to address in the market,
17Network policy management with 5G Core Policy Studio.
18For more information, please see: Edge exposure.
enabling them to securely expose and
monetize the 3G, 4G and 5G core network
capabilities toward external parties.
The product supports the modular
and flexible deployment of embedded
or standalone NEF, SCEF and API
Gateway and management modules,
offering service providers maximum
flexibility in designing their network
exposure platform. With multi-layered
and flexible security mechanisms,
it can secure your network while
exposing the capabilities and new
business innovations to third parties.
The product can also be used to expose
network capabilities internally
to your trusted domain.
The Cloud Core Exposure Server
plays a key role in making a network
programmable, and enabling revenue
growth by Open Network API exposure
to application developers, elevating a
service provider’s role in the ecosystem.
Based on the Cloud Core Exposure
Server, the Edge Exposure Server18
provides simplified and feature
enrichments APIs for edge applications,
such as user equipment information API,
network QoS API and location API.
10
Cloud Core Data-Storage Manager
Cloud Core Data-Storage Manager19 is the
commercial realization of the UDR and
UDSF functions in the 5GC, including some
key functionalities for interworking with
3G and 4G application front ends.
It stores subscriber and network control
data, and user and service profiles for
5G NR, as well as 2G, 3G and 4G access,
enabling a smooth migration to 5G. It is
based on UDR and UDSF NFs that allow
flexible distribution of data storage points
across different network slices and NFs
to address all the various needs for data
centralization or distribution.
The Cloud Core Data-Storage Manager
can support multiple types of structured
and unstructured data, including several
standard interfaces to connect both legacy
and 5G application front ends, including,
including the new Nudr interface.
Ericsson | One core – the best of two worlds
This ability to act as one common data
repository for all network domains can
optimize the data storage resource
usage. The one common provisioning
is also secured by the external Ericsson
Dynamic Activation (EDA) product
for simplified data management
and configuration.
The support of a built‑in automated
migration procedure secures
cost‑effective projects with faster
automated subscriber data migration
from legacy Ericsson databases into
the dual‑mode cloud-native common
repository. When compared to the
traditional data migration activities in
legacy SDM solutions, service providers
can migrate more subscribers per day,
at any time (not only during maintenance
windows), and without a stop in
provisioning or an impact on traffic.
19For more information, please see the Cloud-native subscription and data management in 5G guide.
The Cloud Core Data-Storage Manager
secures high reliability of stored data
with fast recovery time, and a minimized
service impact if severe network issues
should arise, thanks to auto‑healing,
overload protection at solution level
(back end – front end), and the triple
redundancy mechanisms.
The Cloud Core Data-Storage Manager
is a cloud-native database, fulfilling the
needs of cloud-native deployments, but still
coping with telco-grade characteristics.
The Cloud Core Data-Storage Manager
addresses telco data repository needs
(dynamicity, access speed and frequency,
and data structure) in a cloud-native
environment, securing high-level
telco-grade robustness based on unique
protection mechanisms that are well
consolidated and proven in the market,
such as overload protection.
11
Ericsson | One core – the best of two worlds
Automated operations
for speed and efficiency
Beyond functional compliance to 3GPP specifications
and advanced functionalities, our dual-mode
5G Core solution includes several enhancements.
To enable service differentiation
and efficient network operation with
lower TCO, enhancements such as
cloud-native software architecture,
continuous integration and continuous
deployment (CI/CD), unified O&M
and automation support, and network
slice optimizations are included in our
dual-mode 5G Core solution.
Cloud-native and
microservice architecture
Our software architecture is based
on cloud-native design principles.
Applications are delivered and executed as
a set of containers and are designed to run
on a Kubernetes CaaS.
The modularity of our software, known
as microservices, has been selected
to facilitate a short TTM for future
functionalities with limited inter-module
dependencies. LCM is moved from NF
to microservice level, including support
for ISSU and automated upgrades.
ISSU greatly improve TCO, going from
maintenance windows and traffic migration
to smaller daytime updates as a subscription
offering service (CI/CD).
The adopted cloud native
design principles:20
• agnosticity
• decomposed software
• application resiliency
• state-optimized design
• orchestration and automation
Figure 5: The CI/CD flow for service providers
Continuous
deployment
Continuous
integration
Continuous
delivery
Customization,
tuning, integration
Software testing
and end-to-end testing
Service
provider
Continuous
release
R&D and
service delivery
Validation
and monitoring
Data
collection
Continuous
improvement
Software
supply
Feedback
Continuous
improvement
20For more information, please see The cloud-native transformation guide.
Phased
release to
production site
and slices
12
CI/CD
Ericsson’s continuous software
integration, delivery and deployment
are based on decades of experience in
telco app characteristics and have been
explored with several leading service
providers in VNF and cloud-native
network function (CNF) introduction.
CI/CD is fundamental in leveraging
cloud native benefits,21 and from engaging
with service providers globally we’ve
learned that automation developed
and delivered together with a product
allows easy adoption and LCM of the
automation solution. CI/CD pipelines for the
preparation, deployment and validation of
new software versions is best done by the
vendor that designed the software. Ericsson
CI/CD implementation based on Continuous
Delivery and Deployment (CDD), and
corresponding automation workflows are
developed, tested and released with the
products. Global usage of CDD in R&D,
service delivery, and our customers, secure
quality for each release together with
reduced opex and faster TTM.
A key enabler to cut time and cost
of software deployment is the Ericsson
Automated Acceptance Tests (AAT)
tool for the acceptance test procedure.
It simulates RAN, including 5G NR
and end-user traffic, and can perform
automatic verification of the whole
dual-mode solution.
LCM, high automation and unified O&M
Our dual-mode 5G Core solution’s NFs offer
a common management interface, covering
both EPC and 5G Core capabilities, and
is designed to fit with a next-generation
operations support system.
This simplifies automation of the
solution’s O&M but does not prevent
more granular LCM of individual
software modules.
It can be used for dynamic and flexible
scaling of individual software modules
based on capacity needs, such as rebalance
EPC versus 5GC resource usage, as the
terminal fleet evolves over time.
With dual-mode, the cloud infrastructure
can be dimensioned on an aggregated level
and our calculations show savings
in the order of 20 percent.
Ericsson | One core – the best of two worlds
Network slicing capabilities are supported
in 4G, such as enhancements for Dedicated
Core Networks in EPC, and are further
enhanced with new functionality in the
dual-mode 5G Core. With 5G Core, a
device can simultaneously be connected to
multiple slices, opening up new use cases.
Slice selection can be made based
on user-subscription data and any dynamic
policies, supported by the slice database.
Ericsson Dynamic Network Slice Selection,22
based on 3GPP-standardized URSP and
with end-to-end management, enables
flexible separation of services and enhances
traffic steering to maximize QoE on a
single device. The solution has achieved
several global firsts and can be smoothly
introduced using the dual-mode 5G Core.
Furthermore, new functions and
procedures are supported, which allow for
better control of how devices can connect
to slices and for end-to-end monitoring.
Network slicing, in combination with
the possibility to distribute applications
across centralized and distributed
edge data centers, depending on use
case requirements, is a key enabler to
simplifying operations and increasing
deployment flexibility. We are further
supporting edge opportunities with
products such as Local Packet Gateway
and Edge Exposure Server.
Network analytics
There are high expectations on the 5G Core
network to use the benefits of automated
data-driven networks AI and automation
for network optimization to deliver superior
network experiences. Networks that can
learn and improve will soon be the industry
standard. This is where Ericsson’s NWDAF23
comes into play.
Network slicing and edge computing
The dual-mode 5G Core solution comes
with built-in network slicing capabilities
to enable new business models across a
wide range of industries.
It allows service providers to segment
the network to support particular
services, and deploy multiple logical
networks for different service types over
one common infrastructure.
21For more information, please see the CI/CD: Continuous software for continuous change guide.
22Ericsson Dynamic Network Slice Selection - Tailored multiple slices for your smartphone.
23Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF).
NWDAF is designed to overcome market
fragmentation and proprietary solutions
in the area of network analytics,
streamlining the way core network data
is produced and consumed, as well as
generating insights and taking actions
based on these insights. Building on
Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core and Expert
Analytics solutions, we provide two types
of NWDAF deployment: co-located and
standalone NWDAF. Our cloud-native
NWDAF is 3GPP-standardized and
enables custom analytics use cases to
lower costs, increase service quality and
enable smoother operations.
Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core and
its products are built on these design
principles and tools:
• common design rules
• common architecture principles
• a common reference
orchestration platform
• a common set of platform services
•common and powerful CI/CD and
deployment pipelines
This enables true DevOps with all
its benefits. Applications can be
delivered on Ericsson CaaS or
third-party CaaS. Ericsson’s
dual-mode 5G Core is in commercial
live operation using Ericsson CaaS
or third-party CaaS, both on VM or
bare-metal infrastructure. We are also
working with service providers to run
the solution on CNCF-compliant HCPs.
13
Ericsson | One core – the best of two worlds
Sustainability and cost savings
using dual-mode 5G Core
Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core has been designed to handle the
programmability, automated operation and digital exposure required
to meet future challenges and business enhancements.
3GPP SBA and microservice-based
cloud native NFs, delivered as one
software platform, enable substantial
benefits as new technologies and
architecture are introduced, while
protecting current investments.
Leveraging the SBA together with one
unified O&M reduces network and
O&M integration compared to today.
The dual-mode 5G Core software platform
also creates a foundation for new
capabilities and ways of working.
Together with the application of CI/CD,
it provides savings to an order of more
than 60 percent in a fully cloud-native
environment for software upgrades.
ISSU and individual LCM per
microservice permit upgrades during
daytime, eliminating costly nightly
maintenance windows and taking your
savings even further.
A cornerstone of our dual-mode 5G Core
is the unified O&M for EPC and 5G Core,
as described in Figure 6. A unified NBI
with information models, naming of
counters, alarms and so on, helps to reduce
complexity and improve ease of use.
The solution also includes automation
support, enabling automation with AI
and machine learning, and flexibility
in the orchestration solution for easy
migration from EPC. The solution
contributes to sustainability with efficient
use of resources. With dynamic allocation
of resources, dimensioning can be done
on aggregated traffic, saving up to
20 percent of core network infrastructure,
though this will vary from case to case.
We are also seeing significant footprint
and integration cost savings with an
open and flexible UP with internal
service chaining.
One example of an additional function
in the platform that can significantly
improve ease of use and reduce TCO is
the built-in software probe and NWDAF
solution, which enables efficient interface
mirroring and event reporting with KPIs.24
Data is streamed to external consumers,
which reduces the need for external
tapping and probes, resulting in footprint
savings of up to 60 percent and opex
savings of 90 percent with built-in
software probes, compared to external
hardware probes.
Another example is the network
license server, which handles licenses
from one network area instead of local
certificates per CNF.
Figure 6: One unified O&M
Common services components such as O&M
Fault
management
Performance
management
O&M NBI
Configuration
management
Logging
Prometheus
Other common
microservices
Microservice communication, for example, message bus
Microservice
Type 1
Microservice
Type 2
Microservice
Type 3
Business logic components for VNF functionality
CaaS
24Securing the 5G experience with software probes.
Microservice
Type N
14
Ericsson | One core – the best of two worlds
Summary
Key insights and learnings from large 5G SA deployments.
Through close cooperation with multiple
service providers that are rolling out
5G SA early, we have had the opportunity
to tune our dual-mode 5G Core solution in
large commercial live networks globally.
In China, our commercial solution has
been live since 2020. This includes
launching complex services like VoNR
and EPS fallback.
Working with service providers in
commercial live 5G Core networks, we
have verified around 30 5G Core interfaces
with 20 vendors’ equipment. With our
end-to-end 5G SA, including both RAN
and Core, we have engaged early in
interoperability device testing with major
chipset and device vendors, proving the
efficacy of the dual-mode 5G Core solution
in multi-vendor environments.
We collected many key insights and
learnings25 from our partnerships with
service providers when launching their
commercial 5G Core networks that you
can take forward on your 5G journey:
• use the cloud-native transformation
to drive the modernization of the rest
of the business
• focus on the 3 Ps – people, processes
and platform – the importance
of people and culture cannot be
overstated, nor can the ability to
ramp-up resources and competence
• build a complete platform with other
ecosystem players for 5G monetization
– improve marketing of 5G SA to gain
perception leadership and create demand
for new use cases
• invest in CI/CD and dare to work in a live
system with an agile methodology to
reach the agility and speed expected of 5G
• take advantage of the power of the
cloud-native toolsets
• device testing is a separate challenge
– team up early
Why adopt Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core solution:
• work with the most experienced partner to support service providers
in transformation
• deploy one core network for improved footprint and energy savings
• enable new revenue with use case development with ecosystem and partners
• ease the operation of cloud-native EPC and 5GC with leading capabilities
• assure deployment flexibility with validated CNCF-compliant CaaS platforms
Sustainability and cost savings with Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core:
• 20 percent savings in infrastructure
• 30 percent savings in UP footprint with efficient Gi-LAN consolidation
• over 60 percent reduction in opex for software upgrades
• 60 percent footprint savings and 90 percent opex savings with built-in
software probes
25For an extended list, read the guide Accelerate your core network transformation to cloud native.
26
Number excludes awards, friendly user trials and soft launches.
A proven one core network
Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core solution
delivers a programmable core network
for a secure and cost-efficient evolution
of your existing networks. It is based
on cloud-native design principles,
a flexible combination of NFs, and a
proven multi-access core solution that
includes support for 5G NR (NSA and SA).
Our solution is verified in commercial
live networks, and has been since 2019.
Since September 2022, more than
80 percent26 of the world’s top 20 service
providers have selected our cloud-native
dual-mode 5G Core for 5GC.
This guide is part of our cloud-native
5G Core network guide series 2.0,
which explores the topics that should
be considered when deploying and
evolving your 5G Core network.
To discover the full series, please visit
ericsson.com/5g-core-guide
About Ericsson
Ericsson enables communications service providers
and enterprises to capture the full value of connectivity.
The company’s portfolio spans the following business
areas: Networks, Cloud Software and Services, Enterprise
Wireless Solutions, Global Communications Platform,
and Technologies and New Businesses. It is designed to
help our customers go digital, increase efficiency and find
new revenue streams. Ericsson’s innovation investments
have delivered the benefits of mobility and mobile
broadband to billions of people globally. Ericsson stock
is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and on Nasdaq New York.
www.ericsson.com
Ericsson
SE-164 80 Stockholm, Sweden
Telephone +46 10 719 0000
www.ericsson.com
The content of this document is subject
to revision without notice due to
continued progress in methodology,
design and manufacturing. Ericsson
shall have no liability for any error or
damage of any kind resulting from the
use of this document
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